Rufus Wainwright started learning music very early in his life. Born in New York and raised in Montreal, the musician is a contemporary pop singer and a classical musician.
His latest album is a reworking of Shakespeare’s sonnets into a more modern sound with a lively vibe.
DID YOUR FAMILY INFLUENCE YOU AS A MUSICIAN GROWING UP?
Yes, absolutely. Both my parents were musically gifted and I was encouraged at a young age to perform and explore music.
DID YOU ALWAYS WANT
TO BE A MUSICIAN?
Well, if I wasn’t a musician, I would be a painter – it’s a lot quieter.
YOU ALREADY HAVE SEVEN
STUDIO ALBUMS AND THREE
LIVE ALBUMS. DO YOU HAVE
PLANS TO WRITE MORE?
I am working on my second opera, Hadrian, which is commissioned by the Canadian Opera Company to premiere in the fall of 2018 in Toronto. I have also written a lot of new pop songs.
YOU HAVE COLLABORATED WITH MANY ARTISTS, INCLUDING ELTON JOHN, BOY GEORGE AND THE PET SHOP BOYS. OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE WORKED WITH, DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE?
There are so many. I’ve been blessed to have a tremendous working relationship with many, many classic musicians from many eras.
DO YOU PREFER TO PERFORM
WITH A BAND OR WITHOUT?
It really depends on the show. I have many different performances from opera to solo touring, so I really enjoy performing with a band and without.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PERFORM SHAKESPEAREAN SONNETS?
I’ve always been inspired by Shakespeare and the sonnets. Robert Wilson asked me to write music for a play containing 20 of the sonnets, which was premiered by The Berliner Ensemble in 2009.
In 2010, the San Francisco Symphony commissioned orchestral versions of five of the sonnets. In combining the two ideas, I began to record the full album in 2015.
YOUR TOUR IS QUITE A LONG ONE, REACHING FROM THE UK AND EUROPE TO NEW ZEALAND AND AMERICA AND FINISHING IN FRANCE IN JUNE. DO YOU LIKE TOURING?
Yes, I would say I do. I enjoy performing in front of new audiences each night.
DO YOU MISS HOME WHEN
YOU’RE ON TOUR?
Yes, but I’ve been touring for such a long time that I’ve become used to having to go out on the road.
YOUR FIRST OPERA, PRIMA
DONNA, PREMIERED IN 2009 AT
THE MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE PLOT?
Regine Saint Laurent, once the world’s most revered operatic soprano, is preparing for her return to the stage after six years of silence.
But in doing so, Regine is forced to confront the ghosts of her past. She reflects on her fearless youth and on her past and present struggles with confidence and anxiety. Her youth is forever gone and she has to now face a new reality.
YOU’RE WRITING A NEW OPERA
FOR THE CANADIAN OPERA
COMPANY. WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
The Roman emperor, Hadrian.
Rufus is playing at Strathpeffer Pavilion, tomorrow, November 18; Perth Concert Hall, on Saturday, November 19; and HMT in Aberdeen, on Sunday, November 20. See www.rufuswainwright.com/tour