Tapestry Opera

Author: clay

  • Advancement Officer

    Advancement Officer

    Location: Toronto, ON
    Type: Full-time, permanent
    Reports to:  Executive Director, Director of Advancement
    Remuneration: $50,000 – $52,000
    Growth opportunities: Manager or Director position in Advancement/Development
    Location: Toronto, ON
    In-person / work-from-home: Remote working is negotiable with this role, with occasional trips to Toronto for performances and events
    Submission Deadline:  Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 11:59 PM

    The Advancement Officer will play a key role in building the organization’s sustainability through a major capital campaign, the construction of a new venue, and the creation of new works of opera. We are looking for someone with 3-plus years of development/fundraising experience with a history of solid writing, working with granting bodies, working in the non-profit and development sector and some understanding of CRMs. This role reports to the Director of Advancement and would work closely with the entire Tapestry team to ensure clear communication with donors, funders and audiences and a well-supported Advancement department.

    Join the team!

    Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original Canadian opera. We are passionate about timely, resonant stories told in innovative settings and interpreted by extraordinary artists. We create powerful opera that reflects and changes the world around us, bringing together art forms, creators, and communities to create boundary-pushing work.

    We are a team of 7 people working in a flexible and collaborative environment to create and share extraordinary ideas, art, and initiatives. We are a diverse staff with deep interest and experience in equity and justice ideas and practices, and we particularly welcome applications from members of equity-deserving communities to apply. Tapestry Opera is invested in expanding our art form, creating new opportunities, and situating care for people at the core of our activities.

    Projects that this role will fundraise to support include:

    • Commissioning Canadian librettists and composers to create new operas
    • World premiere productions
    • COR – The Canadian Opera Resource – an archive and marketplace for Canadian operas and arias
    • Women in Musical Leadership – 3-year fellowship for w and non-binary conductors
    • Cultivation of emerging creative and performing artists
    • Other dynamic artistic programming

    We are committed to equity in hiring and specifically encourage people from communities of colour, LGBTQ2S, Indigenous, disabled, and other equity-seeking communities to apply.

    Things that matter:

    • We make socially engaged art – you have an understanding or lived experience of the principles of equity and anti-oppression and/or are interested in and open to the learning process.
    • You have an understanding of and connection to the performing arts.
    • You have solid writing, analyzing, and communication skills.
    • You have development and grant writing experience.
    • You see a challenge as an opportunity.
    • You are looking for work you’ll love. We do this because we love the work, and we like each other.

    What we offer:

    • Comprehensive health benefits
    • Flexible hours and work-from-home days
    • Casual working environment
    • Unlimited vacation and paid time off 
    • Open, transparent, and communicative office culture
    • Professional development opportunities
    • Your expertise is valued and trusted, and you will have real input into decision-making.
    • Tickets to all Tapestry productions
    • Accessible office and studio space
    • Access to studio and theatre spaces for personal use when available

    What you will do:

    This is a comprehensive but not exhaustive list with room for growth in particular areas of interest to the applicant. As with any small organization, additional duties as required, within reason and subject to discussion.

    Organizational Participation

    1. Participate in and contribute to strategy sessions and long-term planning.
    2. Develop relationships with staff, volunteers, and board members.
    3. Identify areas for Professional Development within and outside the organization.
    4. Contribute to board meetings and AGMs as required.

    Government, Corporate, and Foundational Fundraising

    • Managing government grant research, writing, submission, and reporting.
    • Track deadlines, reports, and deliverables for government grants, foundations, and corporate asks.
    • Research, prospecting, and identifying new avenues for foundation and corporate.
    • Develop collateral and assets for corporate and foundation pitches and applications.
    • Participate in and contribute to strategy sessions and pitch ideations.

    Individual Giving and Philanthropy Support

    • Participate in and contribute to strategy sessions and planning.
    • Track deadlines and deliverables for seasonal campaigns
    • Oversee the reconciliation of all individual donations between CRM and Accounting software.
    • Support the issuing of all tax receipts.
    • Research, prospecting, and identifying new avenues for individual giving
    • Cultivate relationships with individual donors (Tapestry’s Membership program)
    • Assist in developing calendar and fiscal year-end campaigns, including direct mail.
    • Assist with building reports and record keeping in CRM software.

    We’d like to hear from you if this sounds like something you could love.

    Checklist:  Please include one complete pdf file in this order: 

    • Cover letter (hint, research the company) on why you’d like to work for Tapestry and why you think you’d make an excellent candidate for this role.
    • Up-to-date resume.

    Interviews will be held on September 8 and 11. If you are invited for an interview, please provide two writing samples and two references we can contact by phone and/or email.

    To Apply: Email Stephanie Applin at sapplin@tapestryopera.com with your pdf attachment and include Advancement Officer in the subject line.

    The deadline for Applications is Tuesday, September 5, 2023, by 10:00 am. We look forward to meeting you!

