Lecture meets performance as opera singer and Fulbright Scholar Camryn Dewar visits Brandon University (BU) for a special Out of Bounds Lecture Series event on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Dewar’s acclaimed presentation, “The Evolution of Female Indigenous Representation in Canadian Opera,” will take place on Thursday, from 6 to 7 p.m., in the Lorne Watson Recital Hall. There is no admission fee, and all are welcome.
Using opera as a vehicle for truth, reconciliation and education, Dewar will analyze and perform excerpts from Canadian operas Canada’s Welcome (1879), by Arthur Clappé and Frederick Dixon; Missing (2017), by Marie Clements and Brian Current; and Indians on Vacation (2021) by Ian Cusson and Royce Vavrek.
“The first time I sang an Indigenous opera, I felt my entire soul pouring out of my body.”
Camryn Dewar
Dewar, who is originally from Stony Mountain, Man., and is a member of the Red River Métis Nation, has earned a Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) from the University of Manitoba, and a Master of Music (Vocal Performance) from Montclair State University in New Jersey. She staged a successful three-stop tour of this groundbreaking presentation in New Jersey last year and is now touring the lecture recital in Canada.
“The first time I sang an Indigenous opera, I felt my entire soul pouring out of my body,” she said. “I could feel my ancestors behind me as I figuratively cried out for justice, truth, and understanding. It is a feeling I will never forget. That experience showed me that my true purpose is serving as an educator about Indigenous peoples and music and using the power of music to foster understanding and reconciliation. I look forward to audiences hearing operas that are real, raw, and that fully show the Indigenous female, and really, the human, experience.”
Accompanied by Anica Warkentine, on piano, Dewar’s presentation will include a public discussion along with performances that illustrate the evolution of female Indigenous characters in opera. She will challenge traditions of racism and stereotypes in opera, while discussing how best practices are evolving to empower Indigenous voices through authentic storytelling, artistic collaboration and cultural respect.
Please note that seating in the Lorne Watson Recital Hall is limited and that programs are subject to change. For an up-to-date listing of pro series and student performances, please visit Events.BrandonU.ca/Events/Category/Music.
Please contact the School of Music at Music@BrandonU.ca with any accessibility considerations.
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