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Edmonton Opera

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Edmonton Opera is a professional Canadian opera company in Edmonton, Alberta. In the past they regularly performed at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, but in recent years have been branching out and performing at a variety of stages throughout the city of Edmonton. The Edmonton Opera office is home to a box office, production space, and costume workshop, and is located at #102, 11442 1168 Street NW, Edmonton AB. Last year, in their 2023/24 season, they celebrated their 60th anniversary season.


History

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Approximately six amateur opera companies pre-date the Edmonton Opera’s founding in 1963. After Mrs. J.B. Carmichael’s death in 1964, singers who had been involved with the Edmonton Operatic Society approached local pianist and voice teacher Jean Letourneau about working with them.[1] After a number of successful productions, the group changed its name to the Edmonton Professional Opera Association, with David Ker as the first president and Letourneau as the music director. "Professional" was dropped from the company’s name in August 1966, as the then-artistic director, Irving Guttman,[2] argued that it should be obvious to all if a company is professional.

The first season, 1963/64, featured two productions: Madama Butterfly in October 1963, and Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci in April 1964. In 1966, Letourneau convinced Guttman, then at the Vancouver Opera, to come to Edmonton. The artistic director from 1966 to 1998, Guttman would be a part of all four Western Canadian opera companies — Vancouver (founded 1958), Edmonton (founded 1963), Manitoba (founded 1969) and Calgary (founded 1972).

Until 2008, the opera guild was one of many forms of support for the opera. Founded by Thelma Gregg, the group held many successful fundraisers and ensured everyone backstage was well-fed.

Production History

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The number of productions showed each year varies, ranging from two productions to as many as five operas. Although 5 operas have only been presented twice in the companies history in 1992/93 and 1993/94.

Repertoire includes the classic operatic works, as well as a handful of more contemporary pieces, especially in more recent years. The 2024/25 season offers 4 main shows and other satellite events and productions alongside their season. The main productions will be:

1. Die Fledermaus 2. Bluebeard's Castle 3. Aquarius: Songs of the Stars 4. Die Walküre


This history may be incomplete, but is based on of a timetoast page hosted by the company here.

