Edmonton Opera’s new season has something for everyone
“We’re looking at all of the corners of what opera is and what it can be, presenting a roster of something to appeal to everyone,” says Robin Whiffen, Edmonton Opera’s executive director. “The thing we keep coming back to is consumer behaviour has changed. It continues to evolve year over year; we have to take that very seriously.”
Edmonton Opera Announces 2025/26 Season
Some legacies are passed down, and others must be claimed.
In the 2025/26 season, Edmonton Opera explores what it means to inherit, build, and redefine a legacy through a bold lineup of performances and special events. This season celebrates the voices that shaped the art form, the artists carrying it forward, and the ongoing evolution of opera as the living art form that continues to inspire new generations.
Edmonton Opera’s 2025-26 Season to Feature Miriam Khalil, Marion Newman & Jaclyn Grossman
The Edmonton Opera has announced its 2025-26 Season.
In a statement, Edmonton Opera’s Artistic Director, Joel Ivany said, “Our 2026/26 season is really about what we inherit, what we keep, and what we redefine. From celebrating opera’s greatest moments to championing new voices and groundbreaking works, we invite
audiences to be part of this living legacy that is Edmonton Opera, 62 years in the community.”
Edmonton Opera's Emerging Artists Take Us to Whitehorse
Review: Edmonton Opera Presents An Adaptation of BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE
The Scene Room Podcast Ep2: Joel Ivany - Bridging Tradition an Innovation in Opera
A Second Night at the Opera: Bluebeard's Castle
Photo by Janice Saxon
“We wanted to think about how that story would work in a more modern setting, and we came up with the idea of: Rather than an old man and a young girl, it’s an old man and an old woman who have been married for 40 years, and behind each door is a memory of that life together. But she’s actually living with dementia, so she’s no longer able to access these memories. Bluebeard has become her carer, and he’s living with the emotion and loneliness of caring for somebody living with dementia, so it immediately becomes a much more accessible and relatable story, because it’s kind of a reflection of society as it continues to stand with an aging population and overly strained health services.”
- Daisy Evans, Stage Director & Co-Creator of Bluebeard’s Castle
A RAM Tough Debate
Joel Ivany, the artistic director for the Edmonton Opera, says that when he first moved to this city to take the reins of that artistic organization, he looked immediately at the old RAM site and thought it was an ideal spot.
“Edmonton Opera, an arts institution in the City of Edmonton for over 60 years, has been looking for a space to innovate, welcome patrons and honour the deep legacy of community arts within the city,” Ivany says.
From the return of Oasis to the invasion of Kendrick Lamar, here are the concerts to catch in 2025
Edmonton Opera Celebrates the Holidays at EPIC Market!
It’s a way to celebrate the holidays with a magical night of music and community. Mandy Maher (Edmonton Opera Chorus) and Luke Butterworth (EPIC Market) joined Global News Morning to talk about the Edmonton Opera at EPIC Market.
Edmonton Opera Joins Yukon Art Centre to bring Opera to Yukon Schools
Edmonton Opera Announces Rumbold Vocal Prize Winners
Remake of a Perennial Light-Opera Favourite
“The members of the cast are only in their roles when the director, Peter Monaghan (Henry/Falke) calls them up to stand and deliver one of their musical numbers. Otherwise, they are arts workers dressed in their street clothes, expressing themselves as rehearsing performers, not as the characters they will eventually play in the second act. Connor Hoppenbrouwers (Frank) wore an Oilers jersey to add some local colour to the proceedings.”
A First Night at the Opera: Die Fledermaus
Don’t get me wrong — opera singers are basically people with a secret singing superpower walking among us, and these are some of the best in the country — it was just a delightful surprise to hear it from people doing that dance with the crooked elbows and little kicks (the Happy Prospector, maybe? I don’t know dance, either).
The show, which was written by Johan Strauss II and premiered in 1874, is an all-time classic, and its accessible frivolity is part of why director Joel Ivany wanted to stage it here.
A new edgy look for Die Fledermaus at Edmonton Opera season opener
“We thought we would get something that has wonderful melodies, great tunes, and a bit of comedy and joy,” says Joel Ivany, the artistic director of Edmonton Opera who is also taking over as the stage director for Die Fledermaus.
Ivany has taken the show in a more modern direction, setting the operetta as a play within a play and giving some of the scenes a new spin. In this new rendition, a local theatre company is putting together a production of Die Fledermaus with no money and no time, and actors who may not have the best chemistry.
Enjoy a modern flair with Edmonton production of 'Die Fledermaus'
In November, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Edmonton Opera are teaming up to bring a modern flair to audiences with a new production of Die Fledermaus. Joel Ivany from the Edmonton Opera and Keith Hamm from the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra joined Global News with the details.
Canada's Newest Company Directors
Edmonton Opera brings opera to Yukon schools
Emerging artists Spencer Kryzanowski, Connor Hoppenbrouwers and Rachael McAuley from the Alberta-based opera company travelled to Carmacks, Carcross, Whitehorse, and Haines Junction to lead arts-based educational programs.
First Nations and Non-First-Nations school pupils participated in classes on the intricacies of vocal production and storytelling through opera.
Our New Executive Director Robin Whiffen on Radio Active with Jessica Ng
Our newly appointed Executive Director, Robin Whiffen, recently joined Jessica Ng on Radio Active to talk about her new position and her vision for the future of opera in Edmonton. Click the button below to listen to their conversation.