DECEMBER 2020 DONOR IMPACT REPORT
CONTENTS 05 |
General Director’s Message
07 |
The Digital Season
09 |
La Voix Humaine
11 |
Amahl and the Night Visitors
13 |
Summer Pop-Ups
15 |
Community, Learning and Schools
17 |
Podcast
18 |
Donor Spotlights
FRONT COVER: MICHAEL MACKINNON AS BALTHAZAR, ANDREAS DALA AS AMAHL, AND SERGIO AUGUSTO AS KASPAR, IN VO’S AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS. | FACING PAGE: VO’S 2020–2021 SEASON ARTWORK BY EMILY COOPER.
THANK YOU! December is a time of reflection. As I look back on these past few months, I am humbled by the incredible support this community has shown during a time of great adversity. Your passion and support have inspired us to think “outside the box” and reimagine a new digital season—a season that continues to fulfill our mission of creating extraordinary experiences that engage, inspire and entertain our community. Our first two digital productions, La Voix humaine and Amahl and the Night Visitors have been artistically beautiful and were a special experience for all the artists, musicians and crew who were a part of them. We are looking forward to working on the second half of the season with our incoming Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists and members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. It’s been a busy few months and you’ll see in this Impact Report all the activities, productions and performances you’ve enabled. We could not do this without your support. On behalf of Vancouver Opera—our artists, musicians and staff—thank you!
Sincerely,
Tom Wright General Director, Vancouver Opera
TOM WRIGHT, PHOTO BY REBECCA BLISSETT. | DECEMBER 2020 DONOR IMPACT REPORT
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2020–2021 DIGITAL SEASON
REIMAGINED FOR THE SCREEN LA VOIX HUMAINE | AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS THE MUSIC SHOP | LA TRAGÉDIE DE CARMEN
THE DIGITAL SEASON: from Stage to Screen In all aspects of the arts we pride ourselves on being creative, thinking outside the box, doing the impossible and making difficult things look easy. However, working in an art form in which everything is big (voices, orchestra, chorus, crew, costumes, wigs!) during a pandemic challenged us more than we ever could have imagined. We went from working with over 100 people on stage and backstage to being limited to a handful of people. We also went from performing for live audiences of over 2,500 people to performing for empty auditoriums and cameras. We faced new challenges as we prepared productions for home viewing instead of our usual theatre performance. We had to ensure we recorded the highest quality audio and visual possible; confidently capture the emotion on screen (even when artists had to be distanced 3-metres from one another); and ensure the online experience was dynamic, engaging and theatrical. Filming the performances also gave us some unique opportunities. We were able to show audiences closeups of the performers and share different angles that otherwise wouldn’t be possible in a theatre. We have renewed old relationships and developed new relationships with audio and video producers and camera operators who have shown us new ways to look at our art form. Opera is full of relationships and not just the relationships between the characters on the stage but with you, the audience. As performers we miss that relationship. When you laugh at a joke, boo at the villain, cry when the soprano is dying, we know you are sharing the experience with us. While we are thrilled to be making wonderful operas on the screen, we miss our audience and anxiously await the day when we will welcome all of you back into our home at the theatre.
| DECEMBER 2020 DONOR IMPACT REPORT
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LA VOIX HUMAINE: A Unique Digital Experience La Voix humaine was the ideal season opener for our first digital season. The artistic team, production staff and artists worked tirelessly—in a completely new medium and within strict safety protocols—to deliver the highest quality production possible. The themes of isolation and need for connection were incredibly relevant to our current situation, and director Rachel Peake brilliantly used technology to create an intimacy that could only be captured on film. Mezzo-soprano Mireille Lebel delivered an unforgettable solo performance and music director Kinza Tyrrell eloquently played Poulenc’s score on piano. This unique online experience filled a void for so many of us who have missed opera during this time.
“What Vancouver Opera has achieved is the perfect match between cast, repertoire and medium.” - Vancouver Sun
AN INTIMATE DINNER PARTY FOR THE PREMIERE On opening night we welcomed 36 guests to a very special sold-out dinner at the Martha Lou Henley Rehearsal Hall where they enjoyed an intimate 4-course gourmet dinner with Mission Hill Family Estate wines at physically distanced tables of two. The evening began with a live pre-show talk by director Rachel Peake, viewing of La Voix humaine on the big screen, followed by a post-show Q&A with Ms. Peake, Kinza Tyrrell and the mesmerizing Mireille Lebel. We were thrilled with the response to the premiere event and are planning to offer more opportunities like this for our future premieres, when we are able to gather again.
