Tapestry Opera

Category: Press Release

  • 2026 WML MASTERCLASS

    2026 WML MASTERCLASS

    MEDIA RELEASE

    Tapestry Opera and Toronto Symphony Orchestra Announce Groundbreaking Masterclass for Emerging Star Conductors at Roy Thomson Hall

    TORONTO, ON – Continuing their long-standing relationship, Tapestry Opera and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) join forces for a masterclass on Saturday, May 16, 2026, dedicated to the next generation of women and non-binary conductors and music directors in Canada.

    This intensive program, hosted at the iconic Roy Thomson Hall with full orchestral forces, underscores the enduring partnership between these two pillars of the Canadian arts scene. By bringing together the TSO’s orchestral excellence and Tapestry’s innovative programming, the masterclass provides emerging conductors with a rare opportunity to refine their craft under the guidance of top-tier industry mentor Maestro Gustavo Gimeno.

    The 2026 Masterclass Conductors:

    Monica Chen (Fellow): A collaborative leader whose insightful approach has garnered acclaim across North America.

    Eve Legault (Fellow): A conductor known for her precision and ability to bridge the gap between contemporary opera and classical symphonic works.

    Serena Reuten (Associate): A dynamic presence on the podium with a reputation for nuanced interpretations of complex scores.

    A National Solution to a Global Challenge

    Now in its fourth public masterclass collaboration with the TSO, Tapestry Opera’s WML program has supported 11 conductors to date, providing them with the practical experience and visibility required to secure major appointments. The impact reaches organizations across Canada: during the 2025/2026 season alone, WML’s commitment to nationwide exposure will see its conductors travel over 31,000 km to work with partner organizations across Canada.

    “This program is about more than just training; it’s about driving real change on the podium,” says Jaime Martino, Executive Director of Tapestry Opera. “WML conductors are actively reshaping the Canadian arts landscape and inspiring audiences from coast to coast.”

    “Women in Musical Leadership is opening doors and helping to change the future of our art form,” says Mark Williams, Beck Family CEO of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. “We are proud to partner in a program that gives exceptional conductors meaningful time on the podium and behind-the-scenes with a great orchestra. That investment matters—not only for these artists, but for the future of musical leadership.”

    In a short video Q&A, Women in Musical Leadership (WML) alumna Naomi Woo reflects on her experience in the program and the impact it has had on her development as a conductor.

    Rigorous Professional Development 

    The WML fellowship provides valuable hands-on experience. In the 2024/2025 season, full-time conductors received approximately 490 hours of on-the-job training, working alongside expert mentors to master diverse repertoire. This 4th public TSO masterclass serves as a culminating opportunity, allowing fellows to refine their craft under the guidance of conducting advisors such as Gustavo Gimeno and JoAnn Falletta.

    ABOUT WOMEN IN MUSICAL LEADERSHIP (WML)

    Led by Tapestry Opera in partnership with the TSO and over 20 organizations including Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, and Vancouver Opera, WML is a multi-year program that provides female and non-binary conductors with the mentorship and podium time necessary to advance their careers. For more information, visit tapestryopera.com/wml.

    ABOUT TAPESTRY OPERA

    Founded in 1979, Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original, progressive opera. We are passionate about timely, resonant stories told in innovative settings and interpreted by extraordinary artists. We create space to unite diverse art forms, creators, and communities to develop powerful, boundary-breaking opera that reflects and changes the world. We believe in embedding our values in everything we do, on and offstage, and work to create an equitable, adaptable, and accountable culture for our time and communities.  Check out What’s On and join us for an upcoming production. Visit tapestryopera.com

    ABOUT THE TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

    For more than a century, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has played a fundamental role in shaping and celebrating Canadian culture. The TSO’s commitment to musical excellence and ability to spark connection remain as strong as ever. With a storied history of acclaimed concerts and recordings, Canadian and international tours, and impactful community partnerships, we are dedicated to engaging and enriching local and national communities through vibrant musical experiences. Music Director Gustavo Gimeno brings an expansive artistic vision, intellectual curiosity, and sense of adventure to programming the 93-musician orchestra that serves Toronto—one of the world’s most diverse cities. As a group of artists, teachers, and advocates who share the belief that music has the power to heal, inspire, and connect people from all walks of life, we engage audiences young and old through an array of community-access, health-and-well-being, and education initiatives including the TSO-affiliated Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra—a tuition-free training program dedicated to cultivating the next generation of Canadian artists. Symphony With Us at a concert at Roy Thomson Hall, or experience the TSO in your neighbourhood. Visit TSO.CA or Newsroom.TSO.CA.

    For more information on Tapestry Opera, please contact:

    Clay Jones, Manager, Communications & Marketing, Tapestry Opera, email: cjones@tapestyopera.com 

    boxoffice@tapestryopera.com
    416-537-6606 | tapestryopera.com

    Box Office Hours: 12 pm – 5 pm Monday to Friday.
    In-Person at 877 Yonge Street: 1 hour before performances

  • Free Underground Concerts

    Free Underground Concerts

    Tapestry Opera Announces Free Underground Concerts: Local and International stars, LIVE in the Heart of the City

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Toronto, Ontario –  Tapestry Opera is thrilled to announce the launch of Tapestry Opera’s Free Underground Concerts, an inaugural seven-concert series offering a range of high-calibre musical performances, all completely free of charge. This series is designed to connect world-class artists with the Toronto community, particularly in the Yonge and Davenport area, in an accessible and intimate setting, enriching the city’s cultural landscape.

