opera – Lead.Learn.Live.

Sunday Morning with Julia Lezhneva

January 20, 2013 By David Kanigan 24 Comments

Julia Lezhneva, 23, is a Russian soprano and opera singer. She was born on Sakhalin Island into a family of geophysicists. She has travelled the world at a young age performing at concerts, competitions and festivals at some of the world’s greatest venues. I’m not an opera fan but this young lady is inspiring. She has found her calling. She has achieved Mastery and Excellence at a very young age. The joy in her face, her words and her music lights up the room. This CBS-like “Sunday Morning” clip leaves me invigorated about the generations coming behind us. Bravo Julia. You are something special.

And if you are interested in hearing more from Julia Lezhneva, here’s a 2-minute excerpt from Handel’s ”Saeviat tellus inter rigores”.

Sources: Thank you Rob @ The Hammock Papers for posting this clip and pointing me to Lezhneva. Be sure to check out his blog for similar inspiring posts. It’s a daily stop for me.

Filed Under: Art, Inspire, Life Tagged With: inspiration, Inspirational, Julia Lezhneva, Music, opera, Singer, singing, soprano, vocal, YouTube

Sunday Morning: Romancing the Wind

December 30, 2012 By David Kanigan 30 Comments

Ray Bethell, ~85 years old, is a professional kite flyer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He never picked up a kite until he was 50. He is self-taught. He contracted a rare virus in his early 60s that left him completely deaf. He has travelled and performed worldwide and has won many kite flying competitions. In this video, he performs a kite ballet with three kites to Flower Duet from Lakme by Delibes. I can manage to get one kite up on a windy day. This man, performs magic. What an inspiration. Volume up.

Ray Bethell was the subject of a documentary short film titled “Good Stuff” which won first place at the 2005 TriBeca Film Festival in New York City. This film, which I’ve included below, is well worth a watch and listen as well.

Good Sunday Morning…

Sources:

Thank you Bobby for sharing this video.
Check out his Ray Bethell’s website at this link and his bio here.

Filed Under: Art, Inspire, Life, Music Tagged With: Delibes, Flower Duet, Inspirational, inspiring, kite, Kites, Music, opera, Ray Bethell, YouTube

Tchaikovsky: We must always work…

November 7, 2012 By David Kanigan 24 Comments

“Do not believe those who try to persuade you that composition is only a cold exercise of the intellect. The only music capable of moving and touching us is that which flows from the depths of a composer’s soul when he is stirred by inspiration. There is no doubt that even the greatest musical geniuses have sometimes worked without inspiration. This guest does not always respond to the first invitation. We must always work, and a self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the pretext that he is not in the mood. If we wait for the mood, without endeavouring to meet it half-way, we easily become indolent and apathetic. We must be patient, and believe that inspiration will come to those who can master their disinclination.

A few days ago I told you I was working every day without any real inspiration. Had I given way to my disinclination, undoubtedly I should have drifted into a long period of idleness. But my patience and faith did not fail me, and to-day I felt that inexplicable glow of inspiration of which I told you; thanks to which I know beforehand that whatever I write to-day will have power to make an impression, and to touch the hearts of those who hear it. I hope you will not think I am indulging in self-laudation, if I tell you that I very seldom suffer from this disinclination to work. I believe the reason for this is that I am naturally patient. I have learnt to master myself, and I am glad I have not followed in the steps of some of my Russian colleagues, who have no self-confidence and are so impatient that at the least difficulty they are ready to throw up the sponge. This is why, in spite of great gifts, they accomplish so little, and that in an amateur way.”

~ Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Source: Brainpickings. Tchaikovsky, the legendary composer, wrote this in a letter to his benefactress, Nadezhda von Meck, dated March 17th, 1878. It can be found in the 1905 volumeThe Life & Letters of Pete Ilich Tchaikovsky.