  • Announcing Significant Contribution Toward 877 Yonge Arts Hub

    TAPESTRY OPERA, NIGHTWOOD THEATRE, ST. CLARE’S RECEIVE $1.25 MILLION FROM THE CITY OF TORONTO, ENABLING CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY TOWARDS A NEW ARTS HUB IN THE HEART OF TORONTO

    Toronto, ON (July 6, 2023) – Tapestry Opera, Nightwood Theatre, St. Clare’s announce a significant contribution toward their new downtown arts hub at 877 Yonge Street. With the help of Councillor Dianne Saxe, the ABC Residents Association (ABCRA), and The Greater Yorkville Residents Association (GYRA), the City of Toronto has allocated $1.25 million in Section 37 funds to build the dynamic arts facility by the 2024-2025 season. The ABCRA has committed to raising an additional $250,000 to support construction. 

    “The ABCRA is thrilled to be able to support vibrant and innovative arts programming in our neighbourhood and the city. Having Tapestry and Nightwood call our community home is in keeping with a long tradition of Yorkville as a hub of musicians, artists and creatives.”

    ABC Residents Association (ABCRA)

    Nightwood Theatre and Tapestry Opera have been without a facility since the expulsion of arts organizations from the Distillery Historic District in 2022. In a decade that has seen the loss of multiple Toronto venues for dance, theatre, and music, this space addresses a dire need in the arts ecosystem of our city. With these new investments, the construction stage at 877 Yonge Street will be fully funded.

    An additional $400,000 is required for the final stage to equip and furnish the facility. The completed venue at 877 Yonge St. will feature a fully equipped studio-theatre, rehearsal hall, and green room, allowing for seamless transitions between creative exploration and captivating live performances. This project will enable the organizations to offer accessible space for independent artists and companies to promote equity and inclusivity within the performing arts community and to feature dynamic possibilities for audiences of 150-200. The companies call upon the city’s residents, arts enthusiasts, and philanthropists to rally behind this new facility for the performing arts.

    “We extend our deepest gratitude to our core supporters and boards of directors, the ABCRA, the GYRA, Councillor Dianne Saxe, the City of Toronto, Plaza Partners, 1 Bloor West, and St. Clare’s for their unwavering commitment. Their collective efforts have brought us closer to achieving our shared vision of a thriving arts hub that will inspire, uplift, and enrich the cultural landscape of Toronto.” 

    Andrea Donaldson, Artistic Director & Naz Afsahi, Managing Director, Nightwood Theatre
    Michael Mori, General Director & Jaime Martino, Executive Director, Tapestry Opera
    Naz Afsahi , Andrea Donaldson, Jaime Martino, and Michael Hidetoshi Mori at 877 Yonge St. Photo by Eden Graham.
    Naz Afsahi, Andrea Donaldson, Jaime Martino and Michael Mori.
    Jaime Martino, Executive Director and Michael Mori, Artistic Director, Tapestry Opera
    Andrea Donaldson, Artistic Director and Naz Afsahi, Managing Director, Nightwood Theatre

    All photos by Eden Graham

    Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original Canadian opera that reflects and engages in the world around us. Tapestry is passionate about uniquely Canadian stories, told in innovative settings, unforgettably interpreted by world class artists. Tapestry supports emerging artists, develops new audiences and brings Canadian opera to the world stage. Founded in 1979, Tapestry is the voice of original contemporary Canadian opera. 

    As Canada’s foremost feminist theatre, Nightwood Theatre is driven by artistic excellence, advocacy, and the successful training and development of women and gender expansive artists – this includes but is not limited to trans, cis, Two-Spirit and non-binary folks. Founded in 1979, Nightwood Theatre has created and produced award-winning plays, which have won Dora Mavor Moore, Chalmers, Trillium, and Governor General’s awards. To learn more about Nightwood Theatre, please visit nightwoodtheatre.net

    St. Clare’s is one of Canada’s largest charitable, private non-profit developers of new supportive and affordable housing. St. Clare’s takes great pride in creating safe, inclusive communities in our buildings; click here to see how we do it

    – 30 –

    For more information, please get in touch with Clay Jones at cjones@tapestryopera.com 

  • First Canadian opera to win MCANA Award!

    First Canadian opera to win MCANA Award!

    June 22nd, 2023 – The Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA) is pleased to announce that its 2023 Award for BEST NEW OPERA—a major recognition for an opera introduced in North America during the previous calendar year—goes to composer Nicole Lizée and librettist Nicolas Billon for R.U.R. A TORRENT OF LIGHT, a Tapestry Opera production in collaboration with OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design) University. This marks the first Canadian opera honoured by MCANA.

    An Awards Committee of distinguished music critics determines the Best New Opera Award. It reflects the overarching mission of MCANA to recognize distinctive achievements and, through its web publication Classical Voice North America, to communicate the richness of musical life in the U.S. and Canada at a time when classical music coverage in traditional print media is shrinking.

    The multiple Dora Mavor Moore-winning R.U.R. A Torrent of Light prevailed over a strong field, including major productions delayed by the pandemic. The opera is an immersive experience that addresses the complex relationship between humans and technology in a futuristic setting where artificial intelligence is ubiquitous. Inspired by the 1920 play R.U.R.: Rossum’s Universal Robots by Karel Čapek, which introduced the word “robot” to the English language, R.U.R. A Torrent of Light follows two tech company founders whose androids dominate the AI market. The opera traces the struggle that arises between the two founders as they disagree about how to deal with their creations.

