In early 2017, Tonia Evans Cianciulli, a professionally trained opera singer born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, began planning a concert tour in Newfoundland to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Canada. 1867 was also the birth year of Georgina Stirling, Newfoundland’s first prima donna soprano. Tonia noted that her personal repertoire of songs and arias almost perfectly matched that of Georgina Stirling. Thus, the Nightingale tour was launched. When Tonia shared this with her grandfather, Calvin D. Evans, a Newfoundland author, the idea of a new book on Georgina Stirling began to take shape, Tonia writing from the unique perspective of a performing artist, and Calvin providing the historical background and framework. Much new material has become available on Georgina’s vocal and instrumental training in Toronto and then in Italy, France, and England, and relating to Georgina’s life, her family, and to her international travels. This book provides an understanding of Georgina's accomplishments and the honour she brought to her island home, winning the hearts of audiences throughout Europe and the United States as well as through her charitable concerts in St. John’s and her hometown of Twillingate. Georgina Stirling’s opera career was cut short, though whether it was due to a strained voice or some kind of catastrophic emotional trauma remains a mystery. In her final years at Twillingate (1929–1935), Georgina attempted to "redeem the time" by giving back to her beloved community in song, in coaching of singing and dramatic stage productions, in many acts of service to the poor and needy, and in her profuse garden, from which she provided bouquets of roses and other flowers to the sick. Georgina’s operatic triumphs and her astonishing and beautiful voice were lauded and acclaimed in concert halls and newspapers throughout Europe and the United States. She acknowledged her inspiration from the glorious sea that surrounded her island, to Newfoundland in general, and to Twillingate in particular.

Soprano TONIA EVANS CIANCIULLI was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland. She is honoured to have embarked on this passionate journey to revive the life and legacy of the late Newfoundland Nightingale, Georgina Stirling, alongside her grandfather, Calvin D. Evans. She has toured her concert program, Nightingale Sings, across the province of Newfoundland, and in cities such as Toronto, Ottawa, and Miami and beyond. In 2018 she was awarded a Canada Council for the Arts grant for this significant and historical work, and she is now a proud member of both the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador and The Writers’ Union of Canada. Tonia is a multi-faceted concert artist, performing her signature programs across North America and for niche events and fundraisers to rally support and encouragement within communities. She performs a wide variety of music, from opera to her own original music, and celebrates her roots covering the music of Newfoundland’s late folk hero, Ron Hynes. Praised for the work she does to shine a spotlight on two of her province’s most talented musicians, Georgina Stirling and Ron Hynes, Tonia has been featured in numerous interviews with CBC, SiriusXM, and Eastlink TV. Represented by Newfoundland’s record label, Citadel House, Tonia will be releasing two tribute albums paying homage to Georgina Stirling and Ron Hynes, to coincide with the launch of this book. The Heart’s Obsession companion album highlights repertoire most beloved by Georgina Stirling’s Newfoundland audiences, and Beckon Me Home is reflective of the love and connection to our island home that shines through the poignant lyrics and melodies of Ron Hynes. Both albums will continue to feature spectacular music videos that highlight the stunning landscapes in Newfoundland and its beloved culture, filmed by Twillingate drone artist Julian Earle, like that of her video of Ron Hynes’s “Marie.” In 2010, Tonia founded Wish Opera/Arts, a non-profit organization and community of supportive artists, in collaboration with Maestro Kerry Stratton and the Toronto Concert Orchestra. She has produced multiple fully-staged theatrical productions, concerts, and niche events that feature Canadian opera singers and artists. Tonia shares behind-the-scenes aspects of being an artist in her “Artist’s Spotlight,” an interview series that shines a spotlight on leading Canadian artists to inspire and motivate others within their industries. Passionate about supporting artists to embrace their gifts and talents, she obtained her certification in Neuro-Linguistic Programming as an NLP practitioner and developed “An Artist’s Journey,” which offers programs, workshops, and performance series to artists of all genres, guiding them to develop and excel at achieving success and confidence throughout their artistic careers. Tonia holds a Bachelor of Voice Performance from the University of Western Ontario. She trains vocally with Manny Perez in Miami and Brian McIntosh in London, Ontario. With her husband, Frank Cianciulli, Tonia lives between Toronto, Ontario, and Miami, Florida. They are blessed with two beautiful children, Sophia and Anthony, which she homeschools while pursuing her musical endeavours. Tonia returns to Newfoundland often to visit family and perform, and she never misses an opportunity to search for heart rocks on her favourite Newfoundland beaches. She encourages you to look for hearts in your everyday life. You can post pictures of them on Instagram and hashtag them #TheHeartsObsession. You can find Tonia on YouTube: Tonia Cianciulli Wish Arts; Instagram: @toniacianciulli; Facebook: Tonia Evans Cianciulli Soprano/Author; Twitter: @WishTonia; and her website: www.wisharts.ca. You can contact Tonia directly at tonia@wishopera.ca for music or performance inquiries. Her albums will also be available online through all major streaming sites and available to order from Fred’s Records: www.fredsrecords.com.

Tonia Evans Cianciulli's profile page

Kerry Stratton's profile page

CALVIN D. EVANS retired from dual careers as a university librarian and a United Church minister. He has lived and worked in six of the provinces—Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. He is the author of six books: For Love of a Woman: The Evans Family and a Perspective on Shipbuilding in Newfoundland (Harry Cuff Publications, 1992); Soren Kierkegaard Bibliographies (McGill University, 1993); Silk Sails: Women of Newfoundland and Their Ships (Breakwater, 2008); Master Shipbuilders of Newfoundland and Labrador (Breakwater, Volume One 2013, Volume Two 2014). He has also written several articles on library science and has been a contributing writer for the Dictionary of Canadian Biography (seven biographies) and for the Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2005 he wrote the biographies of fifteen Newfoundland women for the Grand Falls–Windsor Chapter of the Council on the Status of Women. This document is available on an Internet site. In 2018 Calvin’s booklet Major Sidney Cotton’s Aviation Adventures in Newfoundland and in the Two World Wars was printed by Morgan Printing of Bishop’s Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador, under the sponsorship of the Botwood Heritage Society. Calvin is a member of the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador and of The Writers’ Union of Canada. In 2009, Calvin was awarded the honorific title of Librarian Emeritus of McGill University. Calvin now lives with his wife, Goldie, in Wasaga Beach, Ontario. They have three children (plus one deceased), six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. They have spent the past ten summers at a cottage in Pleasantview, Newfoundland.

Calvin Evans' profile page