Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野 (they/them) talks about blending Japanese taiko drumming with opera and spoken word addressing their own polarizing identities. Teiya is a queer, gender non-binary multi-disciplinary performer and creator and first generation Nikkei-Canadian settler proud to make Tkaronto their home. Teiya comes from a background of over a decade of  singing both traditional and contemporary operatic roles across North America and Europe, most recently praised as “a force of nature” by the Toronto Star and “an artist with extraordinary things to say” by the Globe and Mail. They combine opera, theatre, and Taiko in their artistic  practice and also co-lead Amplified Opera, a new initiative which is bringing Tkoronto an “injection of creativity and politics of inclusivity” to the opera community with their recent concert series Amplify highlighting stories of equity-seeking artists. Cover Photo by Janet Timber Cover Art Design by Tania Willems