    The site-specific piece combines dance, multimedia design, and technology created with OCAD University’s Social Body Lab, whose aim is to explore the relationship between humans and technology. The instruments OCAD created include a cello bow that makes bird sounds, wearable speakers, and wearable Wifi-activated LED lights. Eight skilled players under the direction of conductor Gregory Oh utilized dozens of instruments—including a typewriter—to portray a detailed and evocative soundscape distinguished by a mixture of electronic and acoustic elements.

    Tapestry Opera’s Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori told OCAD: “Opera was historically a launchpad for all kinds of applied design technologies. Having the opportunity to collaborate with OCAD U faculty is an invigorating way to reconnect to that tradition and foster connections between art, music, and design.”

    The creative team comprised more than 20 artists working across mediums. Mori directed the production, including choreographer Jaime Martino and several collaborators from OCAD. In its citation, the MCANA Committee notes that “the striking set by Cameron Anderson and costumes by Joanna Yu incorporated retro elements that made the setting seem both futuristic and universal.”

    After its Toronto premiere, Opera Canada described R.U.R. A Torrent of Light as “a musically brilliant and thought-provoking theatre piece.” Lights Out Toronto lauded Lizée’s score, calling it “a revelation” that “create[s] a robotic soundscape that is at once beautiful and terrifying—just like A.I. itself.” Broadway World deemed it “a visually and aurally compelling production that successfully marries opera and automation and encourages us to look into the eyes of our creations to try to find the best in ourselves.”

    In response to winning the award, composer Nicole Lizée said:”For R.U.R. A Torrent of Light to be recognized with this prestigious award from MCANA is truly an honour. When Nicolas and I began our collaboration those many years ago, I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be awarded North America’s best new opera. Nic and I would like to extend our deepest thanks and gratitude to Michael Mori, Tapestry Opera, and the incredible performers and creative team we had the pleasure of working with.”

    Librettist Nicolas Billon said: “R.U.R. A Torrent of Light has been a labour of love for Nicky and myself, and we are deeply honoured to have our opera recognized by MCANA with this award. We also want to acknowledge the production’s creative team for their wonderful and awe-inspiring work bringing R.U.R. to life.”

    The Best New Opera award plaques will be presented to the opera’s creators on June 22, the opening night of the MCANA Annual Meeting, held this year in Chicago. R.U.R. A Torrent of Light is slated for further performances at Vancouver Opera in January 2025.

    Statement from the MCANA Awards Committee:
    “Set in the near future, R.U.R. A Torrent of Light concerns an international technology company whose founders differ on how to respond to the growing independence of the androids that serve them. The timeliness of this theme in a world challenged by advances in artificial intelligence is obvious.

    R.U.R. A Torrent of Light is accomplished on many levels, but we were impressed particularly by the freshness and vitality of Nicole Lizée’s score. While rooted in the minimalist tradition, the music is inventive, expressive and expertly written for the voice. Nicolas Billon’s libretto cleverly employs repetition to represent the efforts of machines to express themselves. A figure of particular interest is the android Alex. It is unusual for a non-human character to invite deep sympathy. The dilemma of Alex scans as authentically operatic.”

    MCANA’s Best New Opera Award

    2023 marks the sixth MCANA Award for Best New Opera. It honours musical and theatrical excellence in a fully staged opera that received its world premiere in North America during the preceding calendar year. The award is one of the few in the world that simultaneously recognize both composer and librettist.

    After MCANA members submit nominations, the finalists are chosen by an Awards Committee co-chaired by Heidi Waleson, opera critic of The Wall Street Journal, and George Loomis, longtime contributor to the Financial Times and Musical America—alongside committee members Arthur Kaptainis, contributor to Ludwig van Toronto and former music critic of the Montreal Gazette; John Rockwell, former critic and arts editor of The New York Times and a regular correspondent for Opera (UK) and Musical America; and Alex Ross, music critic of The New Yorker.

    MCANA’s Best New Opera Award has an illustrious track record. The 2017 inaugural award went to Missy Mazzoli (composer) and Royce Vavrek (librettist) for BREAKING THE WAVES; the 2018 Award went to composer-librettist David Hertzberg for THE WAKE WORLD; the 2019 Award went to Ellen Reid (composer) and Roxy Perkins (librettist) for P R I S M; the 2020 Award went to Jeanine Tesori (composer) and Tazewell Thompson (librettist) for BLUE; the 2021 Award went to Raven Chacon (composer), Du Yun (composer), Aja Couchois Duncan (librettist), and Douglas Kearney (librettist) for SWEET LAND. (Due to the pandemic, no award was given in 2022.)

    Nicole Lizée

    Described as “a brilliant musical scientist” (CBC), and “breathtakingly inventive” (Sydney Times Herald), JUNO-nominated composer Nicole Lizée’s commission list of over 60 works is varied and distinguished and includes the Kronos Quartet, the BBC Proms, the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Her work draws from influences including MTV videos, turntablism, rave culture, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Alexander McQueen, thrash metal, early video game culture, 1960s psychedelia, and 1960s modernism. Lizée was awarded the prestigious 2019 Prix Opus for Composer of the Year, the 2017 SOCAN Jan. V. Matejcek Award, and the 2013 Canada Council for the Arts Jules Léger Prize for Chamber Music.

    Nicolas Billon

    Nicolas Billon writes for theatre, film, and television. His work has been produced worldwide and won over a dozen awards, including a Governor-General’s Award for Drama, a Canadian Screen Award, and a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award. Credits include writing for CBC’s WWII spy series X Company and adapting the play The Elephant Song.

    Music Critics Association of North America

    MCANA is the only North American organization for professional classical music critics. The association was incorporated in 1957, and early members included leading critics such as Miles Kastendieck of the New York Herald Tribune, Harold C. Schonberg of the New York Times, Paul Hume of the Washington Post, and Irving Lowens of the Washington Star. Current members include critics at the New Yorker, New York Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal; regular contributors to the Chicago Sun-Times, Financial Times, Gramophone, Los Angeles Times, Ludwig van Toronto, Musicalamerica.com, Opera, Opera News, and Philadelphia Inquirer; and program annotators and broadcast journalists. The organization is a member of the National Music Council. In 2013, MCANA launched Classical Voice North America, a web publication for reviews, features, and commentary with readers in 120 countries.

    Tapestry Opera

    Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company that is dedicated to creating, developing, and performing original Canadian opera. Tapestry is passionate about uniquely Canadian stories, told in innovative settings, unforgettably interpreted by world-class artists. Tapestry supports emerging artists, develops new audiences and brings Canadian opera to the world stage. Founded in 1979, Tapestry is the voice of original contemporary Canadian opera.

    Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund

    For further information, photos, score/libretto, and to arrange interviews, please contact Aleba & Co. at 212-206-1450 or aleba@alebaco.com.

  • Announcing New Collaborative Performance Facility

    AMID TORONTO’S VENUE CRISIS – TAPESTRY OPERA AND NIGHTWOOD THEATRE ANNOUNCE THE CREATION OF TWO NEW COLLABORATIVE PERFORMANCE SPACES

    Toronto, ON (May 9, 2023) – Tapestry Opera and Nightwood Theatre announced yesterday that they are developing a new home for the performing arts and are embarking on a capital campaign to fund its 1.5 million dollar completion and launch.

    Tapestry and Nightwood are building a new collaborative space for the performing arts at 877 Yonge Street, following the two companies’ exit in 2022 from their former home at the Ernest Balmer Studio in the Distillery District. After being forced to leave a community built for 20 years from the ground up, the companies are embarking on the next chapter, where they are poised to create a new vibrant arts community and an innovative partnership with the affordable housing organization St. Clare’s. Just north of Yonge and Bloor, the new facility will be a bold step towards establishing the centre of Toronto as the next great destination for artists and audiences, and as an inspired space designed by Hilditch Architects to create new, vital Canadian works.

    While Toronto experiences a drought of arts venues, Tapestry and Nightwood are creating a stable and exciting new arts complex in the heart of Toronto, close to public transit access. The new space includes a 6,500 square foot facility including a 2700 sq foot performance hall, rehearsal studio, greenroom and shared office spaces. The new facility will provide nearly three times the rehearsal and performance space than in their former studio in the Distillery District.

    Arts are an integral part of a thriving community. This partnership with St. Clares, one of Canada’s largest private non-profit developers of new supportive and affordable housing, comes not only when artistic spaces and communities are fading but when housing in this city is in crisis.

    “Following years of Toronto losing vital arts spaces, we are proud to announce the creation of a new facility in the heart of Toronto that is also easily accessible by public transportation,” notes Michael Hidetoshi Mori, Artistic and General Director. “This new space will provide affordable space not only for Tapestry Opera and Nightwood Theatre,” says Executive Director Jaime Martino, “but, just like our Ernest Balmer Studio in the Distillery, it will create low-cost, accessible space for the greater performing arts community in Toronto.”

    Nightwood’s co-executives Andrea Donaldson, Artistic Director, and Naz Afsahi, Managing Director, added: “The energy and generosity that this new venture has attracted has been astonishing. We are so grateful to St. Clare’s and to the numerous individuals and partners who are making this (necessary) dream a reality. We see great benefit in sharing resources with not only each other as arts organizations but with another non-profit as a creative and exciting way forward in addressing the social needs of our city. We are very close to our goal and welcome those who want to support growing culture in Toronto to reach out!”

    Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original Canadian opera. Tapestry is passionate about uniquely Canadian stories, told in innovative settings, unforgettably interpreted by world-class artists. Tapestry supports emerging artists, develops new audiences and brings Canadian opera to the world stage. Founded in 1979, Tapestry is the voice of original contemporary Canadian opera.  

    As Canada’s foremost feminist theatre, Nightwood Theatre is driven by artistic excellence, advocacy, and the successful training and development of women and gender-expansive artists – this includes but is not limited to trans, cis, Two-Spirit and non-binary folks. Founded in 1979, Nightwood Theatre has created and produced award-winning plays, which have won Dora Mavor Moore, Chalmers, Trillium, and Governor General’s awards. To learn more about Nightwood Theatre, please visit nightwoodtheatre.net 

    -30-

    For more information, please get in touch with Victoria Laberge at victoria.laberge@gmail.com

  • Meet the next generation of Canadian musical leadership

    Meet the next generation of Canadian musical leadership

    Monica Chen and Kelly Lin announced as Year 3 cohort in Tapestry Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra initiative, now the world’s largest program for women and non-binary conductors.