    The series will feature performances from the inaugural artist, Canadian soprano Danika Lorèn, in a November preview of “Slaying My Demon Lover,“ as well as a choral concert by Silver Thread in December, as well as international acts including Japan’s Duo NaKaNaKa and France’s acclaimed pianist Maxime Alberti in the new year.

    Concert Details

    • When: All concerts take place on select Mondays from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
    • Where: Performance Hall at Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre, 877 Yonge St.
    • General Admission Tickets: Free with registration. Registration for each concert opens approximately three weeks before the performance date.
    • Book November tickets here or subscribe for first access to all Free Underground Concerts dates.nce date.

    “We believe that transformative music should be accessible to everyone,” says Michael Mori, Artistic Director. “The Free Underground Concerts  are an invitation to new musical experiences, inviting locals, Torontonians and all new audiences to experience the power of imaginative live music in a welcoming, central venue.”

    2025/2026 Concert Lineup

    DateArtist/ConcertGenre HighlightsRegistration Opens
    Mon, Nov 24, 2025Danika Lorèn and Gentle Freak preview OpenStudio and MainStage: Slaying My Demon LoverClassical Voice, Opera, ImprovisationMon, Nov 3, 2025
    Mon, Dec 8, 2025Silver Thread present a choral concert titled Seeds In FlightChoral MusicMon, Nov 3, 2025
    Mon, Jan 26, 2026VC2 Cello Duo

    Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt celebrate 10 years of collaboration.    		Chamber Music, Cello DuoMon, Jan 5, 2026
    Mon, Feb 23, 2026The Musical Stage Company Musical Theatre, ContemporaryMon, Feb 2, 2026
    Mon, Mar 2, 2026Duo NaKaNaKa Piano Recital with flutist Hiromi TabataPiano Duo, FluteMon, Feb 2, 2026
    Mon, Apr 13, 2026Two Piano Trios, 4 Hands
    featuring Vivian Chen, Noam Dekalo, Julia Mirzoev Peter Eom.

    Presented in collaboration with Syrinx Concerts Toronto.    		Classical, ChamberMon, Mar 23, 2026
    Mon, May 4, 2026Maxime Alberti

    Presented in collaboration with Syrinx Concerts Toronto.    		Piano RecitalMon, Apr 13, 2026

    SECURING FREE TICKETS

    Due to limited capacity, attendees must register in advance for each event. Registration links will be made available to those who subscribe to Tapestry’s e-newsletter first and will be posted on the Tapestry Opera website on the dates listed above. Early registration is strongly encouraged as all shows will sell out.

    ABOUT 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 singers and musicians. 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.

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    For more information about Tapestry Opera’s Free Underground Concerts, please email Clay Jones at cjones@tapestryopera.com

  • 25/26 SEASON CELEBRATES FIRST SEASON IN NEW TORONTO VENUE

    25/26 SEASON CELEBRATES FIRST SEASON IN NEW TORONTO VENUE

    Tapestry Opera’s 2025 – 2026 first full season at the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre includes site-specific New Canadian Works, Boundary-Pushing Opera, and a major world premiere production at the Bluma Appel Theatre.

    TORONTO, ON – Tapestry Opera, Canada’s leading producer of new Canadian opera, is thrilled to announce its 2025-2026 season. The lineup features four dynamic shows, including two world premieres, a North American premiere, and a Canadian premiere, showcasing the company’s commitment to bold, boundary-pushing, and socially relevant opera, with leading creators such as Sarah Henstra, Ana Sokolović, and Roydon Tse. Three of the four productions will be presented in Tapestry’s new downtown venue, the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre at 877 Yonge St.

    The season begins with the site-specific world premiere ‘opera shorts’ in Tapestry Briefs: Under Where?, a collection of hilarious and absurd opera shorts from a new generation of Canadian creators performed underground at 877 Yonge St. This is followed by the North American premiere of OPE-N’s (Denmark) LOL: Laughing Out Lonely, an opera that confronts modern online loneliness.

    The season continues with Ana Sokolović’s Love Songs – theatrical adaptation by Michael Hidetoshi Mori, a genre-bending work that blurs the lines between opera, dance, and ritual, and concludes with our flagship performance of the season, WE CANT TELL YOU THE DETAILS YET, though a sound investigative mind probably could… but trust us, it’s incredible.

    Book Tickets

    25/26 Programming

    Tapestry Briefs: Under Where?

    October 16–19, 2025
    Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre

    Tapestry Briefs: Under Where? is a collection of ten hot-off-the-press opera shorts that take audiences on an immersive, tragic, absurd, and beautiful journey. This intimate production features the work of nine dynamic Canadian creators—composers Rebecca Gray, Saman Shahi, Roydon Tse, Keith Klassen, and Prokhor Protasoff, with librettists Rachel Gray, Sarah Henstra, Pierre-André Doucet, and Christene Adina Browne.

    The Briefs program has a history of launching successful productions such as The Overcoat, R.U.R. A Torrent of Light and Of the Sea. The new pieces feature a wide range of stories, from a mother with Alzheimer’s and a sponge in a romantic duet with a yogurt container to a woman trying to eat alone despite a tenor’s best efforts. Directed by Michael Hidetoshi Mori and Mabel Wannacott, with music direction by Hyejin Kwon and Gregory Oh, the production stars Reilly Nelson, Adanya Dunn, Keith Klassen, and Jorell Williams.

