Diana Di Mauro and Mark S. Doss - Photo by Charles Leonio

In the third part of my interview with Mark S. Doss I tried to have some fun with him, asking a series of short answer questions. We talked about his idols, favourite performers, and his aspirations. He told me about the difficulty involved with being an opera singer and how his work has changed over the last twenty-five years.

Thanks again Mark!

Please enjoy the last installment of my three part interview with Mark S. Doss, filmed at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto

Mark S. Doss and Diana Di Mauro - Photo by Charles Leonio

In this second clip with Mark S. Doss, the focus is on singing and the technical demands of performing operatic repertoire. I asked him about how he trained and maintains his voice, and he sang me a few impromptu high notes. Mark loves his technology, and mentions a few singer friendly Apps while we talked about everything from the musical score, to solfeggio and scales.

Please enjoy part two of my three part interview with Mark S. Doss, filmed at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto

Mark S. Doss and Diana Di Mauro - Photo by Charles Leonio

After months of work, I'm finally ready to reveal the latest addition to Art Life and Stilettos. I will be featuring video interviews and features on artists and events alongside my coverage and musings on all things artistic, fashionable and opera related. My first interview features bass baritone Mark S. Doss, the wonderful singer who is performing this month as Thoas in Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride at the Canadian Opera Company. It is a three part interview discussing Mark's work, his role preparation and life as an opera singer. Mark is a really interesting individual with many stories to tell and decades of experience in the industry. His sense of style (love the pocket square), matches his his rich and powerful voice perfectly, and it was a real treat having the opportunity to sit down and chat with him. Go hear him in Iphigenie this month while you can.

What I had intended to be a short interview, grew into a three-part introspective feature on Mark and his work. In this first part Mark talked to me about his current role as Thoas in Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride at the Canadian Opera Company before talking about other Kings and larger than life characters from other operas. From the devil to John the Baptist, Mark has played a huge variety of larger than life characters. He also told me a bit about his life before he became an opera singer, which had little to do with music.

Please enjoy part one of my three part interview with Mark S. Doss, filmed at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto.

Mark S. Doss performs Escamillo's Todeador Song at the Florentine Opera Company 75th Anniversary Concert and Celebrations May 23, 2009

*Updated Friday February 25, 2011 - Mark's signature role is Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust, not the title role in Boito's Mefistofeles, as I had originally indicated.*

Everyone has been buzzing about the COC's new season announcement, and I am just as excited as the next girl to watch Saariaho's Love From Afar, and see Susan Graham, Russell Braun and Adrienne Pieczonka perform. Another name that keeps coming up is Mark S.Doss. He has won a Grammy award for a 1993 recording of Semele featuring Kathleen Battle, and will be performing tonight at Opera Tampa's "A Night of Stars" honouring Placido Domingo.

I am honored to be performing on this very special evening as Opera Tampa pays tribute to Plácido Domingo...I am also quite excited to be preparing my selections with Sherrill Milnes, for whom I first sang the Toréador Song from Carmen during a Master Class when I was in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s training program.

Doss made his La Scala debut in 2004 as Escamillo in Carmen, and has appeared in the roles of Amonasro in Verdi's Aida at La Scala, Jochanaan in Strauss's Salome at Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, and began singing his signature role of Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust, more than 25 years ago and has since been cast in this part by numerous leading opera companies around the world.

Mark S. Doss will be appearing as Thoas in the COC's fall production of Gluck's Iphigenia in Tauris alongside Susan Graham and Russell Braun.

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