News
‘The Rubies’: Announcing our 2019 Opera Canada Awards Honourees!
Opera Canada is proud to announce the three distinguished honourees who will receive the 2019 Opera Canada Awards for their exemplary contributions to the industry: Benjamin Butterfield, tenor and vocal pedagogue Liz Upchurch, Head, Canadian Opera Company Ensemble...
News: Opéra de Montréal announces screenings of Carmen
Today, Opéra de Montréal released an end-of-season round-up of facts and figures, also looking forward to next season, which will include a cross-Québec screening of the company's recent Carmen production. As mentioned in their press release, "A presentation of...
In Conversation: Siobhan Richardson on choreographing sex for the stage
What Is Intimacy Direction? Theatre and opera lovers alike are familiar with the feeling of sitting in an audience and uneasily watching an act of sexual violence take place on stage. “Is the performer safe?” we ask ourselves and resume watching uncertainly. For...
Ghost Opera: the ‘Ananke’ and magic behind the May 24 premiere
There are a lot of people working on Ghost Opera--the May 24th world premiere is a collaboration between Calgary Opera, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and the Old Trout Puppet Workshop. That’s why the Greek concept Ananke is how Judd Palmer, co-founder of...
In Conversation: Dean Burry and Yvette Nolan: Shanawdithit
In some circles, opera is perceived as a notoriously ‘colonial artform.’ But the creators of Tapestry Opera and Opera on the Avalon's Shanawdithit don’t believe in the label. After all, examples of opera—any piece of theatre that combines singing, acting, and elements...
News: 19/20 Opéra de Québec season announced!
Opéra de Québec announced details of their upcoming 19/20 season on Saturday night at the premiere of their current production of Verdi’s Nabucco. The season begins on Oct. 19th with Verdi’s classic, La traviata. The cast features a mixture of Canadian veterans and...
La Bohème: How accurate is the ‘starving artist’ trope?
Giacomo Puccini’s warhorse La Bohème is a tale about young artists’ whirlwind lives in the centre of the artistic world of 19th-century Paris. Audiences experience a window into their passion, ambition, and their poverty. Veiled behind Canadian Opera Company’s (COC)...
Profile: Russell Thomas takes on Otello and talks representation
Early on in his career, a suggestion was made to tenor Russell Thomas that he only sing Mozart. “I thought that was the biggest insult,” he remembers, laughing. It turned out to be good advice. “When I was in college I sang a lot of repertoire that was probably...
Take Note! Announcing Opera Canada’s emerging artists recital series
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Not your usual night at the opera—be among the first to discover Canada’s newest opera talent! [/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image="11489"...
In memoriam: Roger Moore (1939-2019)
The recent passing of philanthropist Roger D. Moore sent shock waves through the Toronto opera scene. A beloved figure within the Canadian classical world, Moore was the recipient of a 2010 Opera Canada—‘The Rubies’ award, an honour which, as former Opera Canada...
Feature: Claude Vivier: A cosmic seeker’s star ascends
In 1801, Goethe wrote to Felix Mendelssohn that “where nothing new is actually produced, an art cannot make itself vividly felt.” Innovation and impact are ideas Canadian composer Claude Vivier took to heart. Born in 1948 to unknown parents,Vivier studied at the...
News: 19/20 Calgary Opera Season Reveal!
This morning, the 19/20 Calgary Opera season details were released, the first under the new senior leadership team of Artistic Director, Bramwell Tovey, and Managing Director and CEO, Heather Kitchen. Here's our season rundown: The 19/20 Calgary season opens in...