    LOL: Laughing Out Lonely

    January 16–17, 2026
    Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre

    In its North American premiere, LOL: Laughing Out Lonely is a solo opera from the groundbreaking Danish company OPE-N. Created by Matilde Böcher and Asger Kudahl, this modern opera is a thought-provoking reflection on our digital age. Based on real social media posts, it gives a voice to the voiceless by exploring the dark corners of the internet where marginalized individuals find a distorted sense of community. Acclaimed countertenor Morten Grove Frandsen gives a “tour-de-force” performance as he embodies a series of online personas, including “The Fucking Ugly Face” and “The Lamb.” The production uniquely combines opera with physical theatre, creating a powerful and relevant experience for audiences of all ages.

    Ana Sokolović’s Love Songs
    Theatrical adaptation and staging by Michael Hidetoshi Mori 

    March 26–29, 2026
    Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre

    Part opera, part dance, all heart, Ana Sokolović’s Love Songs, with a new theatrical adaptation by Michael Hidetoshi Mori, is a haunting, genre-defying journey through one woman’s desperate ritual to defy loss, featuring soprano Xin Wang. Sung in five languages and with declarations of love in over 100 tongues, Love Songs blurs the line between opera, performance art, and ritual. The production is a co-presentation with New Music Concerts and showcases the powerful interplay of two lovers in a visceral exploration of memory and healing.

    Title of Opera (we can’t tell you yet!!)

    June, 2026 
    Bluma Appel Theatre

    An award-winning opera featuring some of our favourite soloists, a chorus(!!), and orchestra… that we can’t announce just yet. 

    Our flagship performance of the season is the creation of a Canadian playwright you already admire and a composer the New York Times has hailed as one of the most important voices of our time.

    ABOUT TAPESTRY OPERA

    Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original Canadian opera. In 2025, Tapestry co-founded the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre, Toronto’s newest venue for the performing arts. 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.

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    For media inquiries, please contact:
    Clay Jones
    Marketing and Communications Manager
    Tapestry Opera
    cjones@tapestryopera.com

  • Roster Announcement: 30 Years of LIBLAB

    Roster Announcement: 30 Years of LIBLAB

    Tapestry Opera Marks 30 Years of LIBLAB with 2025 Roster Announcement, Debut at Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre

    TORONTO, ON – June 27, 2025 – Tapestry Opera, Canada’s leader in the development of new opera, is proud to announce the roster of talented composers and librettists selected for its 2025 Composer-Librettist Laboratory (LIBLAB). This marks the 30th anniversary of the acclaimed program, a cornerstone of new opera creation in Canada.

    From July 15 to 25, 2025, the intensive program will take place at Tapestry Opera’s new creative hub, the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre. This year’s LIBLAB will bring together four librettists (top row, left to right): Rachel Gray, Sarah Henstra, Pierre-André Doucet, and Christene Adina Browne. They will collaborate with four composers (bottom row, left to right): Rebecca Gray, Saman Shahi, Roydon Tse, and Prokhor Protasoff.

    Three Decades of Fostering Operatic Excellence
    Since its inception in 1995, LIBLAB has been the creative hotbed at the heart of Tapestry Opera’s commitment to new work. It addresses a critical need in the growing field of opera by providing a unique platform for writers and composers to forge creative partnerships and refine their collaborative skills. This focus on practical, hands-on development is essential for companies venturing into new opera, ensuring the creation of successful and impactful works.

    “For 30 years, LIBLAB has been an unparalleled incubator for operatic talent, fostering the collaborations that lead to groundbreaking new works,” says Michael Hidetoshi Mori, Tapestry’s Artistic Director. “We’re thrilled to welcome this exceptional group of artists to our new home at the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre, and we look forward to seeing the innovative projects that emerge from this milestone year.”

    How LIBLAB Ignites New Opera
    LIBLAB is a 10-day intensive program where four composers and four writers engage in a cycle of collaborative discovery. The artists create sixteen 5-minute scenes, with each scene written, composed, and performed within a tight 48-hour cycle. This process is repeated four times, allowing each writer to work with every composer, maximizing creative interaction and diverse perspectives.

    Guiding the participants throughout the process are composer James Rolfe and director Michael Hidetoshi Mori. They will be supported by some of Canada’s most versatile contemporary performers, including soprano Reilly Nelson, mezzo-soprano Adanya Dunn, tenor Keith Klassen, baritone Jorell Williams, and collaborative pianists Jennifer Tung and Hyejin Kwon.

    A Legacy of Groundbreaking Works

    To date, 134 artists have graduated from LIBLAB, with over 50 creative teams emerging to create new works for the stage, both for Tapestry Opera and for other companies nationally and internationally. This esteemed alumni network continues to shape the operatic landscape.

