We are celebrating Vancouver Opera’s 65th anniversary with a truly fabulous season. The season opens with Johann Strauss II’s beloved operetta Die Fledermaus. This charming comedy relies almost entirely on a series of pranks, trickery and disguise as plot devices to illuminate the themes of revenge, love, friendship, and forgiveness and reconciliation. Die Fledermaus runs from October 26th to November 3rd, with a masquerade party performance on Halloween.

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Credits:

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host

A candid conversation about identity, queerness, and joy with UBC voice professor and baritone J. Patrick Raftery and his former student and tenor Spencer Britten. Patrick is about to launch his all-queer reimagining of Maurice Ravel's L'heure espagnole as A Spanish Hour? with two performances on July 27th in the Telus Theatre at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets will be available soon.

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Credits:

J. Patrick Raftery - Guest

Spencer Britten - Guest

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host

Mack McGillivray - Producer

In honour of Asian Heritage Month, we are in conversation with curator, writer, public art consultant and the newly appointed executive director of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Henry Heng Lu. Henry shares insight on art, heritage, and the power of cultural collaboration to confront racism.

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Credits:

Henry Heng Lu - Guest

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host

Mack McGillivray - Producer

We always say that Vancouver Opera is a family, but today's guests actually are family. Eve-Lyn de la Haye and Clara Griesdale are real life mother and daughter, and they're both in our upcoming production of Carmen. For tickets and more information visit VancouverOpera.ca.

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Credits:

Clara Griesdale - Guest

Eve-Lyn de la Haye - Guest

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host

Mack McGillivray - Producer

In anticipation of our upcoming production of Carmen we are rebroadcasting our 7-part series on the composer’s life as one episode. Originally aired in October of 2022 ahead of our production of The Pearl Fishers. Vancouver Opera presents Carmen at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from April 27th to May 5th. For tickets and more information visit VancouverOpera.ca.

CREDITS

Written and edited by Kris Epps
Additional editing by Ashley Daniel Foot and Mack McGillivray
Music Supervisor and Clearances: Kris Epps and Ashley Daniel Foot

Sound design by Kris Epps
Associate Producer: Vincent Huynh

Voice cast:

Bizet:  Felix LeBlanc
Narrator: Jane Potter
Additional Voices:  Ashley Daniel Foot, Travis Baugh Allen, Vincent Huynh

Canadian opera icon Judith Forst and Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Simran Claire share the experiences of being a mezzo-soprano and wearing the pants onstage.

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Credits:

Simran Claire - Guest

Judith Forst - Guest

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host

Tabitha Brasso-Ernst - Associate Producer

Mack McGillivray - Producer

In a rollicking and candid conversation, Jim Wright reflects on his storied career and his 17 years leading Vancouver Opera and spills the beans on long-held desire to be a senator from Indiana.

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Credits

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host

Jim Wright - Guest

Mack McGillivray - Producer

Vancouver Opera honours Black History Month with a special audio documentary about BC Choral legend and music educator Jim Johnson and his wife, choral conductor and teacher Sheila Johnson.

Recorded, edited and produced by Ashley Daniel Foot

Music performed by The Concenti Singers and the Cowichan Valley Youth Choir

A profile on of one of the kings of the bel canto age, Gaetano Donizetti, the composer of Don Pasquale, on stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre February 10th to 18th. Get your tickets and more information at VancouverOpera.ca.

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Credits:

Jane Potter - Writer and Narrator

Ashley Daniel Foot - Voice of Gaetano Donizetti

Richard Wolfe - Voice of Felix Mendelssohn

Tom Wright - Voice of Giuseppe Verdi

Mack McGillivray - Audio Producer, Voice of Hector Berlioz

Today, we're talking with baritone extraordinaire, Gregory Dahl. Audiences from Vancouver will remember him last season as the lead role in The Flying Dutchman. And he's back in Vancouver for as the titular role in Don Pasquale, from February 10th to 18th at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets are available at VancouverOpera.ca

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Gregory Dahl - Guest, Baritone

Ashley Daniel Foot - Host

Mack McGillivray - Producer