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On tour in 2009-20010:

Animal Passions: Romping the Romantic Realms

Phoebe MacRae soprano with Rena Sharon piano

Animal Passions: Romping the Romantic Realms is a concert for lovers of song and a good laugh. Phoebe has selected songs that find humour and fun in the human condition. Using music of diverse origins (from Aaron Copland to Broadway to the classic comedy duo Flanders and Swann) Phoebe weaves a narrative; the program selections charting the loves and torments of a young Romantic. This program format allows for an audience engagement that is difficult to achieve in a traditional vocal recital format. When the songs are presented within a narrative, uncommon or esoteric works are accessible to even the novice listener and everyone is more able to understand the musical intent of the composer.

Animal Passions: Romping the Romantic Realms has a high entertainment value as it marries exceptional musicianship with an uncommon flair for employing comedy in classical music.

Please email Phoebe for more information.

 “MacRae is an intelligent musician with an uncommonly lovely voice. She beautifully represented, by turns, agitation, passion, pensiveness, yearning and host of other states of mind. Make it a point to hear this fine singer.” Music in Victoria 30/04/06

Phoebe MacRae discovered at an early age that she had flair for comedy. In a childhood school play Phoebe as “The Wife of the Sorcerer” produced some adlibbing that had the adult audience in stitches (especially the married ones!). Her innate comedic sense coupled with life long musical training at the highest levels has produced a performer with a combination of two of Canada’s greatest exports: comedians and classical singers! So many people likened her to a stand-up comedian on the stage that she designed her own show to showcase her comedic talent. Animal Passions: Romping the Romantic Realms is that show.

Phoebe’s singing career spans from opera and oratorio to chamber music and recital presentation. She has performed across Canada, USA and Europe and is frequently heard on regional and national CBC radiobroadcasts.

A specialist in “early” music (music from before 1750) and new music (late 20th – 21st century) Phoebe has performed countless premieres of new works as well as the western Canadian premiere of a rediscovered G.F.Handel score that hadn’t been heard in nearly 300 years. She has twice been the guest soloist on Pacific Baroque Orchestra’s tours of Western Canada.

Phoebe has performed as a soloist under the batons of Julius Rudel, Georg Tintner, Timothy Vernon and Bramwell Tovey. She made her European debut as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Magic Flute. Phoebe has been a guest soloist with such companies and organisations as Pacific Opera Victoria, Modern Baroque Opera, Pacific Baroque Orchestra, Vancouver New Music, Festival Vancouver and the Symphonies of Nova Scotia, Victoria and Vancouver.  Phoebe has shared the concert stage with Rena Sharon, Margo Garrett, Colin Tilney, Erika Switzer, Tyler Duncan, Marc Destrubé and Alexander Dunn.  She holds a Master of Music from the University of British Columbia. She is a member of the faculty of the Vancouver International Song Institute.