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.

ANDREAS DALA | AMAHL

14 year old Andreas Dala has actively been involved in the Vancouver music scene for several years. Andreas started piano at the age of 6 and has been a member of Vancouver Bach Choir from the age of 5. He has been involved in numerous operatic productions including Lillian Alling at the Banff Centre, and his Vancouver Opera résumé includes Evita, Turandot, The Elixir of Love, Dead Man Walking and Eugene Onegin.

He had the honour of singing a duet with acclaimed soprano Simone Osborne at the Wall Centre Gala for the Vancouver Bach Choir and had the solo boy soprano part in Elijah at the Orpheum Theatre with the Vancouver Symphony.

Andreas was also a scholarship winner at the Barbara Clague Competition. In June 2016, Andreas was a member of the Children’s chorus of Midsummer Night’s Dream at UBC, sharing the role of Moth with his brother, Christopher. He also participated in VO's summer opera camp in 2016 and 2017. Last year, Andreas appeared as the soloist in The Snowman with the VSO.

Andreas first sang the title role of Amahl in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Opera Kelowna in 2019.

STEPHANIE TRITCHEW | MOTHER

Canadian mezzo soprano Stephanie Tritchew is a steadily rising young singer, at home in the realms of both contemporary and standard repertoire. A native of St. Catharines, she has been a member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program at Vancouver Opera, a Gerdine Young Artist for two seasons with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and an Emerging Artist at Calgary Opera.

The 2019–2020 season saw Stephanie perform a role debut as Mother in Opera Kelowna’s production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, her Vancouver Bach Choir debut as the alto soloist in Messiah and most recently, a role debut as Cherubino in Edmonton Opera’s production of Le nozze di Figaro.

This season, Stephanie was going to make her Niagara Symphony Orchestra debut, her Kamloops Symphony debut and her Regina Symphony Orchestra debut as the Alto Soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and return to Edmonton Opera as Dorabella in Cosí fan tutte (all cancelled due to COVID-19). She is grateful to be making her Vancouver Opera debut as Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors for VO’s Digital Season.

THE OPERA LAB Grades 8 to 12

The Opera Lab is a set of digital resources for secondary school teachers for home or the classroom.

Each package includes: access to one of the online operas background information about the opera activities for students related to the arts, humanities, and career education

FOR MORE INFO

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THE FLIGHT OF THE

HUMMINGBIRD

AN OPERA FOR ALL AGES

MUSIC COMPOSED BY MAXIME GOULET LIBRETTO & CREATIVE DESIGN BY MICHAEL NICOLL YAHGULANAAS & BARRY GILSON

A co-production with Vancouver Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria

BIOGRAPHIES

SERGIO AUGUSTO | KASPAR

Mexican-Canadian tenor Sergio Augusto has a burning passion for operatic music and its proven power to move the human heart.

His latest singing ventures took him to the U.K. where he performed leading roles such as Orombello in Bellini’s tragic and rarely performed Beatrice di Tenda with the London Bel Canto Festival. Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata with Hampstead Garden Opera, and Robert, Earl of Leicester in Donizetti’s tragic opera Maria Stuarda in Pavilion Opera’s closing season.

His most recent performances in Canada include: Nemorino in Burnaby Lyric Opera’s latest production of Donizetti’s master comedy L’elisir d’amore, and as Giuseppe in his Vancouver Opera debut in Verdi's La Traviata.

He has studied with Canadian soprano Heidi Klassen and operatic legend Virginia Zeani. Currently he studies with bel canto tenor and scholar Dr. Kenneth Querns-Langley and soprano Francesca Mondanaro.

JASON COOK | MELCHIOR

Vancouver–born baritone and UBC School of Music graduate, Jason Cook, makes his Vancouver Opera solo debut with the role of Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors.

Jason has had the privilege of performing across Canada, Europe, China and Australia representing Canadian opera singers in a variety of styles and languages. Last summer, following his appearance in the world première of East Van Opera’s Beauty’s Beast, Schmopera wrote, “vocally, [he] is a force of nature… and is positively breathtaking.”

