Edmonton Opera Announces 60th Season Featuring CARMEN, DON GIOVANNI & More

Audiences are invited to Edmonton Opera's Diamond Anniversary Season, celebrating a proud history of 60 years of opera in Edmonton.

Bizet's Carmen opens the Diamond Season. Well beloved as the most famous opera of all, Carmen is known for glorious music and a fearless leading lady. Montreal's Rose Naggar-Tremblay (mezzo soprano) will infuse this role with her rich voice and interpretive prowess as she makes her company debut, as well as her North American role debut. She will be joined by tenor Adam Luther, baritone Lester Lynch, and two Rumbold Vocal Prize winners, soprano Lauren Margison and tenor Spencer Britten.

Next on the Jubilee Auditorium stage will be Mozart's Don Giovanni, directed by Joel Ivany. This semi-staged opera will captivate both seasoned and new audiences, introducing a new English libretto by Joel himself which sets the opera in 2023. The stellar cast includes baritone Elliot Madore, praised from Paris New York for his "movie star quality" and "exceptional artistry" as Don Giovanni. It also features tenor John Tessier, Juno nominated soprano Miriam Khalil, and baritone Justin Welsh, accompanied by members of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra to bring Mozart's well-known score to life. The production is in partnership with the National Arts Centre and Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity.

In February 2024, Edmonton Opera will present a company premiere: Identity. Originally commissioned as a film for Against the Grain Theatre in Toronto, Identity tells the story of baritone Elliot Madore's struggles with his personal identity as a bi-racial person. Award-winning writer Shauntay Grant and composer Dinuk Wijeratne transformed the film into a live performance that will be presented at the Westbury Theatre in February 2024.

Edmonton Opera will introduce Wagner's epic Ring Cycle to Edmonton stages for the first time ever! A brand new Das Rheingold will launch the the 4-part epic saga in May 2024, to be followed in subsequent seasons by the other three operas. The Jonathan Dove reduced version, defined as "Wagner re-imagined," was critically acclaimed in England as "imaginatively fresh" and "capturing the mighty essence of Wagner's masterpiece."

This production continues a partnership with The Citadel Theatre bringing opera to all Edmonton audiences by engaging in spaces like the Maclab Theatre.

Edmonton Opera also welcomes Simon Rivard, one of the most sought-after conductors on the Canadian music scene to join the company as its the first ever Music Director. He will lead The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the podium this season. Rivard debuted with Edmonton Opera in 2022 conducting La Bohème and Tosca and is "so excited to be joining the company at this pivotal moment in its history."

And there's more...

Opera al Fresco • University of Alberta Botanic Garden • Aug. 18, 2023 • 7pm

Launching the Diamond Anniversary season, Opera al Fresco will return to the University of Alberta Botanic Garden in August, promising beautiful scenery and superb live performances. This summer tradition continues to attract full audiences, selling out year after year.

Rumbold Vocal Prize • Jubilee Auditorium • Oct. 23, 2023 • 7pm

In 2022, Edmonton Opera inaugurated the Rumbold Vocal Prize, thanks to the generosity of Grace and Arnold Rumbold. This proved to be a truly noteworthy event, providing an opportunity for Edmonton audiences to hear outstanding Canadian talents of international stature. Join them this fall as they showcase the next class of emerging opera stars and award $40,000 in prizes!

Home for the Holidays • Jubilee Auditorium • Dec. 11, 2023 • 7pm

For the third year in a row, Edmonton Opera returns to the Jubilee to welcome in the holiday season with Home for the Holidays. This stellar concert brought roars of applause and sing-alongs last year and has become a popular tradition for Edmonton families.

Opera Pub • Blue Chair • 4th Wednesday of every month • 7pm

What's more fun than opera and a beer with friends? Opera Pubs are improvised, wild nights that offer up your favourite operatic arias and ensembles, performed by both established and emerging opera talent. Opera Pubs are the perfect introduction for newbies and opera lovers who want to see something "a little different." Opera Pubs are presented in partnership with Against the Grain Theatre.

As one further exciting note, in honour of the 60th Season, Edmonton Opera will offer admission at no cost to attendees under-21. This reflects a commitment to introducing new audiences to the amazing world of opera through a Youth for Free program.

Guided by the creative and innovative vision of Edmonton Opera's award-winning artistic director, Joel Ivany, this is a season you don't want to miss!