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): 1. LA VOIX HUMAINE SET; 2. MIREILLE LEBEL AS ELLE, PHOTOS BY MIKE SOUTHWORTH; 3. OPENING NIGHT PARTY, PHOTO BY AUTUMN COPPAWAY; 4. MIREILLE LEBEL AS ELLE, PHOTO BY MIKE SOUTHWORTH; 5. MIREILLE LEBEL BEFORE/AFTER SELFIE. | DECEMBER 2020 DONOR IMPACT REPORT
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AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS: Streaming for the Holidays Written for TV and originally broadcast on Christmas Eve in 1951, we knew Amahl and the Night Visitors would be the perfect digital production for families to enjoy during the holiday season. Director Sarah Jane Pelzer’s vision came to life with the beautiful set and the ambient lighting that created the backdrop to this heartwarming story. The production’s music director Leslie Dala’s son, Andreas Dala, touchingly performed Amahl alongside an impressive cast of Vancouver Opera chorus members. Leslie Dala and Tina Chang performed Menotti’s beautiful reduction for two pianos. The staff, production team and artists worked hard—this time within even stricter safety protocols— and found a way to creatively share Menotti’s story the way he intended: on a screen, in our homes, and with our families.
“To have the opportunity to be able to create art with wonderful colleagues again has been so special to me and something that I certainly have a renewed gratitude for ... VO’s digital season has offered hope to many artists across Canada.” - Stephanie Tritchew
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): 1. MICHAEL MACKINNON AS BALTHAZAR; 2. A SCENE FROM AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS; 3. ANDREAS DALA AS AMAHL; 4. AMAHL’S MUSIC DIRECTOR LESLIE DALA; 5. SERGIO AUGUSTO AS KASPAR, AND ANDREAS DALA AS AMAHL. PHOTOS BY AUTUMN COPPAWAY AND LEAH GISELLE FIELD. | DECEMBER 2020 DONOR IMPACT REPORT
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SUMMER POP-UPS Vancouver Opera took advantage of the lovely outdoor weather this summer by partnering with West Vancouver Community Arts Council and the City of Burnaby to present 3 pop-up performances. The first took place in West Vancouver at the Silk Purse in Ambleside and featured music about love. We were thrilled to have real life couple Tamar Simon (soprano) and Geoffrey Schellenberg (baritone) perform with pianist Tina Chang. The performance was repeated at Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area Rose Garden to an enthusiastic audience. Our final pop-up was at the Burnaby Village Museum which provided a wonderful backdrop for a string quartet of VO Orchestra musicians: violinists Angela Cavadas and Andrea Siradze, violist Tawnya Popoff and cellist Rebecca Wenham. It was a great afternoon of music featuring opera favourites, much of it arranged by another VO violinist, Sandra Fiddes. We all have been missing live performances, so being able to delight audiences with beautiful music in picturesque outdoor venues was truly memorable.
SILK PURSE ART CENTRE POP-UP Watch a clip of Tamar Simon and Geoffrey Schellenberg’s performance at the Silk Purse Art Centre this summer.
WATCH NOW
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): 1. TAMAR SIMON AND GEOFFREY SCHELLENBERG; 2. VO’S DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PLANNING, ADRIANNE WURZ; 3. VO ORCHESTRA STRING QUARTET. PHOTOS BY VINCENT WONG. | DECEMBER 2020 DONOR IMPACT REPORT
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The Kettle Society The initial shutdown in March had a devastating impact on the members of the Kettle Choir and Writing Guild. The weekly rehearsals and workshops, led by VO teaching artists, had to be canceled leaving many of the participants feeling isolated and alone. In early August, VO and The Kettle Society brought the participants safely back together for a project, Can You Hear Me? Featuring new music by composer Lesley Sutherland, Can You Hear Me? was performed and filmed, documenting the process and the music, highlights the importance of collaborative programs and the impact on mental health and well-being for our community. WATCH NOW
LEARNING AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS This year, we’ve had to adapt our school programs to align with the B.C. schools response to the pandemic. As a result, we formed the new VO Capstone Mentorship Program that will fulfill a graduation requirement for secondary students. The program focuses on building relationships between students and artists providing students with a rare opportunity to work with a mentor in our local arts community. We are thrilled by the immediate interest and in its first year it is running at full capacity. Our signature elementary school program, Project Opera, launches online in January. In preparation, VO’s teaching artists have been training with experts from Houston Grand Opera and Sante Fe Opera to ensure a meaningful and engaging experience for both our teaching artists and students.
