Edmonton Opera is a professional Canadian opera company in Edmonton, Alberta. In the past the company regularly presented performances at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, but in recent years has branched out to perform at a variety of stages throughout Edmonton. The Edmonton Opera office is home to a box office, production space, and costume workshop.

History Edmonton Opera was founded by Jean Létourneau in 1963. Approximately six amateur opera companies pre-date the Edmonton Opera's founding. 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. 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, 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 artistic director of Vancouver Opera, to also work with Edmonton Opera, where he served as artistic director from 1966 to 1998. Guttman was also founding artistic director of Saskatchewan Opera, artistic director of Manitoba Opera, and artistic advisor to Calgary Opera, holding many of these posts simultaneously. As a result of his formative influence on these companies he became known as the Father of Opera in Western Canada.

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.

Since 2021, under the leadership of Artistic Director Joel Ivany, Edmonton Opera has pursued a programming model that balances traditional repertoire with contemporary reimaginings, interdisciplinary collaboration, and new Canadian work. The company has expanded partnerships with organizations including the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Citadel Theatre, while also increasing investment in community engagement, artist development, and alternative performance formats. During this period, Edmonton Opera presented productions such as Wagner’s Die Walküre and Siegfried in chamber arrangements by Jonathan Dove, as well as new and immersive works including Orphée+.

Ivany’s tenure has also emphasized the development of emerging Canadian artists and broader audience access initiatives. The company expanded its Emerging Artist program through partnerships with institutions such as the National Arts Centre and the Yukon Arts Centre, while introducing increased community programming, donor events, and performances in non-traditional spaces. Edmonton Opera’s strategic direction during this period focused on positioning opera as a contemporary and evolving art form within the cultural life of Edmonton.

In 2023, Edmonton Opera announced the appointment of Canadian conductor Simon Rivard as their first music director. Prior to this, Rivard appeared as a guest conductor for their 2022 productions of Puccini's Tosca and La bohème.

Production history The number of productions each year varies from two operas to as many as five, although five operas have been presented only twice in the company's 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 production history below, though incomplete, is based on a timetoast page hosted by the company.

+ 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 (Jonathan Dove arrangement) May 2024 2024/25 Die Fledermaus Nov 2024 Bluebeard's Castle Feb 2025 Die Walküre (Jonathan Dove arrangement) Jun 2025 2025/26Bravi! Opera's Greatest HitsOct 2025Indians on Vacation (Cancelled)Feb 2026Siegfried (Jonathan Dove arrangement)May 2026

Education 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 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