    Notable operas that have emerged from relationships fostered at LIBLAB include:

    • 10 Days in a Madhouse, (Rene Orth and Hannah Moscovitch): co-commissioned and co-produced by Opera Philadelphia and Tapestry Opera, premiered at Opera Philadelphia in September 202, and was the second Canadian recipient of the prestigious Music Critics Association of North America’s Best New Opera Award.
    • Of the Sea (Ian Cusson and Kanika Ambrose): Co-commissioned and co-produced with Obsidian Theatre Company in partnership with TO Live. This first Canadian large-scale Black opera premiered at the Bluma Appel Theatre in 2023.
    • R.U.R. A Torrent of Light (Nicole Lizée and Nicolas Billon): Produced in collaboration with OCAD University and developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund, this opera took home 6 Dora Mavor Moore Awards in 2022, including Outstanding Production and Outstanding New Opera, and was the first Canadian recipient of the prestigious Music Critics Association of North America’s Best New Opera Award 
    • Rocking Horse Winner (Gareth Williams and Anna Chatterton): premiered in 2016 to great acclaim, winning 5 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including Best Production and Best Performer. It was returned to the stage in association with Crow’s Theatre in 2023.
    • Iron Road (Mark Brownell and Chan Ka Nin): Premiered at the Elgin Theatre in 2001 and inspired the 2009 TV miniseries by the same name
    • Sanctuary Song (Marjorie Chan and Abigail Richardson-Schulte): Co-commissioned by Theatre Direct and presented by the Luminato Festival in 2008, and remounted by Tapestry Opera in 2025.

    About Tapestry Opera
    Tapestry Opera is Canada’s leading company for the creation and development of new opera. With a focus on innovative storytelling and collaborative processes, Tapestry Opera champions Canadian artists and brings groundbreaking new works to stages across the country and around the world.

    For more information about Tapestry Opera, please visit tapestryopera.com/about/about-us/. For more details on LIBLAB, visit tapestryopera.com/programs/liblab/.

    For further media information, artist interviews, or an invitation to the LIBLAB’s final reading recital, please contact:

    Clay Jones, Manager, Marketing and Communications, Tapestry Opera 416-537-6066 #104 cjones@tapestryopera.com

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  • Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre Sets a New Stage for the Toronto Artistic Community

    Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre Sets a New Stage for the Toronto Artistic Community

    Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre Sets a New Stage for the Toronto Artistic Community

    The newly launched arts facility and theatre, developed in partnership with Tapestry Opera, Nightwood Theatre, and St. Clare’s Housing Society, aims to support the city’s vibrant arts scene.

    In the Performance Hall – L-R:  Naz Afsahi, Managing Director, Nightwood Theatre Andrea Donaldson,  Artistic Director, Nightwood Theatre Jaime Martino, Executive Director, Tapestry Opera Michael Hidetoshi Mori, Artistic and General Director, Tapestry Opera
    Photo by Dahlia Katz

     TORONTO, March 17, 2025 – The Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre opens its doors today, introducing a much-needed accessible, affordable, and innovative arts venue to Toronto’s creative landscape. 

    The joint initiative between Tapestry Opera, Nightwood Theatre, and St. Clare’s Housing was designed to provide a new home for artists while strengthening the connection between the arts and the broader Toronto community. It’s an exciting and necessary addition to the city, as rising living costs and increasing scarcity of performance and rehearsal spaces have created significant challenges for young, emerging, and independent artists. Situated in the lower level of a St. Clare’s Housing building at 877 Yonge St., the Centre will become a vibrant and vital cultural hub, offering an inclusive, state-of-the-art facility and gathering place within walking distance of five diverse neighbourhoods and two central TTC subway stations. 

    The partnership between leading arts organizations Nightwood Theatre and Tapestry Opera began in 2002 when both companies moved into the new Artscape Distillery District Studios. As two of the first theatrical residents, both companies helped revitalize the Distillery District’s artistic impact and cement its status as a popular Toronto landmark. 

    After 20 years of growth and artistic achievement, Nightwood Theatre, Tapestry Opera, and over 70 artists and arts organizations were forced to vacate the Distillery space. This closure removed office space for both teams and three significant studio spaces from the performing arts community. Determined to find a solution, these two organizations partnered with St. Clare’s Housing to transform a social housing space into a dynamic cultural hub. 

    “Finding a home and a sense of belonging is vital in these challenging times, not only for Nightwood Theatre and Tapestry Opera but for the many artists and audiences that will walk through the doors at The Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre,” says Andrea Donaldson, Artistic Director, Nightwood Theatre. “We need spaces in Toronto that intentionally reach out for people to gather, that allow for creative dreaming, bold action, and courageous expression.” “As tenants of St. Clare’s—Canada’s largest developer of supportive not-for-profit mixed-income housing—we share their belief that everyone deserves a home and, furthermore, that everyone deserves access to creativity and cultural experiences,” adds Nightwood’s Managing Director Naz Afsahi. “Nightwood, Tapestry, and St. Clare’s are proving that collaboration means we can achieve more together than on our own.” 

    Designed by Hilditch Architects, with guidance from Theatrical Project Manager Remington North, the Centre is a striking addition that revitalizes a central stretch of Yonge Street. The new facility incorporates state-of-the-art technology that dramatically reduces energy consumption, giving new life to under-used spaces at a fraction of the energy of a new build. Accessibility is a cornerstone of The Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre’s mission, ensuring that as many people as possible can be welcomed into the space and community. 

    The Centre will host performances and programming from its resident companies, continuing Tapestry and Nightwood’s respective award-winning legacies of showcasing original, progressive works and supporting the next generation of talent. Artistic programming will include a variety of multidisciplinary performances, artist residencies, and workshops. Emerging and established artists will have opportunities to develop and showcase new work, while community members can engage through interactive programming, educational initiatives, and mentorship opportunities. The venue will serve as a home for diverse storytelling, featuring theatre, opera, dance, and interdisciplinary performances that push artistic boundaries. Residencies and artist-focused programs will be available, including a focus on equity-deserving artists, ensuring accessibility and representation within the space. 

    Beginning with a Launch Concert with Tapestry and Friends on March 22, the season will go on to include Where the Spirits Sit, a workshop production from Nightwood Theatre, running April 3 – 5 and featuring the songwriting and storytelling of multi-disciplinary artist Tamara Podemski; Sanctuary Song, a one-hour, all-ages original opera, running from May 9 – 25; Nightwood’s staging of Enormity, Girl, and the Earthquake in Her Lungs, a physical ensemble piece running from September 16 – October 5, and more. Tapestry Opera is also thrilled to announce inaugural residencies with Cultureland and Opera Q for 2025-2026, as well as the continuation of LIBLAB, an opera creation intensive from July 15 – 25. 

    “Creating new performing arts spaces that are affordable for artists and independent companies became a high priority for us,” says Tapestry Opera Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori, “and it is thrilling to see that dream realized. At the same time, we are thrilled to provide a new venue where locals and all Torontonians can experience some of Toronto’s most dynamic music, theatre, opera, and dance artists!” Jaime Martino, Executive Director, adds that the “partnership with Nightwood and St. Clare’s have made this ambitious venture possible, and proven the value of working together and thinking outside the box in these changing times.” 

    The new facility will provide a vital space for artists to create, collaborate, and inspire audiences for generations to come. 

    Learn more at jackmanperformance.ca. Images of the space can be found here for download. 

    ### 

    For all press inquiries, please contact: 
    Jaime Eisen 
    jaime@jaimeeisen.com 
    647.224.9674 

    ABOUT THE NANCY & ED JACKMAN PERFORMANCE CENTRE 

    The Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre is a vibrant cultural arts centre formed through a unique partnership between Tapestry Opera, Nightwood Theatre, and St. Clare’s Housing. The organization creates common ground for deep relationships in performances, community gatherings, and events by bringing together tenants, neighbours, artists, and audiences. In the heart of Toronto, The Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre provides an accessible and affordable space for independent creators while hosting transformative theatre, music, and opera performances. With a commitment to equity, sustainability, and inclusivity, the Centre supports emerging and equity-deserving artists through residency and subsidy programs, fosters deep community connections, and integrates state-of-the-art technology to reduce environmental impact. Learn more at jackmanperformance.ca and follow on social @jackmanperformance. 

    ABOUT TAPESTRY OPERA 

    Founded in 1979, Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original, progressive opera. We are passionate about timely, resonant stories told in innovative settings and interpreted by extraordinary artists. We create space to unite diverse art forms, creators, and communities to develop powerful, boundary-breaking opera that reflects and changes the world. We believe in embedding our values in everything we do, on and offstage, and work to create a flexible, adaptable, and accountable culture for our time and communities. Learn more at tapestryopera.com and follow on social @tapestryopera. 

    ABOUT NIGHTWOOD THEATRE 

    As Canada’s preeminent feminist theatre, Nightwood Theatre cultivates, creates, and produces extraordinary theatre by women and gender-expansive artists, liberating futures, one room at a time. Founded in 1979, Nightwood has launched and toured award-winning productions that have shaped Canada’s theatrical landscape, earning recognition from the Dora Mavor Moore, Chalmers, Trillium, and Governor General’s Awards. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Andrea Donaldson and Managing Director Naz Afsahi, Nightwood is celebrated for artistic excellence, developing emerging talent, and championing gender equity in the arts. With a commitment to bold storytelling, inclusivity, and care-centred creative spaces, Nightwood produces full-scale productions, the annual Groundswell Festival, and the acclaimed Write From The Hip playwrights program. Learn more at nightwoodtheatre.net and follow on social @nightwoodtheat. 

    ABOUT ST. CLARE’S HOUSING 

    St Clare’s is a social justice landlord and developer working in active partnerships to create sustainable, safe, affordable housing solutions. St Clare’s pursues a vision in which pragmatic, judgement-free approaches to housing are recognized as the best way to enhance neighbourhoods and create healthy communities for everyone by providing diverse and respectful environments in which once marginalized people have the opportunity to expand their agency and capacity. With over 800 units in its portfolio in seven different buildings, St. Clare’s provides deeply affordable housing with supports to thousands of people who have experienced chronic homelessness, and now have a place to call home. The Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre opens its doors today, introducing a much-needed accessible, affordable, and innovative arts venue to Toronto’s creative landscape.

  • Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre at 877 Yonge St. officially opens its doors Monday.

    Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre at 877 Yonge St. officially opens its doors Monday.

    From The Toronto Star – A state-of-the-art theatre is set to open in the basement of this affordable housing complex. It’s also a sign of hope for the future.

    By Richie AssalyCulture Reporter

    A brand new theatre venue and arts facility in Toronto is officially opening its doors on Monday, offering a beacon of hope to the city’s struggling cultural sector. 

    The Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre at 877 Yonge St. describes itself as an “accessible, affordable and innovative arts space” designed “to provide a new home for artists while strengthening the connection between the arts and the broader Toronto community.”

    Built on the lower level of an affordable housing building, the 6,500-square-foot facility is a joint initiative between Tapestry Opera and Nightwood Theatre — both independent performing arts companies that were displaced from their home in the Distillery District in 2022 — alongside St. Clare’s Housing, a charitable organization that provides affordable mixed-income housing in downtown Toronto.

    Read the full article here on the Star’s website.

