The road to Carnegie Hall is a hard one, but it was one Ken Lavigne was determined to travel. The classical crossover artist will tell the story of that journey with The Road to Carnegie Hall, his touring show which will be in Yorkton on November 8, as part of the Stars for Saskatchewan series.
The show is a bit of autobiography, telling the story of how Lavigne went about self-presenting a show at Carnegie Hall. He says that he swore to himself that he would one day perform at the venue after being able to attend a show as a student.
“It started out as a dream that became a challenge. I can’t imagine any performer who would not want to perform at one of the world’s greatest concert halls.”
Lavigne admits that his quest to self-present at Carnegie hall was incredibly naive, and while he was in the music industry for a while at that point, he wasn’t completely aware of exactly what he was getting himself into.
“No one does it! And I found out why, because it’s not easy, if it were easy everyone would do it! I think there’s something wonderful about naivety, and thinking maybe we can make this happen, and not really understanding how tremendously difficult all those challenges are actually liberates you from not initiating and following through on a project.”
Part of Lavigne’s goal is to engage the audience, and he wants to tell a story and tell them a bit about the person on stage singing to them.
“That’s what this show is about, following through on dreams and making them happen. There’s never a direct, linear line, there are always missed opportunities and blind alleys, but I think that generally if you’re passionate about a project, all those obstacles you’ll encounter you’ll find a way around.”
Lavigne draws from a wide range of sources, and says that it’s about learning from audiences what they appreciate and want to here. He says that the tenor is the “rock star” of the classic world, and it’s a kind of tight rope walk, as hitting some of the high notes are on the edge of human ability.
“In that intimate setting, you really get that visceral vocal experience of what a classically trained tenor can do.”
Travelling with a small ensemble, Lavigne says that he enjoys a small group because it means things can happen in each show that are a little different, and their goal is to be consistent, but change a little each performance.
“You have this lightweight, flexible vehicle to express your music. Things can change and be absolutely beautiful.”
Lavigne says he’s excited about going on tour across Saskatchewan, and says the chance to travel to places he hasn’t been before is exciting for him, and he wants to meet new people across the area.
“In small towns, I often have the best reactions and the best time, because people are genuine. They’re genuine in their reactions to what it is that you’re presenting, and they’re happy to see you, which is nice for a musician. Sometimes you can roll into town and look into an audience and see nothing but crossed arms and frowning faces.”
He also can’t stop dreaming big, and he has set his sights on the Sydney Opera House for his next big performance, something he admits has been even more difficult than Carnegie Hall, especially since he has to arrange it with people on the other side of the world.
Ken Lavigne will be in Yorkton as part of the Stars for Saskatchewan series on November 8 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available at Welcome Home Gifts or yorktonarts.ca.
