The voice of opera in Canada
The Association for Opera in Canada
Offering membership to opera companies, businesses, teaching institutions and individuals, we seek to create and sustain an environment that makes opera central to Canadian life. The Association for Opera in Canada works with members across the country to advance the interests of Canada’s opera community and create greater opportunity for opera audiences and professionals alike.
The Association for Opera in Canada provides services in advocacy, communications, and support for Canadian opera creation. Working in collaboration with OPERA America, The Association for Opera in Canada leads members in dialogues relating to artistic quality and creativity, education and audience development, community service, governance, resource development, promising partnership opportunities, international trends in opera production and new technologies. Both The Association for Opera in Canada and OPERA America regularly convene experts from within and outside the field, conduct research and collect and disseminate information to members and the field’s stakeholders.
One of the most significant programs of The Association for Opera in Canada was the Canadian Opera Creation Fund, which supported the creation and development of opera and music theatre. The program was made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, and also received private support from our “Power of 100” donors. Other services include Annual Meetings, the biennial Banff Opera Colloquium, workshops for emerging singers, regional roundtables, and High Notes / Notes lyriques, and The Association for Opera in Canada’s monthly electronic newsletter.
The Association for Opera in Canada is a registered national arts service organization governed by a ten-member Board of Directors. We count all of Canada’s leading opera and music theatre companies among its professional company members, and serves a growing number of business, affiliate, and individual members.
Michael Mori, Artistic Director of Tapestry Opera, is Chair of The Association for Opera in Canada. The office is located in Toronto.
Board of Directors
Michael Hidetoshi Mori Chair
Michael Hidetoshi Mori is a “shot of adrenaline to opera”. Michael is a leading international voice in socially and artistically progressive opera and music theatre. An award-winning Canadian/American stage director, and the General Director of Tapestry Opera in Toronto, he is frequently sought as a director, dramaturge, producer and speaker. Bringing new works from concept to full realization is his specialty, having commissioned and developed more than ten new operas over the past five years. Michael is the Chair of Opera.ca, Canada’s association of professional opera companies, and was recently one of two delegates invited to represent Canada at the 2018 World Opera Forum in Madrid, where he presented on diversity in opera. Michael’s leadership at Tapestry Opera has led…
Ian Rye CEO | Vice Chair
With Pacific Opera, Ian has stewarded the creation of over 50 original opera productions, new opera commissions, cultivated an enhancement of artistic scope, and orchestrated a co-production model that has positioned Victoria-made productions on opera stages across Canada and the U.S. He has stewarded youth and education programs, community collaborations, and was key to the creation of the Baumann Centre as a community hub for increased participation in opera. Previously, Ian was the Director of Production and Artistic Administration for Pacific Opera Victoria, the Director of Production at the Belfry Theatre and an Instructor of Lighting Design at the University of Victoria. His scenic and lighting designs for dance, opera and theatre have played at notable stages across Canada. His…
Tim Yakimec Secretary - Treasurer
Tim recalls seeing a touring show of Edmonton Opera when in junior high school in the 70’s in small town Alberta. Little did he know he would be in a leadership position with the company over 30 years later! The power of the human voice made an impact then and it still does now – hence, the ongoing association with the company. Then, in University, the connection was as a summer student developing lesson plans for the season of student dress rehearsals. Only a few years later, after completing his education degree majoring in music and art, and after teaching high school band, choral and art for a few years, he ventured back to MacEwan college to complete his diploma…
Cheryl Hickman Past - Chair
Cheryl Hickman is the General and Artistic Director of Opera on the Avalon (Newfoundland), a company she founded in 2009. She has been the Artistic Director since its inception and took on the role of General Director in 2014. She established OOTA’s Creation Investment Fund, which resulted in Atlantic Canada’s first grand opera commission, that helped OOTA to win numerous awards, including BMO/ Arts NL Artist of the year in 2017. Her tenure at OOTA has seen critical acclaim for her bold and challenging programming, particularly in terms of her approach to turning history into art as part of a dialogue about the relevance of opera in today’s society. OOTA’s commissions such as John Estacio and Robert Chafe’s Ours, Kathleen…
Member companies and affiliates
Together with OPERA America, we keep members and affiliates abreast of issues relating to artistic quality and creativity, education and audience development, community service, leadership and governance, resource development, promising partnership opportunities, international trends in opera production and new technologies. Experts from within and outside the field are regularly convened to conduct research and collect and disseminate information to members and the field’s stakeholders. The OPERA America annual opera conference is the largest regular gathering of opera professionals in the world.
Educational Producing Affiliates
- Banff Centre for Creativity and Learning
- COSI-Centre For Opera Studies In Italy
- Institut Canadien D’Art Vocal / ICAV
- Opera Nuova
- Queens University – Dan School of Drama & Music
- Royal Conservatory of Music
- University of British Columbia
- Université de Montréal, Faculté de Musique
- University of Toronto
- University of Western Ontario, Don Wright Faculty of Music
- Wilfrid Laurier University, Faculty of Music
Our Supporters
The Association for Opera in Canada acknowledges and thanks all of its funders and supporters for their generosity and commitment.
Supporting Organizations
- Government of Canada
- Global Affairs Canada
- Canada Council for the Arts
- Ontario Arts Council
- Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport
Sponsors
- Domoney Artists Management
- Opera de Montreal
- Pacific Opera Victoria
- Stingray Classica
- Truck n Roll
- Vancouver Opera
Supporting Foundations
- Azrieli Foundation
Individual Supporters—
$500 & Above
- Mr. Richard Cook
- Mr. Larry Desrochers
- Ms Chantal Lambert
- Ms Christina Loewen
- Mr. Ian Rye
- Mr. Tim Yakimec
- Mr. Bruce Munro Wright
Individual Supporters—
Up to $499
- Mr. Dean Burry
- Ms. Kim Gaynor
- Mr. Michael Mori
- Mr. Michael Morres
- Mr. Robert Vineburg
- Ms Cheryl Hickman
- Mr. Tom Wright
- Ms Rosemary Thompson
- Anonymous