    Monica Chen and Kelly Lin, accomplished Canadian conductors with substantial achievements, will join Jennifer Tung, Juliane Gallant, Naomi Woo, and Maria Fuller in the landmark three-year program. Each conductor will benefit from learning placements and conducting opportunities with orchestras, opera companies and festivals across Canada, including mentorship and training with industry-leading conductors nationwide. 

    Women in Musical Leadership is led by Canada’s trailblazing producer of contemporary opera, Tapestry Opera, in partnership with Lead Partner Pacific Opera Victoria and Lead Orchestral Partner Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The three Lead Partners work in collaboration with 23 opera, music, and performing arts organizations across Canada. This pilot program was first announced in October 2020 and launched in 2021 with the support of the Azrieli Foundation.

    The Women in Musical Leadership program was created to expand the musical leadership talent pool by championing and fostering female and non-binary Canadian conductors, cultivating the next generation of conductors at the highest levels of musical leadership, and addressing a historic gender imbalance in classical music. By activating a national coalition, the program provides the conductors with a network of experience, relationships, and mentors to develop their careers.

    In May 2022,  Canadian women occupied less than 3% of titled conductor positions in major Canadian orchestras. In Canadian orchestras with budgets over 5 million*, there are 37 titled roles for conductors, of which only three are occupied by female conductors (8.1%). Of those three conductors, only one is Canadian (2.7%).*

    Chen and Lin will begin their three-year participation in the program in the summer of 2023. They join current participants Jennifer Tung, Juliane Gallant, Naomi Woo and Maria Fuller, whose experience in the program so far includes mentoring with renowned conductors Rosemary Thomson, JoAnne Falletta, Tania Miller and Karen Kamensek; and masterclasses with Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director Gustavo Gimeno and Winnipeg Symphony’s Daniel Raiskin; 

    Tapestry Opera’s Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori, and Tapestry Opera’s Executive Director Jaime Martino, said in a joint statement:

    “We are thrilled to welcome Monica Chen and Kelly Lin to the now six dynamic and talented conductors who represent the future of classical music in Canada. This program is an important way to make our great and geographically large country into a community who can collectively train and give vital experience to new leaders for music in Canada. We are grateful to all participating companies who are supporting these conductors’ journeys.

    When we began designing this program, hosting six conductors was a pipe dream. In the beginning, we didn’t know if other organizations would want to become partners; we didn’t know if conductors would find the program or find it helpful; we didn’t know if we would achieve our goal of providing a deeply meaningful and enriching experience for young conductors that would truly help advance their careers in Canada. Looking back on the last two years and getting to add Monica and Kelly, such consummate musicians with so much to offer the sector, we can see the dream becoming a reality.”

    A native of Vancouver, Monica Chen is one of the conducting fellows at the Orchestre Métropolitain, assisting Yannick Nézet-Séguin since 2021. She will be the Assistant Conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for the 2023-2024 season and one of three finalists at Domaine Forget chosen to perform in concert with the Orchestre symphonique de Québec two years in a row. Recent conducting engagements include working with Opera Kelowna, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and the Orchestre Métropolitain. She has participated in festivals including the Eastman School of Music, Domaine Forget International Summer Academy, the UBC Chamber Music Festival, and the University of Oregon Conducting Institute, working closely with maestros Jonathan Girard, Neil Varon, Thomas Rösner, and Bramwell Tovey. She holds two Masters, one in Orchestral Conducting from UBC, studying with Dr. Jonathan Girard and the other in violin performance from Indiana University, studying with Mimi Zweig.

    Kelly Lin is a Chinese-Canadian conductor who has gained recognition for her magnetic, captivating, and inspiring interpretations of a diverse range of musical genres, from classical to contemporary. As the founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble Lagom, her performances have been praised for their advocacy of under-represented voices. Kelly earned her master’s degree in orchestral conducting from McGill University, where she was the recipient of the Hnatyshyn Foundation – Christa and Franz-Paul Decker Fellowship in Conducting. She has studied under renowned mentors such as Alexis Hauser and Guillaume Bourgogne. Kelly’s reputation has led her to work with professional orchestras and ensembles across Canada and internationally. She has performed in major music festivals such as Toronto Summer Music, Ottawa Chamberfest, and 21 Stops Music Festival. Kelly’s recent conducting engagements include concerts with Ensemble Obiora, Ensemble Lagom, Hatch Ensemble, McGill Symphony Orchestra, and McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble.

    The Women in Musical Leadership’s current partners include Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Continuum Contemporary Music, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony, Kingston Symphony, Manitoba Opera, Opera McGill, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, New Music Concerts, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, Opera Kelowna, Pacific Opera Victoria, Regina Symphony, Shaw Festival, Symphony Nova Scotia, Toronto Summer Music, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Opera, Victoria Symphony, and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. 

    “We thank our partners for their enthusiasm and dedication to our joint goal of changing the face of musical leadership in Canada and for their support as we celebrate the achievements of these accomplished women as they take the next step in their careers,” concluded Mori and Martino.

