Today we are joined by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra's Principal Harpist, Janelle Nadeau. In this episode we explore the versatile and ancient art of the harp, Janelle's journey with the instrument, and the unique beauty of live performance.

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Episode Credits:

Janelle Nadeau - Principal Harpist, Vancouver Opera Orchestra

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host & Creator, Inside Vancouver Opera

Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

She walks onto the stage, acknowledges the audience, and gestures toward the piano. There is no one there.

Soprano and pianist Rachel Fenlon has spent the last several years doing something almost unthinkable in classical music — accompanying herself. Singing and playing at once. Not as a gimmick, but as a complete artistic philosophy that has taken her from Vancouver to Berlin to the stages of Europe, and to a debut album — Winterreise — that became the first self-accompanied recording of Schubert's cycle.

It was named Album of the Week by both CBC Canada and BBC Radio 3. Critics called it extraordinary. And it started with grief, isolation, and a very quiet voice she decided to follow.

Now she's coming home — to the Kay Meek Arts Centre in West Vancouver on April 12 — and we sat down with her to talk about solitude, risk, what it costs to hold everything yourself, and what it feels like when it finally disappears.

Rachel Fenlon performs at the Kay Meek Arts Centre, April 12. Tickets here

Nicole Lamb is Vancouver Opera’s Director of Artistic and Production. For the last few seasons, she’s been one of the key people deciding what you see on stage and how it all comes together, from season planning and artistic teams to the thousand invisible choices about budget, time, and people that make an opera actually happen.

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Episode Credits:

Nicole Lamb - Guest, Director of Artistic and Production at Vancouver Opera

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver Opera

Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

Veteran Canadian journalist Paul Wells joins Inside Vancouver Opera for a wide-ranging conversation about journalism, politics, and the role the arts play in shaping public life.

For decades, Wells has been one of the country’s most thoughtful political writers, known for his long-form analysis and deep historical perspective on Canadian politics. In this conversation, he reflects on his early days writing about jazz, his years covering Parliament Hill, and his move to independent journalism on Substack.

Wells also discusses the origins of The Paul Wells Road Show, a live event that brings together politics, culture, and conversation. On March 20, the Road Show arrives in Vancouver in partnership with Vancouver Opera, featuring BC Premier David Eby, journalist Richard Zussman, former federal minister James Moore, CBC political podcaster Rachel Siegel, and renowned forest ecologist Suzanne Simard.

Along the way, Wells shares why he believes the arts are essential to civic life and why culture often reveals more about society than politics alone.

🎙 Hosted by Ashley Daniel Foot, Director of Engagement and Civic Practice at Vancouver Opera.

Brandon Thornhill joins Inside Vancouver Opera during Black History Month to discuss Ebony Roots, his concert celebrating 300 years of Black music. From spirituals to Soul, he reflects on identity, opera, representation, and what it means to sing Black history in Vancouver.

Today we’re joined by Canadian composer Dean Burry, whose operas for young audiences have been performed across Canada and beyond. His works include The Brothers Grimm, The Hobbit, and today’s focus, The Brementown Musicians, an immersive opera created especially for elementary students.

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Episode Credits:

Dean Burry - Guest

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver Opera

Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

In this special episode we delve into the intricate dynamics of Così fan tutte and its portrayal of women. We explore the role of Despina as a voice of realism amidst the comedic facade and how the opera reflects societal attitudes towards women and relationships during the Enlightenment era.

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Episode Credits:

Jane Potter - Writer and Narrator

Mack McGillivray - Audio Editor

Ashley Daniel Foot - Producer

Barry Ekko - Cover Illustration

A behind-the-scenes conversation with costume designer Donnie Tejani, who brings the world of Così fan tutte to life for Vancouver Opera. We explore how costumes shape character, how disguise functions in Mozart’s comedy, what happens inside a modern costume shop, and how designers balance artistry, budgets, and practicality in today’s opera landscape.

Tracy Dahl discusses her illustrious career as coloratura soprano, her role as Despina in Così fan tutte, and evolution of vocal techniques.

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Episode Credits:

Tracy Dahl - Guest

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver Opera

Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

In this episode we're joined by music journalist Kevin Ng and Vancouver Opera's Jane Potter to explore the complexities of Mozart's most dangerous comedy, Così fan tutte.

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Episode Credits:

Kevin Ng - Guest

Jane Potter - Guest

Barry Ekko - Artwork

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver Opera

Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera