Inside Vancouver Opera

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

Lessons and Prizes and Rome, OH MY! Bizet takes the Paris Conservatoire by storm—culminating in an all-expense trip to sunny Italy! You probably know that French composer Georges Bizet wrote Carmen, but did you know that he was also a musical prodigy who started composing at the age of nine? Or that composers such as Liszt, Rossini, and Gounod immediately recognized his musical brilliance? Dig into the life of Bizet and meet his musical family.  Beautifully brought to life by actor Felix LeBlanc as the voice of Bizet, this seven part audio series reveals the hidden story behind one of opera’s greatest composers.  This exciting podcast is produced in celebration of Vancouver Opera’s production of The Pearl Fishers onstage from October 22-30, 2022. CREDITS Written and edited by Kris Epps Additional editing by Ashley Daniel Foot 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 

Parisian, prodigious, precocious, the composer George Bizet was born at the dawn of the Victorian Era. A, B, C—easy as Do, Re, Mi. The opera world will soon be changed forever. You probably know that French composer Georges Bizet wrote Carmen, but did you know that he was also a musical prodigy who started composing at the age of nine? Or that composers such as Liszt, Rossini, and Gounod immediately recognized his musical brilliance? Dig into the life of Bizet and meet his musical family.  Beautifully brought to life by actor Felix LeBlanc as the voice of Bizet, this seven part audio series reveals the hidden story behind one of opera’s greatest composers.  This exciting podcast is produced in celebration of Vancouver Opera’s production of The Pearl Fishers onstage from October 22-30, 2022. CREDITS Written and edited by Kris Epps Additional editing by Ashley Daniel Foot 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

You probably know that French composer Georges Bizet wrote Carmen, but did you know that he was also a musical prodigy who started composing at the age of nine? Or that composers such as Liszt, Rossini, and Gounod immediately recognized his musical brilliance?  Dig into the life of Bizet and meet his musical family.  Beautifully brought to life by actor Felix LeBlanc as the voice of Bizet, this seven part audio series reveals the hidden story behind one of opera’s greatest composers.   This exciting podcast is produced in celebration of Vancouver Opera’s production of The Pearl Fishers onstage from October 22-30, 2022. Written and edited by Kris Epps Additional editing by Ashley Daniel Foot Music Supervisor and Clearances: Kris Epps and Ashley Daniel Foot Sound design by Kris Epps Associate Producer: Vincent Huynh Bizet:  Felix LeBlanc Narrator: Jane Potter Additional Voices:  Ashley Daniel Foot, Travis Baugh Allen

We're proud to honour National Indigenous Peoples Day with an in-depth conversation with Métis composer Ian Cusson and Vancouver Opera's Ashley Daniel Foot. In a wide ranging conversation, Ian talks about the ways his Metis and French Canadian descent intersect with his music, the meanings of story, and the power of music to bring about societal change.  We also play an excerpt from his opera, Fantasma (more details here) and a selection from his Where there's a Wall song cycle.  Ian Cusson is a composer of art song, opera and orchestral work. Of Métis (Georgian Bay Métis Community) and French Canadian descent, his work explores Canadian Indigenous experience including the history of the Métis people, the hybridity of mixed-racial identity, and the intersection of Western and Indigenous cultures. You can find out more about Ian here. Read the full article here. podcast produced, hosted, and edited by Ashley Daniel Foot  MUSIC CREDITS  Music from Fantasma courtesy of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity  "Where there's a wall" Song-cycle for voice and piano Text by Joy Kogawa Krisztina Szabó, voice Rachael Kerr, piano Recorded at the Canadian Music Centre, Toronto on November 14, 2019 by John Gray.