    *As deemed by Orchestras Canada. Titled roles include Music Director, Assistant Conductor, Principal Guest Conductor, Resident Conductor, Artist Partner (OM), Artist-In-Residence and Community Ambassador, Principal Pops Conductor, Principal Education Conductor & Community Ambassador.

    Find out more about Women in Musical Leadership
  • Tapestry Opera announces a transformative 22/23 season

    Tapestry Opera announces a transformative 22/23 season

    Dynamic world premiere operas that shatter the operatic stereotype with free, site-specific, bilingual and digital works, featuring industry-leading artistic talent sharing thrilling stories and music created by and for performing arts-loving Torontonians

    TORONTO – Canada’s leading producer of contemporary opera, Tapestry Opera, has announced a transformative 22/23 Season, bursting with exciting ways for audiences in Toronto to experience the artform. 

    Renowned for their experimental and innovative approach, the organization, lead by Artistic and General Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori, is dedicated to making opera culturally relevant and vibrant for Canada’s most dynamic city. 

    The 22/23 Season promises thrilling performances including two major world premieres, opera shorts from speed-dating bilingual creators directed by Tim Albery, two concerts, and two music video releases, created in partnership with some of Canada’s leading arts and music organizations. 

    Transformative Programming

    • World premiere: Of the Sea – a Tapestry Opera & Obsidian Theatre co-production
    • World premiere: Dragon’s Tale – a Tapestry Opera & Soundstreams co-production, in partnership with Luminato Festival Toronto and Harbourfront Centre
    • Tapestry Briefs: Les Shorts qui chantent
    • Concert: A Joke Before the Gallows
    • Concert: Songbook XII
    • Music Videos: Gould’s Wall and R.U.R. A Torrent of Light

    Tapestry’s Artistic and General Director Michael Mori: “We’re delighted to present one of our most ambitious seasons yet. Our mainstage world premieres explore the intersection of water, mythology, identity, and transformation, our performances in intimate venues celebrate creation and emerging talent, and our music videos will continue to animate a digital space for a growing digital audience. It’s fantastic to work with such dynamic partners in the city and beyond to realize these projects, and it’s always inspiring to collaborate on new work. We know how impactful opera can be, and we’re working hard to make it reach Torontonians in as many ways as we can.”

    Tapestry Opera drives forward following a sold-out and award-winning 21/22 Season, including R.U.R. A Torrent of Light: a robot opera in partnership with OCAD University composed by the world-renowned Nicole Lizée; and Gould’s Wall: a site-specific opera on wall of the Royal Conservatory of Music, featuring climbing and arialism. Tapestry received 19 nominations and R.U.R. A Torrent of Light received six wins at the 2022 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, becoming the most awarded production of the 21/22 Performing Arts season. 

    Tickets for Tapestry Briefs: les Shorts qui chantent are on sale to Tapestry members now, and will go on general sale on October 3. Tickets for all other performances will go on sale soon.

  • Tapestry announce a third year of Box Concerts

    Tapestry announce a third year of Box Concerts

    More free opera performances for vulnerable Toronto communities

    Tapestry Opera announces a third year of Box Concerts! This summer they’re delivering over 60 free outdoor performances to staff and residents of Toronto long-term care homes, and over 30 to Toronto residential neighbourhoods. 

    First delivered in 2020 in response to the pandemic, the program’s travelling trailer unpacks to reveal a charming stage. It has visited over 125 residences and performed to thousands of Torontonians in a bid to raise spirits and spark joy. All of Tapestry Opera’s community performances for care homes have been free of charge. 

    This year, Tapestry is announcing a roster of some of the most talented Ontario-based opera artists* alternating as soloists. They include: baritone Korin Thomas-Smith (S.O.S. Sketch Opera Singers, Tapestry Opera), soprano Natalya Gennadi (Oksana G, Tapestry Opera), soprano Meher Pavri (The Overcoat, Tapestry Opera & Canadian Stage, Sāvitri, Against the Grain Theatre), soprano Midori Marsh (Rocking Horse Winner, Tapestry Opera, The Magic Flute, Canadian Opera Company), and soprano Charlotte Siegel (The Magic Flute, Canadian Opera Company). 

    Tapestry Opera’s Artistic and General Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori said: “Box Concerts have brought magic to Toronto communities these last couple of years. We’re so delighted to be back on the road for the third year running. For 2022, we’re working with a roster of extremely talented Canadian singers who are passionate about opera’s power to delight and surprise audiences. Last year it was a thrill to watch audiences of all ages applauding together. We can’t wait to share more uplifting music with communities around the city – it’s going to be a special summer!”

    Box Concerts runs from July to September 2022. Private performances are also available, bookable on weekends.

    Find out more

    *subject to change and availability

  • Call for volunteers

    Call for volunteers

    Tapestry Opera is looking for volunteers to help in our upcoming performance of R.U.R. A Torrent of Light. As a thank you, all volunteers receive a free seat at this performance.

