In this episode, Les chats with Teiya Kasahara & Asitha Tennekoon, co-founders of Amplified Opera. Teiya 笠原貞野 (they/them) is a queer, gender non-binary, multi-disciplinary performer/creator, and first-generation Nikkei-Canadian settler of Japanese and German roots. Teiya comes from a background of over a decade of singing both traditional and contemporary operatic roles across North America and Europe. VO audiences last saw them as the Queen of the Night in our 2013 BC First Nations inspired production of The Magic Flute. Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon was winner of the 2016/17 Dora Award for Best Male Performance in Opera for his depiction of Paul in Tapestry Opera's Rocking Horse Winner and was last seen at Vancouver Opera in The Overcoat as The Manager. Asitha is also the creator of the blog Wandelprobe, in which he provides a platform for meaningful discourse on the state of opera.

Check out our special features for the episode, including Teiya & Asitha's Spotify playlists, Les's Pick of the Week and more at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage!

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