BIOGRAPHIES
LESLIE DALA | MUSIC DIRECTOR Maestro Dala began his career with Vancouver Opera as a pianist and répétiteur, but now enjoys a multifaceted career spanning the genres of opera, symphonic music, choral and contemporary works. Leslie's national profile has grown steadily with guest conducting appearances at Pacific Opera Victoria, Edmonton Opera, Saskatoon Opera, Tapastry Opera, Toronto Symphony Orchestra (backing the Indigo Girls), the VSO (backing Sarah McLachlan), Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony, Thirteen Strings of Ottawa, the COSI Festival in Sulmona, Italy, the Goh Ballet, UBC Opera, University of Toronto Opera Department and the Glenn Gould School Opera Program. On the international stage, Leslie has toured Beijing, China and Taipei, Taiwan, as guest conductor with Toronto’s Soundstreams, and has conducted William Bolcom's Dinner at Eight at the Wexford Opera Festival in Ireland. Leslie has also been a member of the music staff with Santa Fe Opera, L'Opera National du Rhin (France). He has conducted in Italy and the Czech Republic and last year made his debut at Carnegie Hall.
SARAH JANE PELZER | DIRECTOR Sarah Jane Pelzer is a Vancouver–based stage director and teacher. She has directed, assisted and taught across the country at Vancouver, Edmonton and Manitoba Opera, Opera on the Avalon, Pacific Opera Victoria, and the Victoria Conservatory. Recent career highlights include Jonathan Dove's Siren Song for the Glenn Gould School, and an original adaptation of The Fairy Queen for the VCM's Opera Studio. She has also recently founded Lucky Penny Opera, an indie company focused on experimental work. Prior to her transition to directing and teaching, Sarah was a performer and theatre-maker most known for creating the role of Jane Doe in the international award-winning musical Ride the Cyclone and as artistic associate and co-founder of SNAFU Dance Theatre. VO audiences have been enjoying Sarah’s work as Surtitlist for the past few seasons, and she is an alumna of the Vancouver Opera Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program.
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| AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS
