Toronto’s Opera 5 has been named as the newest Firm-in-Residence of the Canadian Opera Firm. The creative residency carries a two-year time period that begins on July 1, 2025.
A serious part of the residency is a collaboration on the creation of an operatic work that can be offered on the Canadian Opera Firm.
Established in 2016, the COC’s Firm-in-Residence program permits native indie opera corporations to broaden their attain, providing assist and steerage.
“The Canadian Opera Firm is proud to assist fellow creators,” says COC Normal Director David Ferguson. “As a nationwide performing arts group, one of many COC’s foundational pillars is our dedication to leveraging our platform and assets to spice up the profile of rising opera artists and collectives. We’re enthusiastic about investing within the broader Canadian opera group and are wanting ahead to introducing extra audiences to Opera 5 and their unimaginable work.”
Opera 5
Led by Normal Director & Founding Member Rachel Krehm, Creative Director Jessica Derventzis, Music Director Evan Mitchell, and Applications Supervisor Jaclyn Grossman, Toronto-based Opera 5 is an impartial group. They’ve come to specialise in chamber opera productions, artist mentorships, internet sequence — considered one of which snagged a prestigious Opera America Award for Digital Excellence in 2024 — and the creation of recent opera works.
“The Opera 5 staff is over the moon to be the following Firm-in-Residence on the COC!” says Opera 5 Normal Director Rachel Krehm. “We’re keen to maximise this life-changing alternative to be mentored by the COC in order that we are able to develop, attain a bigger viewers, and create a higher affect with our work. We additionally hope this residency will enable us the chance to construct and solidify our Toronto Opera Competition, a brand-new initiative which we need to be a platform for Canadian works and Canadian artists.”
Opera 5 has produced a string of operas since 2012, together with viewers favourites like Britten’s The Flip of the Screw, Die Fledermaus and lots of others, together with bringing a lot lesser identified historic works to mild, together with Ethel Smyth’s The Boatswain’s Mate and Reynaldo Hahn’s l’île du rêve.
One other main part is the creation and manufacturing of recent works. Opera 5 has given the world premiere of Cecilia Livingston’s The Masque of the Pink Dying and Darren Russo’s Storybook, amongst others.
In 2025, Opera 5 will launch the Toronto Opera Competition, a 10-day celebration of the artwork type within the metropolis.
“On the coronary heart of each COC residency is the distinctive alternative for mutual studying,” says Roberto Mauro, COC Director of Creative Operations & Planning. “We’re deeply impressed by the artistic work that Opera 5 has delivered to life already and are eager to share insights and concepts over the course of our collaborative work forward. Having extra — and stronger — voices throughout Toronto’s opera group is a win for everybody, artists and audiences alike, and we’re proud to assist that imaginative and prescient.”
Opera 5 Reside
Even earlier than the Toronto Opera Competition in June 2025, Opera 5 will carry out on the COC’s Free Live performance Collection within the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre on April 16.
The efficiency presents a preview of a brand-new chamber opera titled Come Nearer by composer Ryan Trew and librettist Rachel Krehm. Krehm sings the function of Massive Sister, with soprano Jacqueline Woodley within the function of Little Sister, in a piece that explores grief, loss, and therapeutic. It’s impressed by the private story of the lack of Rachel Krehm’s sister to drug habit
Come Nearer could have its world premiere in Toronto this June on the Toronto Opera Competition.
Extra info on the Canadian Opera Firm’s Firm-in-Residence will be discovered on the COC web site right here.
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.