    About the volunteer position

    We are in need of four volunteers per night for R.U.R. A Torrent of Light, at the Great Hall in OCAD University (100 McCaul Street, Toronto). We are looking for volunteers to assist with:

    • Ticket taking, box office and front of house duties
    • Bar management
    • Ushering and coat check

    Volunteer shifts are available on the following dates and times:

    • Tuesday May 24th, at 7:00 P.M.- 10:00 P.M.
    • Wednesday May 25th at 7:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M.
    • Thursday May 26th at 7:00 P.M.- 10:00 P.M.
    • Saturday May 28th at 7:00 P.M.- 10:00 P.M.
    • Sunday May 29th at 3:00 P.M.- 6:00 PM
    • Wednesday June 1st at 7:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M.
    • Thursday June 2nd at 7:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M.
    • Saturday June 4th at 7:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M.
    • Sunday June 5th at 3:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M.

    If you are available for any of these dates and times, and would like to volunteer, please contact Dona Arbabzadeh, Box Office Coordinator, at boxoffice@tapestryopera.com.

    Duties include assisting our audience members in finding their seats, scanning tickets, and checking our audience members in. Folks who have their smart serve may be asked to work the bar. Your tickets to the performance is free in return.

    Contact Dona
  • Maria Fuller and Naomi Woo join Women in Musical Leadership

    Maria Fuller and Naomi Woo join Women in Musical Leadership

    Canadian conductors Maria Fuller and Naomi Woo have been announced as the Year 2 cohort of the Women in Musical Leadership conducting program.

    Fuller and Woo, both accomplished Canadian artists with substantial achievements, will participate in the three-year program, benefiting from placements with orchestras, opera companies and festivals across Canada and supported by mentorship and training with industry-leading conductors across the country. 

    Women in Musical Leadership is led by Canada’s trailblazing producer of contemporary opera, Tapestry Opera, in partnership with Lead Partner Pacific Opera Victoria, and Lead Orchestral Partner Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The three lead partners are working in collaboration with opera, music, and performing arts organizations across Canada. The program was first announced in October 2020, and launched in 2021.

    The Women in Musical Leadership program was created to expand the musical leadership talent pool by championing and fostering female and non-binary Canadian musical talent. The shared goal is to change an historic gender imbalance in classical music leadership, where most positions are held by men. In activating a national coalition, the program provides the conductors with three-full years of opportunities to focus only on conducting.

    Research conducted by Tapestry Opera in May 2022 found that less than 3% of titled conductor positions in major Canadian orchestras are currently occupied by Canadian women. In Canadian orchestras with budgets over 5 million Canadian dollars* there are 37 titled roles for conductors. Out of those 37 positions, only three are occupied by female conductors (8.1%). Of those three conductors, only one is Canadian (2.7%).

    Fuller and Woo will begin their three-year participation in the program from summer 2022. They join current participants, Jennifer Tung and Juliane Gallant, whose experience in the program so far includes mentoring with renowned conductors Rosemary Thomson, JoAnne Falletta, and Karen Kamensek; masterclasses with Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director Gustavo Gimeno; and conducting opportunities with Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera, New Music Concerts, and Opera Kelowna.

    Tapestry Opera’s Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori, and Tapestry Opera’s Interim Executive Director Stephanie Applin, said in a joint statement:

    “We’re delighted to welcome Maria Fuller and Naomi Woo to the Women in Musical Leadership program, two leaders who emerged at the top of a highly competitive second year. Both women are conductors with substantial talents. This program will match their experience, skills, and ambitions with the opportunities, connections and mentorship required to accelerate their individual growth.” 

    Saskatchewan-born conductor Maria Fuller is a rising star on the international music scene, praised for her “fiery and dynamic” performances (The Walleye Magazine) and “subtle control, careful focus and thorough professionalism…” (Chronical Journal of Thunder Bay). Sought after as a conductor, pianist, vocal coach, trumpeter, composer and arranger, Maria brings an unparalleled energy and infectious joy to her craft on and off the podium. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano from McGill University, a Masters of Music in Piano, Artist Diploma in Operatic Coaching, and a Masters of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Maria was the 2019 David Effron Conducting Fellow at the renowned Chautauqua Institute, and competed in the inaugural La Maestra International Conducting Competition in Paris in 2020.

    Naomi Woo, named by CBC in 2019 as a “Top 30 Classical Musicians under 30”, is the Assistant Conductor of Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the first-ever Music Director of Sistema Winnipeg. Born in Newfoundland and raised in North Vancouver, Naomi conducts across Canada and is noted for her work as a socially-engaged artist and educator, with appearances at the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Regina Symphony, and the Saskatoon Symphony. An advocate for opera and new music, Naomi will lead the Canadian premiere of Du Yun’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Angel’s Bone (re:Naissance Opera) and the world premiere of Ellis Ludwig-Leone’s The Night Falls (BalletCollective, American Opera Projects). She holds degrees from Yale, Université de Montréal, and Cambridge.

    New partner organizations announced for Women in Musical Leadership for Year 2 include: the Shaw Festival; Victoria Symphony; Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra; Manitoba Opera; Regina Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Nova Scotia. 

    The Women in Musical Leadership current partners include: Vancouver Opera; Opera McGill; Opera Kelowna; Manitoba Opera; Continuum Contemporary Music; Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra; New Music Concerts; Toronto Summer Music; Association for Opera in Canada; and Kingston Symphony.

