Christopher Cano Head of music and director at
Arizona Opera’s Marion Roose Pullin Opera Studio Tell us about your artistic background. I trained primarily as a solo pianist throughout my life, and I became a vocal coach primarily by chance. A serendipitous encounter with a prominent vocal coach in New York City 19 years ago planted the seed and changed the direction of my professional path. How did you choose opera? I like to think it was fate. My father bought me my first operatic recordings of Puccini’s Turandot, La Bohème and Madame Butterfly when I was a kid. While he wasn’t a musician, he exposed me to all sorts of music, and, ultimately, working with voices seemed like the right fit. What’s your greatest memory associated with your work? Playing for my wife, Jennifer Johnson Cano, for her New York recital debut in 2011. She is my muse and my inspiration. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Watching others realize their full artistic and musical potential. To be a part of their artistic growth and discovery is priceless. What are you currently working on? Our new McDougall Arizona Opera RED Series is especially exciting and we are heading into our second production of the season, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird. Where can we see you? Though I’m typically behind the scenes overseeing all the vocal training and musical preparation, this season I will be featured in two Arizona Opera performances with members of the Marion Roose Pullin Opera Studio. On Dec. 19, we will be presenting an evening of favorite opera scenes where all studio artists will be featured in some of opera’s greatest moments. On April 25, 2019, I will be musically directing a fully staged production of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte from the piano.
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Uptown November '18