City Opera of Vancouver
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City Opera of Vancouver is a professional chamber opera company which was founded in 2005, and will be resident at the restored Pantages Theatre in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The theatre itself is 100 years old, seats 650, and offers a superb acoustic.
City Opera's repertoire base reaches from Monteverdi through to the music of our own time.
On 11 March 2008, via satellite from Toronto and Vancouver, City Opera announced the commissioning of the chamber opera 'Pauline'. It will star Judith Forst in the role of Pauline Johnson, and be set at Vancouver in March of 1913, the last week of Johnson's life. The libretto will be by Margaret Atwood, and the music by Christos Hatzis. It will be premiered in early 2010, and recorded by Naxos.
City Opera has to date offered several lecture-demos in the Downtown Eastside, and recitals featuring City Opera artists at a number of neighbourhood and service institutions. In October 2006 it produced Canada's first Sing-Along 'Carmina Burana', to great success.
City Opera has created a massive recording series, 'Canadian Classics', a survey of Canadian art music from c. 1800 to the present, and is designed in four genres: symphonic, chamber, instrumental, and vocal / choral / operatic repertoire. A National Panel of a dozen advisors has recommended worthy Canadian repertoire, and independent projects are also being considered. Naxos, the world's largest classical label, is partner in this long-term endeavour. Violinist Mark Fewer, pianist Rena Sharon, the Vancouver International Song Institute, clarinetist François Houle, and other distinguished artists have agreed to join the roster of 'Canadian Classics'. Managing Producer for 'Canadian Classics' is long-time CBC producer Janet Lea. Raymond Bisha represents Naxos Canada.
City Opera Vancouver is managed by an incorporated non-profit Board of Directors, headed by President Dr Nora Kelly, and in partnership with the Community Arts Council of Vancouver. Its artistic staff includes Conductor and Artistic Director Dr Charles Barber, (MA, DMA Stanford), a former student of George Corwin, Andor Toth, and Carlos Kleiber, and the creator of Naxos' famed series 'American Classics'. The Associate Conductor and Artistic Director is Jason Sherbundy, a distinguished composer active across all musical boundaries. The company's musical advisors are Sir Charles Mackerras, and Colin Miles of the Canadian Music Centre. City Opera's honorary patron is Evgeny Kissin.
Online, City Opera is located at www.cityoperavancouver.com, and its theatre at www.vancouverpantages.com.