Other recent credits include Marco in Gianni Schicchi (Pacific Opera Victoria); Marcello in La bohème (Opera Nanaimo); Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro (Vancouver Island Opera); Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf in Into the Woods (Fighting Chance Productions); Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Escamillo in Carmen (Burnaby Lyric Opera). Opera Canada claimed his portrayal of the famed Toreador was “brilliantly sung and pricelessly acted”.

BIOGRAPHIES

MICHAEL MACKINNON | BALTHAZAR

Michael first sang in the Vancouver Opera chorus in 2008, and joined the VOIS tour for Jack Pine in 2009. He has since performed with local companies such as City Opera, Burnaby Lyric, Opera Nanaimo and Vancouver Island Opera.

He made his European debut in 2013 for the Young Opera Company (Freiburg) and later performed for companies including Landestheater Detmold, Ticino Music Festival (Lugano), The Opera Factory (Freiburg), Operafabriken (Malmö), Opera Bohemia (Glasgow), and the Edinburgh International Festival. His roles have included Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Bartolo in The Barber of Seville, Leporello and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Colline in La bohème, Méphistophélès in Faust, Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte, Don Inigo in L'heure espagnole, Alvise in La Gioconda, Nourabad in The Pearl Fishers and many more. Michael feels very fortunate to be singing for VO this season in Amahl and the Night Visitors.

HENRY CHEN | PAGE/CHORUS

Henry is a lyric baritone who has been part of Vancouver’s flourishing opera scene for over a decade. After completing his studies at the Vancouver Academy of Music under the direction of David Meek, he keeps himself engaged with various productions in opera companies large and small, performing minor and major roles. He’s at his best when singing and acting on stage, performing operas and operettas. He also has an undeniable passion for art song, especially German Lieder.

Henry started his journey with Vancouver Opera during the revival of Naomi’s Road, a VOIS opera by Ramona Luengen based on Joy Kogawa’s novel of the same name. Since then he’s become a regular member of the men’s chorus.

In 2016, he shared the great fortune of joining the artists of The Kettle Society with a few of his VO colleagues in Requiem for a Lost Girl.

His latest engagements saw him performing alongside the rest of the Vancouver Opera ensemble as a chorister in the 2019–2020 season in La Traviata and The Barber of Seville.

JEREMY BAXTER | LIGHTING DESIGNER

Jeremy has worked in Vancouver’s arts community for the past 25 years—mostly as a technical director and lighting designer. He is currently the Technical Director for: Théâtre La Seizième, PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, Vancouver International Children’s Festival, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, and Vancouver International Dance Festival.

He has designed lights for numerous theatre and dance productions (most recently with Théâtre La Seizième, EDAM Dance and Circadia Indigena) and has been the Lighting Designer for the UBC Opera Ensemble for 25 seasons (more than 70 opera productions at the Chan Centre Concert Hall, the Old Auditorium and other venues around BC). Jeremy is also a cofounder and artistic staff member of Some Assembly Arts Society which focuses on producing original theatre productions written and performed by youth.

ANGUS BELL | CHORUS

Angus Bell is a versatile singer in both opera and oratorio who has performed throughout Canada and the United States. Born in Australia, Angus spent his formative years in Vancouver. His musical studies took him to Houston, Texas and Montreal, Quebec where he earned music degrees from Rice University and McGill respectively. He is a regular chorus member at Vancouver Opera and soloist, most recently as Doctor Grenvil in La Traviata. Aside from Vancouver Opera Angus has appeared with Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Island Opera, Burnaby Lyric Opera, and at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina. His repertoire has ranged from Rossini’s Doctor Bartolo in Il barbiere de Siviglia to Wagner’s Alberich in Das Rheingold. As a concert performer Angus has performed many of the great oratorios including Handel's Messiah, the requiems of Brahms, Verdi, Mozart, Fauré, and Duruflé, as well as Haydn’s Creation, and Bach’s Weinachts-Oratorium.

