Megan Miceli is a singer, musical director, arts educator, administrator, and creator. She has been praised for her “bright, pure, well focused high lyric soprano” (Musical Toronto). Some role highlights include Mother/Gravedigger/Guilt Spectre in the world premiere of Ghost Opera, commissioned by The Old Trout Puppet Workshop, the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity and Calgary Opera, Papagena (The Magic Flute), Morgana (Alcina), and Despina (Così fan tutte). Megan was a member of Calgary Opera's Emerging Artist Development Program for their 2018-2019 season. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Performance and a Masters in Music in Voice and Opera from McGill University. Megan is an Artist Fellow with the Association for Opera in Canada's RBC LINK Emerging Artist Program for the 2020-2021 season. Upcoming virtual performances include excerpts from Barbara Croall's Miziwe, Beethoven's Mess C-dur, and Mozart's Requiem and she is looking forward to collaborating and performing with Amplified Opera during the 2021-2022 season.
This project's mission is to create a development space and performance that highlights voices which have often been silenced in music performance. A space of equality and collaboration will nurture an exploration phase that will allow all of the artists and collaborators involved to create with freedom and honesty. Focusing on the concept of identity, it is vital that every voice is equal, seen and heard in a safe environment so that truly authentic creativity can blossom. Together we will explore what identity means to each of us and which parts of us wish to be seen and displayed as part of this performance. The weaving together of different identities and artistic expressions is what will eventually become the finished piece. Two distinct vocal pieces will be sung together, overlapping the different languages of Arabic and English and different voice types of tenor and soprano, a musical co-mingling highlighting the way our identities can mix and yet remain unique. Additionally, a composer who identifies as disabled will assist in the development of these pieces. While that is what we hear, what we see will be different. Inviting a dancer who is deaf or hard of hearing to develop a movement piece highlighting the language of sign language will encourage a marriage between physical and auditory language and expression, set against the backdrop of a commissioned art piece that will come to life with the movement and music. Music, visual art, and dance will all coexist together as a cohesive and synergetic unit to create an expressive and meaningful performance piece.
This program allowed for an incredible amount of exploration, growth, and development within a safe, creative, and encouraging environment. I was able to meet, discuss, sing, and learn from a remarkably diverse group of talented, versatile, and multifaceted artists. The generosity and selflessness of which the many guest speakers and faculty members imparted their knowledge and skills was truly special. The freedom that comes from being given permission to be completely honest in a space of equality and unapologetically explore different topics and new forms of artistic expression is an experience that I will remember for a long time. As an aspiring art creator and as a disabled performer, this program allowed for new discoveries, important conversations to be had, and the freedom to develop projects with no boundaries.
Megan Miceli