Inside Vancouver Opera

In February 1948, an eighteen-year-old Jean Orr danced Giselle in Ottawa — the first full production this country had ever seen, with a full orchestra in the pit. She went on to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and decades later became a founder and the first president of Ballet BC. Ashley Daniel Foot sat down with her in her West Vancouver living room, alongside Joshua Beamish, who has just founded Ballet Vancouver and opens its first season this month. Jean describes choosing to die by the sword rather than of a heart attack, because at eighteen she wanted to die dramatically. She remembers touring Nova Scotia with no backdrop and running around the outside of the theatre mid-performance. And she explains, almost in passing, the night she put her mortgage-free house up as collateral so a choreographer would be paid and the show could go on. Josh had never heard any of it. You can hear him find out. Ballet Vancouver's Balanchine's Apollo & Other Works plays the Vancouver Playhouse September 11 and 12, with pre-show talks before all three performances. The season closes with @giselle, May 13–15, 2027. balletvancouver.com Chapters 00:00 — Two people, forty years apart 01:04 — Highland dancing on the prairies 01:34 — A land grant, a motorcycle, and the Qu'Appelle Valley 02:04 — "My absolute lifesaver of life" 03:00 — Josh starts tap dancing at two 04:00 — Nesta Toumine and the Ballets Russes 04:47 — Ottawa, February 1948 06:35 — Nobody called it the first — until Toronto did 07:16 — "I wanted to die dramatically" 08:49 — Josh hears the story for the first time 10:33 — Winnipeg, no bus fare, and Pincher Creek 12:54 — Building Ballet BC with David Y. H. Lui 14:30 — The car raffle, and the house 16:12 — The 2026 equivalent 17:13 — Is dance the most fragile art? 17:45 — Balanchine's Apollo, and Heather Ogden comes home 19:08 — Seventy-eight years apart Guests Jean Orr — dancer; founder and first president of Ballet BC Joshua Beamish — choreographer; founder and Artistic Director, Ballet Vancouver

Stage Manager Theresa Tsang celebrates 30 seasons with Vancouver Opera. Every performance you have ever seen at Vancouver Opera, every blackout, every curtain, every entrance, every burst of light exactly on the downbeat happened because one voice on a headset in the dark said a single word, ‘go.’ She says it hundreds of times a night. She has said it for 30 seasons across almost 100 productions. The orchestra follows the conductor, everyone else in the building follows her. Today we are joined by Stage Manager, Theresa Tsang. Full Article Episode Credits: Theresa Sang - Stage Manager, Vancouver Opera Ashley Daniel Foot - Host & Creator, Inside Vancouver Opera Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

Stanis Smith has spent his career designing the spaces people move through — airports, terminals, thresholds. This September, he becomes Board Chair of Vancouver Opera. He's also a clarinettist who self-produced a chamber music album of Brahms and Nino Rota. He's the person who will tell you, with complete conviction, that Frank Lloyd Wright was wrong: the mother art isn't architecture. It's opera. In this episode, Ash Foot sits down with Stanis to talk about standing-room tickets at Covent Garden, what it takes to convert a first-time opera-goer into a lifelong addict, and why he built a 50-piece art program into the bones of the new $4.2 billion Terminal 6 at JFK. They also discuss Vancouver Opera's upcoming season, the state of the art form in 2026, and the Vancouver Cultural Precinct — an initiative that could transform the city's performing arts landscape within a decade. A conversation about art, architecture, and what happens when someone walks into a room and feels something they weren't expecting.

Soprano Jonelle Sills came into the world already steeped in music — her mother Desiree sang through her entire pregnancy. In this Mother's Day conversation, the two of them sit down together for the first time to talk about gospel choirs and opera stages, about coming to Canada with nothing, about the voice Jonelle wanted to keep only for herself, and about what it means to watch someone you love become who they were always going to be. Bring a tissue.

Today we're joined by a legendary member of the Vancouver Opera Chorus, Don Wright. We discuss his family's legacy, the life of a chorus singer, the importance of opera in education, and memorable moments from a lifetime in the art form. Full Article Episode Credits: Don Wright - Chorister, Vancouver Opera Chorus Ashley Daniel Foot - Host & Creator, Inside Vancouver Opera Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

