Vancouver Opera Company

Vancouver Opera was founded in 1958 by a group of visionary community leaders who, recognizing the power of opera to connect people to the universal human drama, set out to build an opera company for Vancouver. Artistic Director Irving Guttman  directed the company’s first production, Carmen, starring Nan Merriman, Richard Cassilly and Louis Quilico. It opened on April 2, 1960 and sold out every night of its four-night run.  Legendary performances that took place during Dr. Guttman’s tenure include Richard Bonynge’s conducting debut with Faust (1963); Joan Sutherland’s and Marilyn Horne’s debuts in Norma (1963); and Plácido Domingo’s first Vancouver performance in Tosca (1968). The Vancouver Opera Chorus was established in 1961 under the direction of Beverly Fyfe.  In 1992, David Agler was engaged by General Director Rob Hallam as the company’s first Music Director and Leslie Uyeda was named Chorus Director  James W. Wright, was named General Director in1999 and in 2002 he appointed      Jonathan Darlington as Principal Conductor. In 2004, Maestro Darlington was named   Music Director and he is contracted through 2018. Leslie Dala  was appointed VO Chorus Director in 2004 and also serves as Assistant Conductor.  Noted Canadian singers have graced Vancouver Opera’s stage, including Judith Forst, Ben Heppner and Richard Margison.  Recent productions include the Canadian premiere of Nixon in China and the world première of Lillian Alling, as well as a First Nations infused production of The Magic Flute.  Vancouver Opera is a leader in arts education and province-wide touring to schools, and has developed leading training programs for young professionals and has collaborated extensively with UBC’s opera department.