VANCOUVER OPERA OFFSTAGE

CELEBRATING 21 EPISODES!

Join host Les Dala for this audio podcast series as he chats with opera experts, artists, and others to explore the world of opera on and off the stage.

Check out our Wednesday, December 2 episode. Les Dala, Music Director of Amahl and the Night Visitors, takes you behind the scenes of creating our holiday opera. Les will be speaking with Director Sarah Jane Pelzer and select members of the cast.

Subscribe to #VOffstage on your favourite podcast apps!

OFFSTAGE

BIOGRAPHIES

MARIJKA ASBEEK BRUSSE | STAGE MANAGER

Marijka is a Vancouver–based performing arts stage manager. Select stage management credits include: The Flight of the Hummingbird (Vancouver Opera / Pacific Opera Victoria), La Traviata (Vancouver Opera), Silent Light (Opera in the 21st Century at the Banff Centre for Performing Arts), Mom’s the Word 3: Nest 1/2 Empty (Belfry Theatre), Hir (Pi Theatre), C’Mon, Angie! (Touchstone Theatre), and Mixed Huts (Arts Umbrella Dance Company). As an ASM at Vancouver Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria, she has worked on productions such as La boheme, The Overcoat (co-produced with Canadian Stage and Tapestry Opera), Fidelio, Turandot, Dead Man Walking, Hansel & Gretel, and Evita, among others. Marijka is a graduate of UBC Theatre’s Production & Design program, where she also taught stage management for seven seasons.

TRISTAN CHALCRAFT | CHORUS

Tristan began his post-secondary music education at Capilano University where he obtained diplomas in piano, voice and conducting. He later graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice from the University of Victoria, where he studied under the instruction of Benjamin Butterfield. During this time he was the recipient of the Bea Scott Voice Scholarship in 2014. Aside from his vocal studies, Tristan is an accomplished pianist and organist having performed internationally in various regions of Italy. He has sung with several highly acclaimed vocal ensembles such as Laudate Singers, Vox Humana, Vancouver Opera Chorus, and Vancouver Chamber Choir. Furthermore, Tristan has been actively teaching and performing for many years, having appeared as a tenor soloist with the University of Victoria orchestra, University of Victoria Chamber Singers, Vancouver Chamber Choir and Vancouver Bach Choir.

BIOGRAPHIES

TINA CHANG | RÉPÉTITEUR / PIANIST

Pianist and coach, Tina Chang, is currently on the music staff at Vancouver Opera, and most recently at Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland. Based in Vancouver, she has been involved with various musical organizations in town, including Chor Leoni, re:Naissance Opera, Health Arts Society, and Queer Arts Festival. She is currently on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music, and is also on the coaching staff at the University of British Columbia.

Past engagements include: faculty coach and pianist at Hawaii Performing Arts Festival; coach at UBC Summer Vocal Workshop; staff pianist and coach at soundSCAPE New Music Festival in Cesena, Italy; music director with Fear No Opera in Victoria; coach and répétiteur at Mill City Summer Opera in Minneapolis; pianist and coach with the Atelier lyrique at the Opéra de Montréal; assistant coach at Glimmerglass Opera Festival; staff coach and sessional lecturer at Dalhousie University; pianist and coach at SongFest; and fellowships at Aspen Opera Theatre Center, Music Academy of the West, and the Vancouver International Song Institute (VISI). She has toured with Vancouver Opera In Schools (VOIS), and various members of the musical community to bring classical music to communities throughout British Columbia.

Tina holds a Bachelor of Music degree from University of British Columbia and a Master of Music degree from University of Minnesota.