Production History
Season Production Name Dates Notes
1963/64 Madama Butterfly Oct 1963
Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci Apr 1964
1964/65 Rigoletto Oct 1964
Carmen Apr 1965
1965/66 La Traviata Oct 965
La Bohéme May 1966
1966/67 Tosca Oct 1966
Faust Jan 1967
1967/68 Barber of Seville Nov 1967
La Traviata Apr 1968
1968/69 Carmen Oct 1968
Lucia di Lammermoor Jan 1969
The Consul Apr 1969
1970 La Bohéme Jan 1970
Rigoletto Apr 1970
1970/71 Il Trovatore Nov 1970
Madama Butterfly Feb 1971
Les contes d'Hoffmann Apr 1971
1971/72 Un Ballo in Maschera Oct 1971
The Marriage of Figaro Feb 1972
Aida Apr 1972
1972/73 Lucrezia Borgia Nov 1972
Tosca Feb 1973
Montserrat Cabell in Concert Mar 1973
Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci Apr 1973
1973/74 Faust Nov 1973
La Traviata Jan 1974
Turandot Mar 1974
1975/75 Carmen Oct 1974
The Merry Widow Jan 1975
Manon Lescaut Mar 1975
1975/76 Die Fledermaus Sep 1975
Norma Nov 1975
Cosi fan tutte Feb 1976
La Bohéme Apr 1976
1976/77 Barber of Seville Sep 1976
Madama Butterfly Dec 1976
Salome Feb 1977
Daughter of the Regiment May 1977
1977/78 The Mikado Sep 1977
Leotyne Price in Recital Nov 1977
Don Giovanni Dec 1977
Il Trovatore Feb 1978
Atilla Apr 1978
1978/79 Tosca Nov 1978
Macbeth Feb 1979
Lucia di Lammermoor Apr 1979
1979/80 Rigoletto Sep 1979
Der Fliegende Hollander Nov 1979
The Most Happy Fella Jan 1980
Manon Jan 1980
Aida May 1980
1980/1981 South Pacific Sep 1980
Otello Nov 1980
Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci Mar 1981
Nabucco May 1981
1981/82 Turnadot Oct 1981
Carmen Mar 1982
The Masked Ball May 1982
1982/83 La Traviata Nov 1982
The Tales of Hoffmann Feb 1983
Il Puritani Mar 1983
1983/84 Lucia di Lammermoor Oct 1983
Lohengrin Nov 1983
The Gondoliers Dec 1983
Norma Jan 1984
La Bohéme Mar 1984
Faust Mar 1984
1984/85 Il Trovatore Sep 1984
The Marriage of Figaro Nov 1984
Die Fledermaus Jan 1985
1985/86 Madama Butterfly Sep 1985
The Barber of Seville Nov 1985
Christmas with the Edmonton Opera Dec 1985
Coward à la carte - New Years Dec 1985
The Magic Flute Jan 1986
The Merry Widow Mar 1986
1986/87 Gilbert & Sullivan Opera and Dance Sep 1986
Rigoletto Oct 1986
Cosi fan tutte Nov 1986
Salome Jan 1987
Tosca May 1987
1987/88 La Traviata Sep 1987
Don Giovanni Nov 1987
Pirates of Penzance Jan 1988
Manon Lescaut Mar 1988
1988/89 Romeo et Juliette Nov 1988
Carmen Jan 1989
L'elisir d'amore Mar 1989
Aida May 1989
1989/90 La Bohéme Sep 1989
The Dialogues of the Nov 1989
Die Fledermaus Jan 1990
The Flying Dutchman Mar 1990
1990/91 Madama Butterfly Benefit Fashion Show Oct 1990
A Masked Ball Nov 1990
Eugene Onegin Jan 1991
The Marriage of Figaro Mar 1991
Madama Butterfly May 1991
Irving Guttman Tribute May 1991
1991/92 The Mikado Nov 1991
The Barber of Seville Jan 1992
Adriadne auf Naxos Mar 1992
La Traviata Apr 1992
1992/93 Don Pasquale Nov 1992
The Magic Flute Jan 1993
Turn of the Screw Mar 1993
Porgy and Bess Mar 1993
Tosca May 1993
1993/94 The Pearl Fishers Sep 1993
La Bohéme Nov 1993
Jenufa Jan 1994
June Anderson Recital Feb 1994
Julius Caesar Mar 1994
Rigoletto May 1994
Kiri Te Kanawa in Recital May 1994
1994/95 Don Giovanni Oct 1994
The Rape of Lucrezia Jan 1995
La Cenerentola Mar 1995
Carmen May 1995
1995/96 Cecilia Bartoli in Recital Sep 1995
Turandot Nov 1995
Lucia di Lammermoor Jan 1996
Die Fledermaus Mar 1996
A Gala Tribute to Irving Guttman May 1996
1996/97 Nabucco Nov 1996
The Abduction from the Seraglio Feb 1997
Madama Butterfly Mar 1997
Daughter of the Regiment Apr 1997
1997/98 Romeo et Juliette Nov 1997
The Barber of Seville Jan 1998
H.M.S Pinafore Mar 1998
Il Trovatore May 1998
Denyce Graves in Recital May 1998
1998/99 The Marriage of Figaro Nov 1998
La Bohéme Jan 1999
The Elixir of Love Mar 1999
The Tales of Hoffmann Apr 1999
1999/00 Aida Nov 1999
The Pirates of Panzance Jan 2000
The Rake's Progress Mar 2000
Tosca April 2000
2000/01 Hansel and Gretel Nov 2000
Cosi fan tutte Feb 2001
Carmen Mar 2001
2001/02 Rigoletto Oct 2001
The Magic Flute Nov 2001
Of Mice and Men Mar 2002
The Merry Widow Apr 2002
2002/03 Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci Oct 2002
Don Pasquale Nov 2002
The Mikado Feb 2003
Some Enchanted Evening Mar 2003
2003/04 Turnadot Nov 2003
Madama Butterfly Mar 2004
South Pacific Apr 2004
2004/05 Lakme Oct 2004
The Emperor of Atlantis Nov 2004
Sallyy Dibblee in Recital Mar 2005
Porgy and Bess May 2005
2005/06 Launch of the Opera coat Project Oct 2005
Gala Bohéme Nov 2005
Filumena Nov 2005
Bluebeard's Castle & Erwartung Feb 2006
La Bohéme Mar 2006
2006/07 Don Giovanni Nov 2006
The Barber of Seville Feb 2007
Macbeth Apr 2007
2007/08 Carmen Oct 2007
H.M.S. Pinafore Feb 2008
Requiem Apr 2008
Falstaff Apr 2008
2008/09 The Flying Dutchman Oct 2008
Daughter of the Regiment Feb 2009
The Pearl Fishers Mar 2009
La Traviata Apr 2009
2009/10 Rigoletto Oct 2009
The Seven Deadly Sins and Songs of a Wayfarer April 2010
Otello Apr 2010
2010/11 La Bohéme Oct 2010
Valentine's Gala Feb 2011
The Abduction from the Seraglio Feb 2011
2011/12 Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci Oct 2011
The Mikado Feb 2012
Fidelio April 2012
2012/13 Aida Oct 2012
The Tales of Hoffmann Feb 2013
Eugene Onegin Apr 2013
2013/14 Salome Oct 2013
Die Fledermaus Feb 2014
Madama Butterfly Apr 2014
2014/15 The Barber of Seville Oct 2014
The Magic Flute Jan 2015
Lucia di Lammermoor Apr 2015
2015/16 The Merry Widow Oct 2015
Carmen Jan 2016
Mary Stuart April 2016
2016/17 Turandot Oct 2016
Cinderella Feb 2017
Elektra Mar 2017
2017/18 Lilies (Les Feluettes) Oct 2017
2018/19
2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
2022/23 Tosca Oct 2022
Orphée+ Jan 2023
Stabat Mater Mar 2023
2023/24 Carmen Oct 2023
Don Giovanni Feb 2024
Ayre Apr 2024
Das Rheingold May 2024

Education

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With the aid of technology, the company is able to share operatic resources across northern Alberta, including educational guides, programs and other resources. Field trips for students in Edmonton are arranged for the second dress rehearsal, when they can visit the Northern Alberta Jubilee, watch the performance, and often, chorus and cast members come out to the lobby to chat during intermissions.

Between 1973 and 1984, Edmonton Opera on Tour brought opera to children in schools across Alberta, from bigger centres such as Grande Prairie to smaller communities such as Holden. Through this program, there were approximately 200 performances per year.

Community

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The Edmonton Opera has partnered with many other arts organizations in Edmonton, including the Alberta Craft Council and the Shumka Ukrainian Dancers. The Edmonton Opera is also the largest employer of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

References

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  1. ^ Alexis Luko. "Edmonton Opera". Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  2. ^ Betty Nygaard King. "Irving Guttman". Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Retrieved August 25, 2019.