Inside: HMS PINAFORE  Join Vancouver Opera teaching artist Eve Daniell in conversation with director Brenna Corner about the ins and outs of creating a new vision of a classic operetta, the challenges of directing comedy, and the ongoing need for art in our culture.  Gilbert and Sullivan’s comedic tale is a delightful combination of forbidden love across class divides and the shenanigans that take place along the way. Poking fun at social hierarchies and packed with absurd characters, this wildly popular operetta delivers plenty of laughs and memorable music. This joyful production is directed by Brenna Corner and conducted by Rosemary Thomson and features the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Vancouver Opera presents HMS PINAFORE - April 30-May 8, 2022 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. For tickets and information visit VancouverOpera.ca AUDIO CREDITS Produced by Ashley Daniel Foot Interim Director of Marketing: Jennifer Lee

Inside Vancouver Opera honours Black History Month with an illuminating and candid conversation with two exemplary Black Canadian sopranos – Othalie Graham and Jonelle Sills, who recently were part of our performance of Cavalleria Rusticana In Concert.  The conversation delves into the question of race and representation in opera, and features the hard-won insights of both Othalie and Jonelle’s experience of being a Black singer in today’s world. We are also proud to amplify the following non-exhaustive list curated by Jonelle Sills of incredible Black Canadian singers working in our sector: Andrew Adrigde (https://www.instagram.com/drewadridge/) https://andrewadridge.com/andrew-adridge/Co founder of Opera Inreach (https://www.operainreach.com/home) Catherine Daniel (https://www.catherinedaniel.com/bio) Queen Hezumuryango https://www.instagram.com/queenhezumuryango/ Monika Mazanka (https://www.monikam.com) Khadija Mbowe (https://www.instagram.com/khadija.mbowe/) https://www.khadijambowe.com Katie McCullough (https://www.instagram.com/katiem.soprano/) https://lnk.bio/katiem.soprano Ineza Mugisha (https://www.instagram.com/ineza_m/) Chantale Nurse (http://www.chantalenurse.com) https://www.instagram.com/chantalenurse/ Charlotte Siegal (https://charliesiegelsings.wixsite.com/charlottesiegel) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliesiegelsop/ Suzanne Taffot (https://www.instagram.com/taffot_soprano/) http://www.suzytaffot.com Korin Thomas Smith (https://www.instagram.com/kthomassmith/)

Inside: CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA IN CONCERT Join Vancouver Opera’s Ashley Daniel Foot and discover the passionate opera that is Mascagni’s CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA  and explore the hot and glorious masterwork of everyday Sicilian life with Vancouver Opera Conductor Emeritus Jonathan Darlington and hear his thoughts on staging an opera in concert, his life during COVID, and his unique perspective on how opera needs to meet the moment and ask itself tough questions. Vancouver Opera presents CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA IN CONCERT  - Feb 12 and 13, 2022 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. For tickets and information visit VancouverOpera.ca AUDIO CREDITS Produced by Ashley Daniel Foot Director of Marketing and Communications: Sarah Hitner

Join Vancouver Opera’s Ashley Daniel Foot and discover the magical world of Gluck’s ORFEO ED EURIDICE and find out what makes the opera so unique as we talk with the stars and creative team of Vancouver Opera’s debut production of this dazzling work. Maestro Leslie Dala speaks with sopranos Krisztina Szabó and Mireille Asselin and mezzo soprano Mireille Lebel. We also check in with opera scholar Leah Giselle Field for a little history on the opera and hear briefly from director Idan Cohen about the unique way he has blended opera and dance into this new production. We also get details on the rest of Vancouver Opera’s 2021-2022 season with General Director Tom Wright. Vancouver Opera presents ORFEO ED EURIDICE - December 4 and 5, 2021 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. For tickets and information visit VancouverOpera.ca AUDIO CREDITS Produced by Ashley Daniel Foot Recorded and mixed by Randall Jason Fox FOR VANCOUVER OPERA Director of Marketing and Communications: Sarah Hitner

"Success is what music does to the human spirit. If audiences come out of a concert feeling better than when they went in, that's success." – Leila Getz.   In the season finale of Vancouver Opera Offstage, Les talks with Leila Getz, C.M., O.B.C., D.F.A., founder and Artistic Director of the Vancouver Recital Society. Leila has presented Canadian and Vancouver debut performances of some of the world’s most brilliant and respected young musicians over the past 40 years, building a diverse and loyal audience for the recital concert form that had once been labeled out-of-vogue. She is a member of the Order of Canada, the order of British Columbia, and a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for her contributions to Canada's musical landscape. Check out our episode at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage.

