Pictured above: City Opera at ACT Maple Ridge
Covid and Concerts…
Waterfront Station
Musicians improvise. COVID demands improvisation. And it means taking our music to people where they live. We gave 19 PoPUpOperas last season, and plan 35 PoPUp and long-form concerts this season. So far, we have given 34:
Roedde House
Sun-Yat Sen Classical Chinese Gardens (4 events), Maple Ridge ACT, Vancouver Coastal Health (3 events), Museum of Vancouver, Jewish Community Centre, Cottage Hospice (2 events), Kits Beach, 4th Ave Plaza, DTES Victory Square, Thornton Park, Bobolink Park, Trout Lake Park, Grandview Park, DTES Oppenheimer Park, Library Square, QET Sidewalk, SkyTrain stations at Waterfront, Burrard, Stadium-Chinatown, Commercial-Broadway, DTES Andy Livingstone Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, Dude Chilling Park, Science World, False Creek Seawall, Vancouver Art Gallery, Roedde House, and DTES Four Sisters Co-op. More to come…
False Creek seawall
We thank our hosts and sponsors, particularly BC Gaming and the Vancouver Park Board. We thank singers Jason Cook, Madison Craig, Chloé Hurst, Luka Kawabata, Leila Kirves, Michelle Koebke, Mariya Krywaniuk, Sodam Lee, Emma Parkinson, Taryn Plater, Anastasia Pyshna, Youngho Shin, Catherine Thornsley, Martin Renner Wallace, Szu-Wen Wang, and Yahui Wang. Special thanks to coach-pianist Roger Parton, and our Director of Concerts Alan Corbishley.
starts Friday 1 October at noon
Once again, we are curating a free online festival of the best in contemporary Canadian performance. One new work a day will be posted online, across October. Last year, these dazzling works and artists earned thousands of views. We hope to earn yours.
Chinatown: a new Canadian opera
Paul Yee, Alice Ping Yee Ho, Madeleine Thien
Musical sneak preview at Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
26 September, online
On Sunday 26 September, at 1pm PST / 4pm EST, we present a sneak preview of music from Chinatown. One aria and a duet have already been filmed by our friend Cathy Ord, with guest artists based in Toronto. This will be part of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in that city. Our thanks to Alice Ping Yee Ho for organizing this. View here on September 26
Piano-vocal public workshops
27 and 28 November
Chinatown previews continue this fall with public workshops of the piano-vocal book. These events will include librettist Madeleine Thien, composer Alice Ping Yee Ho, Hoisan translator Paul Yee, six lead singers, and a public interested in this remarkable story. Because of COVID, plans are being drawn for a livestream version if required.
Finding Chinatown runs in July and August 2022 at Maple Ridge, Richmond, and Vancouver.
Chinatown runs 13 – 17 September 2022 at the 668-seat Vancouver Playhouse.
An Exciting Project
coming early October
...with a joint announcement from the Canadian Music Centre and City Opera.
Strategic Planning
Every five years, the Board of City Opera re-examines the role, mandate, and vision of our company. These sessions are essential to progress, community engagement, and agility. This year, they take place in November and will be led by JP Baker at Vantage Point. The revised Plan will be published thereafter. Our thanks to the City of Vancouver, and the BC Arts Council.
A Very Generous GiftThanks to Garry Clarke, and founding president Nora Kelly, we have received the gift of a beautiful 1973 Sabathil harpsichord. |  |
Marion Newman
and Saturday Afternoon At The Opera
Congratulations to Marion Newman, new host of CBC's Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. Marion did a brilliant and most moving job when she created the role of Dr Wilson in our new opera Missing (shown above). All of us are very proud of her. Brava, Marion!
City Opera Online / free
The Human Voice / La Voix Humaine / drama / 47:46
Starring Isaiah Bell, with pianist Roger Parton. Watch
Perruqueries / comedy / 23:24
Starring Robyn Driedger-Klassen and Peter Monaghan, with pianist Tina Chang. Watch
Songs For Better Days / anthology / 32:31
Starring Kat Norris / Watswema, Anastasia Pyshna, Turgut Akmete, Michelle Koebke, Sergio Augusto, Yuhui Wang, Bahareh Poureslami, Melody Courage, Chloé Hurst, with arranger-pianist Roger Parton. Watch
At The Statue Of Venus / romance / 27:23
Starring Robyn Driedger-Klassen, with pianist Terence Dawson. Watch
"Wow! - what a fabulous performance. She is such a great actress -- and he is such a fine pianist. Immensely gratifying to hear the pacing just right - the character and journey captured so perfectly. THANK YOU and BRAVI TUTTI!" – composer Jake Heggie, 17 July 2021