ALAIA HAMER | ASSOCIATE COSTUME DESIGNER

Alaia Hamer is an emerging theatre designer and artist located in Vancouver, BC. Recent projects include costume design on The Birds and the Bees, assistant costume design for Sweat,The Humans (Artsclub Theatre Company); set design for The Drawer Boy (ETC); assistant costume for Three Winters (Amiel Gladstone); costume for C'mon Angie (Touchstone), assistant costume for Coriolanus, Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth (Bard on the Beach); set design for She Kills Monsters (UBC); along with wardrobe work and design for a variety of smaller shows and companies. Alaia is a graduate of the UBC Theatre Design program in 2017 and holds an English literature degree from 2012.

MICHELLE HARRISON | ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

Michelle is delighted to be back at Vancouver Opera for Amahl and the Night Visitors. A Vancouver–based stage manager, select credits include The Barber of Seville, La Traviata, La Cenerentola, La Bohème, Eugene Onegin (Vancouver Opera), It’s a Wonderful Life (Patrick Street Productions), The Barber of Seville (Burnaby Lyric Opera), A Christmas Carol (Gateway Theatre), Peter and the Starcatcher, Mary Poppins, Red Rock Diner, It’s Snowing on Saltspring (Arts Club), Uncle Vanya (Blackbird), Mies Julie (Baxter Theatre Centre). Many thanks and best wishes to everyone!

PARVIN MIRHADY | HEAD OF COSTUMES

Parvin has been Head of Costumes with Vancouver Opera since 2002. In addition to her work as Head of Costumes she has been the Costume Designer and Costume Design Consultant on several of Vancouver Opera’s productions including Costume Design for the critically acclaimed Nixon in China, The Barber of Seville and Dark Sisters. Parvin has worked with UBC Opera Ensemble as Costume Designer on many productions including Pasazerka (The Passenger) and Silent Night. In addition to her work in opera and theatre Parvin has worked extensively in the film industry. She is a successful businessperson having made and designed her own line of clothing.

BIOGRAPHIES

HEATHER MOLLOY | CHORUS

Heather has been singing with Vancouver Opera since 2013 and received her Master’s Degree in Opera Performance from the University of British Columbia. She is an advocate for new music and has been involved in debuts of several new Canadian works, including the Vancouver premiere of Bramwell Tovey’s opera, The Inventor, the world premieres of Missing by Brian Current and Marie Clement, and Stickboy by Shane Koyczan and Neil Weisensel. Recently she collaborated on a new project, Jesse – an ASL Opera, which aims to integrate Opera, ASL and Deaf theatre practices.

PATRICK RIZZOTTI | SET AND COSTUME DESIGNER

Patrick Rizzotti designs for live performance, film & television, and mixed reality. Design credits include the world premieres of: The Assignment (A.R.T./NY), Snow Orchid and Money Grubbin’ Whores (Theatre Row, NYC), Jasper in Deadland (Prospect Theater), On The Other Side Of the River (new translation, HERE), Party In The USA, Victor Frange Presents Gas (Incubator Arts) and the Canadian premiere of Hir (Pi Theatre). Additional designs include productions throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe for companies including: Pittsburgh Opera, Vancouver Opera, Pi Theatre, Premiere Stages, Florida Rep, and numerous Off Broadway productions in NYC. TV credits include Art Direction for America’s Got Talent, The Dr. Oz Show, and The Today Show.

Patrick has received a Jessie nomination, the USITT Scenic Design Award, is a winner of the OPERA America Director-Designer Showcase, and a Lincoln Center Director’s Lab Alumni. M.F.A Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Memberships: ADC, USA 829, and Vancouver Design Forum.

KAREN YDENBERG | CHORUS

Soprano Karen Ydenberg has performed many roles with Vancouver Opera, including Kitty Hart in Dead Man Walking, The Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, Almera in Dark Sisters, Frasquita in Carmen and First Lady in The Magic Flute. Karen has also performed with Edmonton Opera, the Canadian Opera Company and the Playhouse Theatre Company. She is a regular member of the VO chorus. Karen is also a trained editor and dramaturg.