  • THE 24/25 SEASON CELEBRATES 45 YEARS OF TAPESTRY 

    THE 24/25 SEASON CELEBRATES 45 YEARS OF TAPESTRY 

    Celebrate 45 Years Of Tapestry With Newly Built Venue, Two Of Their Most Successful Shows, And Unique On-Location Programming.

    TORONTO—Tapestry Opera celebrates 45 years of producing innovative, powerful opera that reflects and changes the world around us.

    This season, Tapestry Opera finishes construction and will launch a new performing arts facility and venue at 877 Yonge Street in the heart of downtown Toronto in partnership with Nightwood Theatre and St Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society. Tapestry celebrates its anniversary with two multi-award-winning shows, Sanctuary Song and Jacqueline, and inaugurates its new venue with a new concert series. 

    Tapestry Opera, a trailblazer in the performing arts sector, leads the way with national initiatives Women in Musical Leadership, the Canadian Opera Resource, and new Canadian opera commissions, two of which will be announced later this season. 2024-2025 will be a banner year for its commitment to innovation and driving positive change in the arts.

    24/25 Programming

    Acclaimed Production: Jacqueline
    Composed by Luna Pearl Woolf | Libretto by Royce Vavrek | Dramaturgy and Direction by Michael Hidetoshi Mori
    The Betty Oliphant Theatre | February 20 – 23, 2025

    Fresh off a hugely successful run at West Edge Opera in San Francisco, Jacqueline is an unmissable and powerful display of virtuosity. Jacqueline explores the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Jacqueline du Pré through her relationship with her cello. Who is the much-admired Jacqueline when the one thing that most defines her is taken away by multiple sclerosis?

    Brought to life by two contemporary stars, celebrated soprano Marnie Breckenridge plays Jacqueline, and former du Pré protégé and world-renowned cellist Matt Haimovitz plays her constant companion, her cello.

    Venue Launch: In Concert with Tapestry & Friends
    877 Yonge Street | Saturday, March 22, 2025

    Launch the new theatre with a celebratory concert featuring Tapestry’s beloved artists accompanied by the Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano, followed by a reception for all attendees. A free community concert in the afternoon, followed by a ticketed concert in the evening

    Production: Sanctuary Song
    Composed by Abigail Richardson | Libretto by Marjorie Chan
    Directed by Michael Mori | Music Direction by Greg Oh
    877 Yonge Street | May 9 – 25, 2025

    Based on a true story, Sanctuary Song explores the story of Sydney, an elephant whose remarkable journey culminates in her release into a Tennessee sanctuary.  Written by the award-winning team of librettist Marjorie Chan and composer Abigail Richardson-Schulte, Sanctuary Song is a story for audiences of all ages that uncovers powerful truths in the life of an exceptionally resilient elephant. Directed by Michael Hidetoshi Mori and featuring original choreography by Aria Evans, audiences enter a circus and leave with the song of elephants in their ears. This one-hour performance is an “opera for all ages” and the perfect afternoon or evening out for the whole family.

    Concert with Obsidian Theatre Company
    877 Yonge Street | Saturday, June 14, 2025

    Revel in the talent of Canada’s finest Black opera artists. What better than a brand-new concert series to feature our brand-new home? We’ll showcase extraordinary talent in concert with our Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano to celebrate great music in our new neighbourhood. A free community concert in the afternoon, followed by a ticketed event in the evening

    Tapestry’s Artistic and General Director Michael Mori: “We are thrilled to unveil our 24/25 season as we celebrate 45 years of Tapestry Opera with an exciting and dynamic array of productions welcoming performing-arts-loving audiences to our newly built downtown home. It’s a remarkable moment for Tapestry and Toronto to add a vital new venue to the independent performing arts scene. From virtuosic storytelling in Jacqueline to an elephant’s heartwarming journey in Sanctuary Song, this season’s programming reflects our commitment to innovative and accessible opera. We invite audiences of all ages to join us as we celebrate our rich history and open the doors to our future, celebrating the transformative power of music and storytelling in the heart of Toronto.”

    ABOUT TAPESTRY OPERA

    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.

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    For media inquiries, please contact:
    Clay Jones
    Marketing and Communications Manager
    Tapestry Opera
    cjones@tapestryopera.com

  • $150,000 OTF Grant from the Ontario Government

    $150,000 OTF Grant from the Ontario Government

    $150,000 OTF Grant from the Ontario Government Gave Independent Performing Arts Community a Lift

    Toronto, ON – On Sunday, Tapestry Opera and Nightwood Theatre celebrated the $150,000 Capital grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) in 2023 with a public concert in Ramsden Park in Toronto. The one-year grant is being used to create a new theatre at 877 Yonge Street. The project will create the most affordable, accessible and well-equipped theatre of its kind in Toronto with a centrally located venue, residency and subsidy programs for independent and emerging artists and state-of-the-art theatre technology with a focus on Canadian works.”I am delighted to see Tapestry Opera and Nightwood Theatre receive this well-deserved support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This new facility will be a beacon for Toronto’s vibrant arts community. It’s an investment in the cultural heart of our city, and I can’t wait to see the incredible performances that will come to life here.” – Jessica Bell, MPP for University-Rosedale.The OTF grant supported the creation of Tapestry Opera’s new performing arts facility by providing crucial funding for demolishing and renovating an existing space at 877 Yonge Street. Retrofitting an existing building gives life to under-used spaces at a fraction of the energy of a new build and contributes to greater sustainability in the performing arts sector. “We are thrilled to be adding a new arts facility, featuring a theatre, rehearsal space and offices to Toronto’s cultural ecology and to be moving into such a vibrant part of the city to do so,” said Jaime Martino, Executive Director, Tapestry. “This venue will be dedicated to the vibrant and space-hungry independent performing arts as a new home for artists and the creation of new Canadian works,” said Michael Hidetoshi Mori, General Director and Artistic Director, Tapestry Opera. “Connecting Toronto’s dynamic artist community with this neighbourhood and audiences who can visit through the close-by Yonge and Bloor hub will provide innumerable opportunities for inspiration and joyful human interaction.”Founded in 1979, Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original, progressive opera. Tapestry is passionate about timely, resonant stories told in innovative settings and interpreted by extraordinary artists. Tapestry creates space to unite diverse art forms, creators, and communities to develop powerful, boundary-breaking opera that reflects and changes the world. Tapestry believes in embedding their values in everything they do, on and offstage, and work to create a flexible, adaptable, and accountable culture for their time and communities.As Canada’s preeminent feminist theatre, Nightwood cultivates, creates, and produces extraordinary theatre by women and gender-expansive artists, liberating futures, one room at a time.“Whether it’s helping people learn new things, connect with their community, or simply have fun, organizations like Tapestry Opera deliver experiences that make a difference,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “That’s why grant support through the Ontario Trillium Foundation is so important. This funding will help ensure that it remains at the heart of the community for decades to come.”The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities across the province. Last year, OTF invested more than $110M into 1,044 community projects and multi-sector partnerships. Projects aim to enhance economic well-being, foster more active lifestyles, support child and youth development, provide spaces for people to come together and connect, and create a more sustainable environment. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

    INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

    For more information, please contact:

    Clay Jones, Marketing & Communications Manager
    Tapestry Opera
    416 537 6066
    cjones@tapestryopera.com 

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  • Award-Winning Commission: 10 Days in a Madhouse

    Award-Winning Commission: 10 Days in a Madhouse

    July 24th, 2024 – Tapestry Opera’s co-commission and co-production with Opera Philadelphia, 10 Days in a Madhouse, has won the 2024 Music Critics Association of North America award for BEST NEW OPERA. This accolade follows last year’s triumph when Tapestry Opera received the same award for RUR: A Torrent of Light, becoming the first Canadian work to do so. The recognition reaffirms Tapestry Opera’s commitment to groundbreaking and compelling storytelling through music.

    The Best New Opera award goes to composer Rene Orth and librettist Hannah Moscovitch for 10 DAYS IN A MADHOUSE. The award recognizes musical and theatrical excellence and is given annually to an operatic world premiere presented in North America the previous calendar year. 

    Commissioned by Opera Philadelphia and Tapestry Opera, 10 Days had its world premiere at Opera Philadelphia as part of Festival O23 in September 2023 at the Wilma Theater. Opera Philadelphia has a stellar history of producing compelling and successful new operas, and 10 Days in a Madhouse now joins Breaking the Waves (by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek) and The Wake World (by David Hertzberg), both Opera Philadelphia commissions, in the Best New Opera pantheon. 

    An Awards Committee of distinguished music critics determines the Best New Opera Award. It reflects MCANA’s overarching mission to recognize distinctive achievements and, through its web publication Classical Voice North America, 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. 

    10 Days in a Madhouse is a psychological opera inspired by the life of Nellie Bly, a trailblazing reporter who, in 1887, faked madness in order to be admitted to Blackwell’s Asylum for the Insane and to report on conditions from the inside. It uses her story to explore how insanity has been used as an operatic conceit and as a way to control non-compliant women, exposing—as Nellie Bly herself did—the feminization of madness, the bias of doctors against the sanity of women and how the systems and social structures in which women find themselves induce madness. 

    The opera was received with great acclaim. The New York Times hailed it as a pillar of the form, stating that “opera needs works like 10 Days, which treats the medium with affection and respect while also chafing at its tropes throughout history.” The Wall Street Journal praised the libretto and music, writing, “Ms. Orth and librettist Hannah Moscovitch trenchantly explore how female insanity has been used both as an operatic trope and as a way to label and control non-compliant women.” Opera News wrote: “Orth orchestrates superbly…This gripping new opera deserves wide circulation.” Observer stated, “10 Days in a Madhouse is a rare piece: a contemporary opera whose subject, story, music and execution are both intelligent and moving.”

    In response to winning the award, composer Rene Orth said:
    “I am so grateful for the MCANA jury to recognize 10 Days in a Madhouse with such a prestigious honor. Hannah and I set out to write something surprisingly rare in the operatic tradition—a work that didn’t focus on women suffering trauma and death, but rather strength and perseverance against the continued societal biases working against us. I’m thrilled that the piece has resonated with so many people. An especially huge thank you to director Joanna Settle, conductor Daniela Candillari, sound designer Rob Kaplowitz, Opera Philadelphia’s Director of New Works Sarah Williams, and the insanely talented cast, chorus, and orchestra—all for their full commitment to our risk-taking and storytelling in bringing this piece to life.”