In this special episode, Jane Potter brings Verdi’s world to life through the story of Rigoletto, a work born out of controversy, courage, and the fight for artistic freedom.Learn MoreEpisode Credits:Jane Potter - Writer and NarratorAshley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver OperaMack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver OperaLyndon Ladeur - Voice of Giachino Rossini Mihnea Nitu - Voice of Guiseppe VerdiRichard Wolfe - Voice of Victor Hugo

Few artists have shaped Canadian theatre and opera as profoundly as Glynis Leyshon, who now brings her formidable imagination to Vancouver Opera’s new production of Rigoletto, re-set in Victorian London, a place where masks, privilege, and secrecy hold sway.Learn MoreEpisode Credits:Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver OperaMack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

He's one of the city's greatest voices on stage, on air, and lately at City Hall. Today we're joined by Christopher Gaze, actor, advocate, and the visionary force behind Bard on the Beach. Learn MoreEpisode Credits:Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver OperaMack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

Composer, producer, and traditional singer from the Lil’wat Nation, Russell Wallace speaks about the influence of his mother, the language inside his music, and why singing together gives him hope.Learn MoreEpisode Credits:Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver OperaTim Matheson - Cover PhotoMack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

For nearly two decades, Doug Tuck was the voice of Vancouver Opera. Not just as Director of Marketing, but as the friendly presence who greeted audiences in the lobby and guided them through curtain speeches and pre-show chats. In this episode, Doug shares stories from La Bohème to Stickboy—and why he still believes in the art form’s power.Learn MoreEpisode Credits:Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver OperaMack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

Canadian soprano Sarah Dufresne joins host Ashley Daniel Foot to talk about her journey from Niagara Falls to the world’s great stages — and her debut as Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto at Vancouver Opera.From childhood competitions where she sometimes sang “against herself,” to major roles at the Royal Opera House and Pacific Opera Victoria, Sarah reflects on the moments that shaped her artistry. She shares what she’s learned about trusting her voice, why Gilda resonates with her as both innocent and courageous, and how singing can feel effortless when everything aligns.✨ A conversation about growth, resilience, and the emotional power of opera — with one of Canada’s most exciting rising voices.

Our conversation today is with Madeleine Thien, Giller Prize-winning author of the novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing, as well as librettist of the opera Chinatown. Madeleine's newest novel, The Book of Records, is a sweeping and time-bending, deeply humane work that weaves together lives across centuries.Learn MoreEpisode Credits:Madeleine Thien - Author, The Book of RecordsAshley Daniel Foot - HostMack McGillivray - Editor

Blending Tagalog and English, film and song, Liham gives voice to the Filipino-Canadian experience. Today we are joined by two members of the team behind Liham, producer and mezzo-soprano Renee Fajardo, and baritone Danlie Rae Acebuque.Learn MoreLiham is a digital art song cycle that explores Filipino-Canadian identity through contemporary classical music, poetry, and film. Created by and for the Filipino community, it uplifts personal stories that challenge stereotypes and celebrate cultural continuity across oceans. The project launches on June 12 at lihamproject.com as part of Philippine Heritage Month celebrations.Episode Credits:Renee Fajardo - Mezzo-Soprano and Producer, LihamDanlie Rae Acebuque - Baritone, LihamAshley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver OperaMack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

Today we're joined by two extraordinary sopranos, Karen Chia-ling Ho. and Yasko Sato⁠. Karen and Yasko are double cast in the role of Cio-Cio San in our upcoming production of Madama Butterfly, running April 26th to May 4th at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.Learn MoreCredits:Karen Chia-ling Ho - Cio-Cio San April 27 & May 4Yasko Sato - Cio-Cio San - Cio-Cio San April 26, May 1 & 3Ashley Daniel Foot - HostMack McGillivray - Producer

Today we’re stepping into the world of one of opera’s most passionate, enduring, and beloved composers.His name is synonymous with soaring arias, impossible love stories, and music that grabs you by the heart and doesn’t let go. This is the story of Giacomo Puccini. Inside Vancouver Opera presents: Un bel dì, A Life Begins: The World of Puccini written and performed by Jane Potter. So settle in, whether you're a seasoned opera lover or just Puccini-curious. This is a story of artistic fire, of human drama—and of one man’s quest to give voice to the most fragile and fierce parts of the human soul.Learn MoreCredits:Jane Potter - Writer and NarratorAshley Daniel Foot - Host of Inside Vancouver OperaMack McGillivray - ProducerRichard Wolfe - Voice of George Bernard Shaw