    “We thank our partners for their enthusiasm and dedication to our joint goal of changing the face of musical leadership in Canada, and for their support as we celebrate the achievements of these accomplished women as they take the next step in their careers” concluded Michael Mori and Stephanie Applin. 

    *As deemed by Orchestras Canada. Titled roles including Music Director, Assistant Conductor, Principal Guest Conductor, Resident Conductor, Artist Partner (OM), Artist-In-Residence and Community Ambassador, Principal Pops Conductor, Principal Education Conductor & Community Ambassador.

    Find out more about Women in Musical Leadership
  • R.U.R. A Torrent of Light cast & creatives announced

    R.U.R. A Torrent of Light cast & creatives announced

    R.U.R. A Torrent of Light, an operatic experience bursting with light, sound, dance and drama, is premiering in Toronto this May with a stellar cast and creative team, tackling questions of humanity’s convergence with technology. 

    The show marks a landmark collaboration between Toronto’s trailblazing indie opera company Tapestry Opera and Canada’s largest and oldest university for art and design, OCAD University, expanding the boundaries of the opera genre to create a thrilling musical and theatrical experience for Toronto’s art and culture-lovers. 

    R.U.R. A Torrent of Light is written by Governor General award-winning TV, film and stage writer Nicolas Billon, composed by the world-renowned JUNO-nominated composer and solo-turntablist Nicole Lizée who makes her full-length operatic debut, and directed by Tapestry’s Dora Award-winning Artistic and General Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori.

    The opera is inspired by Czech playwright Karel Čapek’s 1920’s science-fiction play Rossum’s Universal Robots, which first introduced the word and concept of ‘robot’ to the world. Tapestry’s world premiere production blends dance, video projection, a chamber orchestra of over 100 instruments, and unique costumes and wearable technology created with OCAD University’s Social Body Lab, to create an immersive and unforgettable operatic science-fiction experience, with the action taking place in a near-future fictional software company. 

    Hungarian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó (S.O.S. Sketch Opera Singers, Tapestry Opera; Estro Poetico-harmonico III, Azrieli Music Prizes Gala broadcast on Medici.tv) stars as Helena, a Steve Wozniak-level coder and designer. Newfoundland baritone Peter Barrett (Don Pasquale, Metropolitan Opera; Faust, Vancouver Opera) stars as Helena’s husband and business partner Dom.

    Canadian countertenor Scott Belluz (The Shadow, Tapestry Opera; Opéra Féerie, Chants Libres) plays [Alex], Helena and Dom’s prototype human-form personal-assistance robot. Canadian soprano Danielle Buonaiuto, Canadian-American baritone Micah Schroeder, and Canadian mezzo-soprano Alex Hetherington also join the cast as human-form AI enabled robots. Sopranos Maeve Palmer and Anne-Marie Ramos, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Routhier, and dance artists Sofi Gudiño, Katherine Semchuk, Emily Spearing and Brayden Jamil Cairns join the company as the robot chorus.

    Dora-nominated music director and conductor Gregory Oh (Rocking Horse Winner Cast Recording, Tapestry Opera) joins the creative team as Music Director, alongside award-winning choreographer Jaime Martino (choreographer with Momentum Dance Toronto). American Cameron Anderson (West Side Story, Vancouver Opera) joins the team as the Set Designer, and award-winning Joanna Yu (How To Fail As A Popstar, Canadian Stage) joins as Costume Designer. Siminovitch Prize finalist and multi-Dora Award-winning Michelle Ramsay (Shanawdithit, Rocking Horse Winner, Tapestry Opera) is the Lighting Designer, Dora Award-winning Debashis Sinha (her body as words, Peggy Baker Dance Projects) is the Sound Designer, and Cameron Davis (Shanawdithit, Tapestry Opera, Secret Life of a Mother, Theatre Centre) is the Projection Designer. 

    Danielle Buonaiuto, Dr Adam Tindale and Michael Hidetoshi Mori experimenting with prototypes in rehearsal.
    Danielle Buonaiuto, Dr Adam Tindale and Michael Hidetoshi Mori experimenting with prototypes in rehearsal. Photo by Martin Iskander.

    Rodney Diverlus joins the team as Associate Choreographer, with Julia Cosentino as Assistant Choreographer. Tapestry Opera’s Women in Musical Leadership conductor Juliane Gallant joins the team as Assistant Conductor.

    Tapestry has been working closely with OCAD University’s Social Body Lab, whose mandate is to question the relationship between humans and technology, throughout the development of R.U.R. A Torrent of Light. Prototypes, including wearable speakers and LED collars, have been developed by Director of the Lab and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Arts & Sciences Kate Hartman, with Digital Futures Associate Professors Nick Puckett and Dr. Adam Tindale, which will help contribute to a cohesive design that blurs the lines between what is tangibly real and what is artificial. 

    R.U.R. A Torrent of Light makes its world premiere May 24 to June 5 in OCAD University’s Great Hall. Tickets are on sale now. 

    Development of R.U.R. A Torrent of Light was generously supported by the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund.

    Buy tickets
    Learn more about Tapestry’s collaboration with OCAD University