    Statement from the MCANA Awards Committee:

    “Drawing from reporter Nelly Bly’s exposé of conditions at the insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island (now Roosevelt Island), this searing chamber opera explores how insanity has been used as an operatic trope and as a way to control non-compliant women. The ingenious libretto structures the narrative in reverse: it opens with Bly’s 10th day in the asylum, where she went undercover, and over 90 intense minutes reassembles the disordered elements of her institution-induced breakdown into a recognizable story. Text fragments, choral hazes, and electronics are among the techniques used to unmoor the narrative from rationality; yet the characters remain strong and musically distinctive throughout. Taut, original, and affecting, 10 Days in a Madhouse works on multiple levels – theatrical, thematic, and human.”

    MCANA’s Best New Opera Award

    The year 2024 marks the seventh 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 MCANA president Arthur Kaptainis, contributor to Ludwig van Toronto and former music critic of the Montreal Gazette; and committee members 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; and the 2023 Award went to Nicole Lizée (composer) and Nicolas Billon (librettist) for R.U.R. A Torrent of Light.

    Rene Orth

    Rene Orth—“a master composer” with a “sophisticated sound world” (Classical Voice North America)—writes music described as “always dramatic, reflective, rarely predictable, and often electronic” (Musical America). She recently completed a three-year tenure as Composer-In-Residence at Opera Philadelphia.

    Last season, Opera Philadelphia presented the “triumphant world premiere” (Wall Street Journal) of 10 Days in a Madhouse, co-commissioned by Opera Philadelphia and Tapestry Opera. Other projects include a song cycle for Vocal Arts DC and mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack, premiering at The Kennedy Center; a new song, A Prayer, for baritone Will Liverman and mezzo-soprano J’nai Bridges; and an electronics and voice piece for mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis’ forthcoming debut album, Stand the Storm. The Chautauqua Institution also premieres Love, Loss, and the Century Upon Us (libretto by Jerre Dye) with a 13-piece orchestra.

    Hannah Moscovitch

    Hannah Moscovitch is an acclaimed playwright and TV-writer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has written sixteen plays, including East of Berlin, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classesand This is War, and she’s been honored with numerous awards, among them theGovernor General’s Award, the Nova Scotia MasterWorks Arts Award and the prestigious Windham-Campbell Prize. 

    Hannah’s music-theatre hybrid Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story (co-created with Christian Barry and Ben Caplan) became a Time Out and New York Times Critic’s Pick, winning both the Herald Angel and a Scotsman Fringe First at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and receiving six Drama Desk Award nominations in New York. Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story recently crossed the 400 performances line. 

    In television, Hannah is the Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Head Writer of Little Bird alongside showrunner Jennifer Podemski, on CTV/Crave and APTN Lumi in Canada and PBS in the USA. Little Bird has garnered a landslide of awards and critical praise, including the Prix Public or Audience Award at the international TV festival, Series Mania, in Lille, France, and 13 Canadian Screen Award including Best Drama Series. Most recently, Hannah was Co-Executive Producer on Season One and Season Two of AMC’s hit series Interview with The Vampire.

    Tapestry Opera

    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.

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

  • THE 23/24 SEASON MARKS 10-YEAR EVOLUTION

    THE 23/24 SEASON MARKS 10-YEAR EVOLUTION

    We’re Bringing Back One Of Our Most Successful Productions And Building A New Transformative Arts Facility

    TORONTO – Tapestry Opera celebrates General and Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori’s 10th year of innovative leadership, helping build the organization into a prolific and influential champion of Canadian artists and works. In the last ten years, the last seven of which were under shared leadership with Executive Director Jaime Martino, Tapestry has premiered 26 productions, including 22 world premieres introducing significant works such as R.U.R. a Torrent of Light, The Overcoat, Oksana G., Shanawdithit, Of the Sea, Gould’s Wall, and Rocking Horse Winner to the Canadian public while building a growing audience base and garnering major local and international awards and acclaim. Tapestry is a leader in the performing arts sector through two new national initiatives, Women in Musical Leadership and the Canadian Opera Resource, using collaboration and innovation to drive positive change. Tapestry Opera has launched a 3 million dollar campaign, in partnership with Nightwood Theatre, to build a new multi-venue arts facility focused on affordable usage for independent artists and companies.     

    (R)evolutionary Programming

    • Award-Winning Production: Rocking Horse Winner – a Tapestry Opera production in association with Crow’s Theatre
    • Concert: Songbook XIII featuring Naomi Woo & Keith Klassen
    • Concert: Le Kitchen Party: An Acadian Celebration of food and music
      Featuring Juliane Gallant (host)
    • Concert: IRON CHEF d’orchestre
      Featuring Jennifer Tung (host and pianist)

    Tapestry’s Artistic and General Director Michael Mori: “As we reflect on 26 productions in the last 10 years, including many incredible artists and works and audiences who have experienced opera for the first time, it is thrilling to open the next chapter by launching a new facility dedicated to fostering new works and artists, not only for Tapestry Opera and our partner Nightwood Theatre but also for the Toronto independent arts community, who are desperate for space to make art. 

    The 2016 production of Rocking Horse Winner marked a dramatic turning point for Tapestry, garnering awards, critical acclaim, new audiences and, as a result, paving the way for the most prolific period in the organization’s 43-year history. It was a dark horse, a show no one expected to hit as hard as it did, but the passion and artistry of the artists involved led to its surprising success. For my tenth anniversary of artistic direction, it is consequential to share and celebrate this beautiful and tragic work as we look ahead to the next exciting chapter.”

    Tickets for Rocking Horse Winner are on sale now!