YUMI ONOZAWA, PHOTO BY FLICK HARRISON. | DECEMBER 2020 DONOR IMPACT REPORT
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VANCOUVER OPERA OFFSTAGE Join host Les Dala for this audio podcast as he chats with opera experts, artists and others to explore the world of opera on and off the stage.
Subscribe to #VOffstage on your favourite podcast apps!
OFFSTAGE
VANCOUVER OPERA OFFSTAGE PODCAST With Host Les Dala In March, the impact of COVID-19 made it clear that our upcoming Festival, including all the performances, presentations and community events surrounding it, would have to be cancelled. As we navigated this reality, we knew it was important to find new ways to stay connected to our community until we could be physically together again. As a result, Vancouver Opera Offstage was created as a medium to share the stories of members of the Vancouver Opera family and friends. The podcast has featured beloved opera stars such as Judith Forst, Daniel Okulitch, Simone Osborne; Music Director Emeritus Jonathan Darlington, General Director Tom Wright and a wide array of directors, opera coaches, and stage managers who share their perspective of a life in opera. We are pleased to have created over 20 episodes so far with over 3,000 downloads and look forward to continuing to share these intimate and interesting conversations with you. Thanks for listening. To learn more, or listen to current or past episodes visit vancouveropera.ca/offstage.
LISTEN NOW
MIREILLE LEBEL, PHOTO BY PIERRE-ETIENNE BERGERON. | DECEMBER 2020 DONOR IMPACT REPORT
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DONOR SPOTLIGHTS INSTEAD OF CURSING THE DARK, LIGHT A CANDLE: DR. MARKÈTA GOETZ-STANKIEWICZ Vancouver Opera is honoured to receive a generous donation from Dr. Markèta Goetz-Stankiewicz. She decided to make this gift now, rather than as a bequest, because the current needs are great. We are truly grateful for her special consideration during these challenging times. Dr. Goetz-Stankiewicz has been a supporter of Vancouver Opera and a season ticket subscriber for decades.
DR. MARKÈTA GOETZ-STANKIEWICZ’S STORY We invite you to learn a little more about this remarkable woman.
READ THE FULL STORY
THE DAVID SPENCER ENDOWMENT ENCOURAGEMENT FUND Since 2004, the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund has been investing in emerging artists at Vancouver Opera. This assistance has permitted many artists a boost as they become professional performers and complements our other young artist development programming. In our production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, we recognize Andreas Dala, Stephanie Tritchew, Karen Ydenberg and Tina Chang as the David Spencer Artists. We thank the Fund trustees and express our sincere gratitude for their role in helping VO become a focal point for young artist training in Canada.
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| DECEMBER 2020 DONOR IMPACT REPORT
COMING NEXT
Richard Wargo
The Music Shop A charming comedy Digital premiere: Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 7:30PM Featuring Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program participants. Production Patron: Signe Jurcic | Premiere Patrons: Mike & Kathy Gallagher
vancouveropera.ca
VO’s 2020—2021 digital season artwork is by Vancouver artist and photographer, Emily Cooper.
DIGITAL SEASON SPONSOR
DIGITAL SEASON PRODUCTION PATRONS
Ms. Martha Lou Henley, C.M. Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt Yoshiko Karasawa OFFICIAL WINERY
LA VOIX HUMAINE PRODUCTION PATRON
LA VOIX HUMAINE PREMIERE PATRON
AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS PRODUCTION & PREMIERE PATRON
THE MUSIC SHOP PRODUCTION PATRON
THE MUSIC SHOP PREMIERE PATRONS
Mr. Ross & Ms. Ursula Southam
Brigitte & Henning Freybe
Ms. Martha Lou Henley, C.M.
Signe Jurcic
Mike & Kathy Gallagher
TICKET CENTRE SPONSOR
WITH CONTINUING SUPPORT FROM
