Nebula 2026 Begins: Education, Collaboration & Nebula in Love

nebulaperformances
Jan 24
4 min read

One Month to Go: Nebula in Love 💕

🎟 Tickets available now via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/nebula-in-love-tickets-1980585681088

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we are counting down to Nebula in Love, one of the most anticipated love-themed concerts in the city. This special evening is shaped by connection between friends, chosen family, artists, and kindred spirits. Love here is expansive, poetic, and shared, expressed through music that brings people together in meaningful and unexpected ways.

Curated by Artistic Director and pianist Wenwen Du, the program offers a versatile and heartfelt musical journey. Audiences can expect beloved opera highlights, celebrated musical theatre selections, love-themed art songs spanning multiple languages and cultures, as well as piano and chamber works.

At Nebula, music is not only performed; it is exchanged. Nebula in Love creates a space where artists and audience members connect through storytelling, sound, and shared experience.

The evening continues beyond the final note with Nebula’s signature after-party. Guests are invited to stay, mingle with friends, meet the artists, and let the night unfold into something truly memorable.

Featuring:Artistic Director & Pianist: Wenwen DuPianists: Alicja Rokita, Yanis HongSopranos: Hannah Ernst, Christina Lewall, Adriana ZaharijevicMezzo-soprano: Katie FraserTenors: Ming-Xuan Chung, Brent MackenzieGuitarist: Vinny Linhares

📅 February 14🕢 7:30 PM📍 Nebula Performance Hall🚗 Free street parking available

Kicking Off 2026: Duo Masterclass with David Walsh and David Meek 🎶

Following the success of Nebula Noël and the close of a vibrant 2025 season, Nebula Performances began the new year with a special Duo Masterclass led by tenor and educator David Meek and international stage director David Walsh. Held on January 3 at the Nebula Performance Hall, the session brought together two longtime collaborators whose artistic partnership spans more than 55 years.

The masterclass welcomed a thoughtful group of artists united by a shared commitment to musical refinement, expressive depth, and professional growth. Participating singers included Kevin Liu, Coco Ji, Ekinsu Durgun, Christina Lewall, Jonathon Chan, Ming-Xuan Chung, and Sophia Maskine, with Yanis Hong and Ming-Xuan Chung at the piano. Together, artists engaged deeply with interpretation, character development, audition presentation, and collaborative process in an environment marked by focus, curiosity, and mutual respect.

Throughout the session, David Meek and David Walsh guided participants in exploring the emotional and dramatic depth of the music, emphasizing character, intention, and storytelling as central elements of performance. This approach encouraged artists to move beyond surface-level interpretation and toward a more integrated understanding of voice, text, and dramatic presence.

One participant reflected, “Both David Meek and David Walsh offered insightful, supportive, and highly practical feedback. The masterclass helped me refine my musicianship and stage presence, and I left feeling inspired, more confident, and equipped with tools to continue growing as an artist. Nebula continues to create a safe and welcoming space where artists can bring their most authentic selves to the stage.”

We extend our sincere thanks to all participating artists and to both Davids for their generosity, expertise, and artistic leadership. The energy and collaboration that filled the room set a strong and inspiring tone for the year ahead.

Audition and Scene Staging Workshop with David Walsh ✨

Building directly on the success of the Duo Masterclass, Nebula Performances was pleased to continue this artistic momentum with an intensive audition and scene-staging workshop led by David Walsh on January 7 and 8 at the Nebula Performance Hall. Inspired by the depth of engagement and talent demonstrated during the Duo Masterclass, this workshop offered a natural extension of the collaborative work already underway.

The workshop provided singers with focused, professional-level training through a combination of private audition coaching and staged scene exploration. Participants prepared two audition-ready pieces, which were examined in depth with attention to audition protocol, interpretive clarity, and professional presentation. In the Scene Staging portion, singers presented arias and duets from operas and operettas, with selected scenes staged and explored intensively to develop dramatic structure, character, and physical embodiment within the musical framework.

Drawing on his extensive international career, David Walsh guided artists with insight shaped by decades of experience working with major opera companies including Scottish Opera, English National Opera, the Paris Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden, and Deutsche Oper am Rhein. His recent work includes The Magic Flute at the International Lyric Academy in Vicenza, Italy, and La Tragédie de Carmen at Nebula, as well as leading a six-week touring workshop across eight universities in China focused on artistic development and cross-cultural exchange.

The workshop was marked by rigorous exploration, thoughtful mentorship, and a strong sense of artistic trust. David Walsh expressed how impressed he was by the level of artistry and commitment shown by Nebula’s singers, and he is looking forward to continuing this work.

🎭 We are pleased to share that he will return to Nebula in early March for additional workshops. We look forward to building on this momentum as our 2026 educational programming continues to grow.

Movie Night Returns at Nebula 📽️

Nebula Performances hosted their 4th Movie Night on Saturday, the 17th, and welcomed the New Year together with a screening of West Side Story (1961), one of the most influential musicals in film history.

Widely regarded as a landmark work, West Side Story transformed musical theatre through its bold fusion of classical music, jazz, and Latin rhythms, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents.

Movie Night offers a relaxed and welcoming space for musicians, artists, creatives, and friends to gather, unwind, and connect. At Nebula, nurturing community is just as important as nurturing artistic practice. Meals, treats, and drinks are offered to enhance the cozy experience.

To attend future Nebula Movie Nights, please email nebulaperformances@gmail.com or send us a direct message. We'd love to see you there!

Thank you for being part of Nebula’s growing community as we step into a new year of learning, collaboration, and creativity. We look forward to welcoming you on February 14 for Nebula in Love, one of the most anticipated evenings of the season. Purchase tickets here!