Mimì is one of opera's most beloved heroines. Gentle. Luminous. Dying beautifully in a Parisian garret while the orchestra swells around her. She was also, in Henri Murger's source novel, a fickle, materialistic flirt her lover described as being "wedded to a thunderstorm." A gadabout. Complicated. Inconvenient. Not particularly easy to mourn. Puccini made a decision. You've been feeling the consequences ever since. In this episode, host Ashley Daniel Foot sits down with Vancouver Opera's researcher and editor Jane Potter — the creative force behind our composer series for the past three years — to pull apart the opera everyone thinks they know. They cover the missing act that explains Rodolfo's jealous rage. The real woman Puccini erased to create his heroine. The two source characters — Francine and Mademoiselle Mimì — whose DNA got merged into the figure we recognize. The Viscount nobody talks about. They also go deep on Kevin Ng's essay Beautiful Deaths: How La Bohème Transformed Tuberculosis into Art — tracking how consumption went from epidemic catastrophe to aristocratic beauty standard, from Lord Byron to Rent to Moulin Rouge! , and how Puccini wrote the disease's physical reality directly into the music itself. Plus: the 1896 premiere critics who called it "a momentary error" and suggested Puccini return to the straight road before further damage was done. The audience that sold out 24 performances that same month. And Benjamin Britten, who in 1951 delivered the greatest backhanded opera critique of the 20th century. La Bohème runs April 25 through May 3 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets at vancouveropera.ca. Kevin Ng's essay Beautiful Deaths is available now on the Inside Vancouver Opera Substack.

Maestro Jonathan Darlington on Puccini, broken batons, being mistaken for Richard Gere in Italian lifts, and why La Bohème will undo you — every time. Jonathan Darlington led Vancouver Opera for nearly twenty years. He's since conducted at the Vienna State Opera, the Semperoper Dresden, the Paris Opera Ballet, the Royal Swedish Opera, and the Nürnberger Symphoniker, where he's now Chief Conductor. He lives in Paris — ten minutes from the neighbourhood where La Bohème is actually set. And he keeps coming back to Vancouver. This week he's back in the pit at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for La Bohème — Puccini's love story about young artists in Paris trying to stay warm, fall in love, and stay alive. It's the fastest-selling production in Vancouver Opera's sixty-six year history. In this conversation, Ashley Daniel Foot asks Darlington what's actually going through his mind in the sixteen bars before the curtain rises, how the streets of Vancouver have changed the way he hears Puccini, why he still wants to conduct one specific opera just to erase a humiliation from thirty years ago, and what it felt like to open Sweeney Todd surrounded by a large metal contraption on stage while trying to frighten the audience — a task made easier, he admits, by the fact that he was already terrified himself. Plus: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Carlos Kleiber, Mirella Freni, four piccolos playing fortissimo, a Vancouver harpsichord builder who makes his batons by hand, and the pre-show meal of champions. La Bohème runs April 25 to May 3 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets at vancouveropera.ca.

Today we are joined by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra's Principal Harpist, Janelle Nadeau. In this episode we explore the versatile and ancient art of the harp, Janelle's journey with the instrument, and the unique beauty of live performance. Full Article Episode Credits: Janelle Nadeau - Principal Harpist, Vancouver Opera Orchestra Ashley Daniel Foot - Host & Creator, Inside Vancouver Opera Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

She walks onto the stage, acknowledges the audience, and gestures toward the piano. There is no one there. Soprano and pianist Rachel Fenlon has spent the last several years doing something almost unthinkable in classical music — accompanying herself. Singing and playing at once. Not as a gimmick, but as a complete artistic philosophy that has taken her from Vancouver to Berlin to the stages of Europe, and to a debut album — Winterreise — that became the first self-accompanied recording of Schubert's cycle. It was named Album of the Week by both CBC Canada and BBC Radio 3. Critics called it extraordinary. And it started with grief, isolation, and a very quiet voice she decided to follow. Now she's coming home — to the Kay Meek Arts Centre in West Vancouver on April 12 — and we sat down with her to talk about solitude, risk, what it costs to hold everything yourself, and what it feels like when it finally disappears. Rachel Fenlon performs at the Kay Meek Arts Centre, April 12. Tickets here

Nicole Lamb is Vancouver Opera’s Director of Artistic and Production. For the last few seasons, she’s been one of the key people deciding what you see on stage and how it all comes together, from season planning and artistic teams to the thousand invisible choices about budget, time, and people that make an opera actually happen. Full Article Episode Credits: Nicole Lamb - Guest, Director of Artistic and Production at Vancouver Opera Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver Opera Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

Veteran Canadian journalist Paul Wells joins Inside Vancouver Opera for a wide-ranging conversation about journalism, politics, and the role the arts play in shaping public life. For decades, Wells has been one of the country’s most thoughtful political writers, known for his long-form analysis and deep historical perspective on Canadian politics. In this conversation, he reflects on his early days writing about jazz, his years covering Parliament Hill, and his move to independent journalism on Substack. Wells also discusses the origins of The Paul Wells Road Show , a live event that brings together politics, culture, and conversation. On March 20, the Road Show arrives in Vancouver in partnership with Vancouver Opera, featuring BC Premier David Eby, journalist Richard Zussman, former federal minister James Moore, CBC political podcaster Rachel Siegel, and renowned forest ecologist Suzanne Simard. Along the way, Wells shares why he believes the arts are essential to civic life and why culture often reveals more about society than politics alone. 🎙 Hosted by Ashley Daniel Foot , Director of Engagement and Civic Practice at Vancouver Opera.

