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(Article by Richard Burnett, Montreal Gazette)

One of the finest operatic singers of his generation, tenor聽John Mac Master聽began his storied showbiz career in Montreal and the West Island singing in 1970s rock 鈥榥鈥� roll bar bands.

鈥淢y longest-lasting band was called Jade, and we played Top 40 hits like Taking Care of Business and December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night),鈥� says Mac Master, who was the band鈥檚 charismatic, long-haired lead singer. 鈥淲e played bars like the John Bull Pub downtown and roadhouses on the lakeshore.鈥�

It would be another couple decades before Mac Master 鈥� who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in theology from Loyola College (now Concordia University) and a licentiate in music (vocal performance) from 捆绑SM社区 鈥� would get his big break. But he聽went on to conquer the opera world, performing with New York鈥檚 Metropolitan Opera, the London Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Volksoper聽and Op茅ra national de Paris. He even played Ubaldo Piangi in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.

After an illustrious international career, the Moncton-born Mac Master, whose family moved to Laval when he was 12, returns to Montreal to teach聽classical vocal lessons聽at 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 Schulich School of Music. Classes begin Friday, Sept. 2 in the Strathcona Music Building, where he himself studied from 1979 to 1981.

Today, the QS World University Rankings names the Schulich School of Music the top Canadian school in the performing arts category. Schulich has more than聽850 students, and its 2016-2017 concert season features over 600 performances, including three fully staged Opera 捆绑SM社区 productions, complete with orchestra.

鈥溊Π骃M社区 got me on my way,鈥� Mac Master recalls. 鈥淚 was not a star 鈥� not by a long shot. I did not come gliding through here. There were lots of other students who were further along than me at that point. I was so green. It took me a long time to figure out what was going on. Big voices take longer to train 鈥� you grow into them.鈥�

After 捆绑SM社区, Mac Master landed a five-year stint as a professional chorister for the Canadian Opera Company. He聽then worked for a decade as a cantor in a Catholic church in New York, where he found voice teacher William Riley. Under Riley鈥檚 tutelage, Mac Master flourished into a great dramatic tenor.

鈥淭he key thing is building your instrument,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what (teachers are) all about when you find a young singer. We鈥檙e teaching them to use what they have, but also build those muscles, like any kind of athletic activity.聽For the dramatic singer, you think, 鈥楾his could be a big voice one day.鈥� That鈥檚 when they鈥檙e 35, 40, 45 years old, and here they are 18 years old coming into university. So these big voices aren鈥檛 ready yet.

鈥淎s someone once told me, 鈥榊ou have to stay alive until you鈥檙e 35.鈥� You got to keep making money doing something, because it鈥檚 only going to come together in your 30s, and that鈥檚 what happened for me. Being a cantor was a big deal, because I was singing all the time. I was making a living, singing 15 services a week.鈥�

鈥淚 have made my living singing as a rock musician, a cantor or an operatic tenor,鈥� says John Mac Master. 鈥淚 did not have an easy path to my performing career, but I have earned my keep for 40 years, and that鈥檚 a great blessing."

鈥淚 have made my living singing as a rock musician, a cantor or an operatic tenor,鈥� says John Mac Master. 鈥淚 did not have an easy path to my performing career, but I have earned my keep for 40 years, and that鈥檚 a great blessing.

When Mac Master began auditioning again, he landed the role of Piangi in Andrew Lloyd Webber鈥檚 The Phantom of the Opera聽in Toronto in 1995. He reprised the role on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre, where the musical still runs.

鈥淚 was surprised how small and dingy the (Majestic) dressing rooms were,鈥� Mac Master says. 鈥淏ut Broadway is exciting because 鈥� like singing at the Met 鈥� it鈥檚 the top of the business in that genre.鈥�

Mac Master made his operatic debut in 1997 with the San Francisco Opera as Aegisth in Elektra, but his breakout role (after several important European debuts) was in Pagliacci at Glimmerglass Opera near Cooperstown, N.Y., in 2002. The New York Times raved: 鈥淎s provocative as the staging was, the real news there was John Mac Master鈥檚 portrayal of Canio. A Canadian tenor with a huge, powerful voice, he summoned every bit of the pathos and violence that the role demands.鈥�

鈥淭hat review brought me to the attention of many opera companies who would hire me thereafter,鈥� Mac Master says. 鈥淚t was an incredible turning point, and it would also be the role in which I would make my debut at the Met in 2005.

鈥淵ou know, when I moved to New York, I was going to the Met in standing room every night; I was watching Pavarotti or Domingo, all the greats. The idea that I would go from standing room to being on that stage 鈥� do you know how rare that is? I have been very blessed and very lucky, but I have worked like a dog.鈥�

Mac Master, who is married and a father, says travelling the globe from gig to gig is hard work, though some cities聽can be especially聽fun. 鈥淚 performed in Rosenkavalier at the Op茅ra national de Paris for three months (in 2002). Incredible production values, the most beautiful sets I鈥檇 ever worked on. The French know how to eat and how to manage opera companies. The wine ain鈥檛 bad either!鈥�

Despite the general camaraderie among casts, Mac Master acknowledges he has dealt with big egos and diva behaviour.

鈥淲hen you understand that bad behaviour comes out of nerves and insecurity, it helps you to not take offence,鈥� he explains. 鈥淧eople are much more professional today than they were 40 years ago, because there are more singers in the business, and more pressure because there is less money. The opera world is also much more tight-knit since Facebook, since you know what everybody is doing each day, on productions around the world.鈥�

While each cast becomes a surrogate family of sorts, Mac Master says one of his biggest thrills was when his parents flew to Vienna to see him perform in 1999.

鈥淢y father came in after intermission at the Volksoper, sat down and said in English, 鈥楬e鈥檚 my son!鈥� Turns out the guys down the line were from St. Catharines, Ontario! My parents were proud.鈥�

Mac Master鈥檚 strong work ethic continues to shape his career. In addition to becoming an assistant professor at 捆绑SM社区, he remains a working musician: he聽will perform with maestro Boris Brott and the 捆绑SM社区 Chamber Orchestra (not associated with the university) in 2017, and with the Op茅ra de Montr茅al in 2018.

鈥淚 have made my living singing as a rock musician, a cantor or an operatic tenor,鈥� says Mac Master. 鈥淚 did not have an easy path to my performing career, but I have earned my keep for 40 years, and that鈥檚 a great blessing. Lots of people want it and never get that opportunity.

鈥淥ne of the things I believe I have brought to my performances was empathy for a Grimes, Florestan, Canio or Otello, and I bring that to my teaching, too. I always had a fine voice, but it was a long journey to learn how to use it. So I have a lot of empathy and patience in guiding students on their journey.鈥