Brandon Thornhill joins Inside Vancouver Opera during Black History Month to discuss Ebony Roots , his concert celebrating 300 years of Black music. From spirituals to Soul, he reflects on identity, opera, representation, and what it means to sing Black history in Vancouver.

Today we’re joined by Canadian composer Dean Burry , whose operas for young audiences have been performed across Canada and beyond. His works include The Brothers Grimm , The Hobbit , and today’s focus, The Brementown Musicians , an immersive opera created especially for elementary students. Full Article Episode Credits: Dean Burry - Guest Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver Opera Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

In this special episode we delve into the intricate dynamics of Così fan tutte and its portrayal of women. We explore the role of Despina as a voice of realism amidst the comedic facade and how the opera reflects societal attitudes towards women and relationships during the Enlightenment era. Full Article Episode Credits: Jane Potter - Writer and Narrator Mack McGillivray - Audio Editor Ashley Daniel Foot - Producer Barry Ekko - Cover Illustration

A behind-the-scenes conversation with costume designer Donnie Tejani , who brings the world of Così fan tutte to life for Vancouver Opera . We explore how costumes shape character, how disguise functions in Mozart’s comedy, what happens inside a modern costume shop, and how designers balance artistry, budgets, and practicality in today’s opera landscape.

Tracy Dahl discusses her illustrious career as coloratura soprano, her role as Despina in Così fan tutte , and evolution of vocal techniques. Full Article Episode Credits: Tracy Dahl - Guest Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver Opera Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

In this episode we're joined by music journalist Kevin Ng and Vancouver Opera's Jane Potter to explore the complexities of Mozart's most dangerous comedy, Così fan tutte . Full Article Episode Credits: Kevin Ng - Guest Jane Potter - Guest Barry Ekko - Artwork Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver Opera Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

Mozart’s Così fan tutte is often described as light, mischievous, even trivial. But sit with it — really sit with it — and it reveals itself as one of opera’s most psychologically perceptive works. In this episode of Inside Vancouver Opera , host Ashley Daniel Foot is joined by stage director Rob Herriot and Vancouver Opera’s Associate Music Director and conductor Les Dala to explore a distinctly Canadian production of Così fan tutte , originally created at Manitoba Opera and now remounted in Vancouver. Set in the early 1930s at an elegant hotel on the edge of the Canadian wilderness, this staging features Mounties, waltzing log drivers, and a visual world inspired by Canadian film and National Film Board imagery. But beneath the wit and theatrical charm lies something deeper: Mozart’s refusal to lie. Even when his characters disguise themselves, role-play, or betray one another, the music tells the truth. Rob and Les reflect on trusting the score, the humanity of the characters, the generosity — and ambiguity — of the opera’s ending, and why Così fan tutte remains one of the most honest works Mozart ever wrote. It’s an episode about laughter, contradiction, and what it means to recognize ourselves in the mess. Why Così fan tutte may be Mozart’s most human opera How this Canadian production originated at Manitoba Opera Trusting the music as psychological truth Reframing Così beyond its controversial title Why the ending sounds forgiving — even when nothing is fully resolved How humour becomes a gateway for new audiences Host: Ashley Daniel Foot Guests: Rob Herriot, Les Dala Podcast: Inside Vancouver Opera Produced by: Vancouver Opera Music excerpts courtesy of Vancouver Opera Audio editing by Mack McGillivray Vancouver Opera presents Così fan tutte 📅 February 7, 12 & 15 📍 Queen Elizabeth Theatre 🎟 Tickets & info: Vancouver Opera What You’ll Hear in This EpisodeProduction & CreditsTickets & More

Some people shape culture from center stage, others shape it by showing up early, staying late, and standing just out of the light. Our guest today has built a life inside that second kind of work. Bruce Munro Wright is a former chair of Vancouver Opera, the Vancouver Opera Foundation, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. He is a nationally important collector of Canadian art and a recipient of the Order of British Columbia. Learn More Episode Credits: Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver Opera Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera

In this conversation, Amanda Burrows, Executive Director of First United and new Board Member of Vancouver Opera, discusses her journey through the arts and social justice. She emphasizes the interconnectedness of art and advocacy, the importance of community involvement, and the resilience of the Downtown Eastside. Learn More Episode Credits: Ashley Daniel Foot - Host, Inside Vancouver Opera Mack McGillivray - Producer, Inside Vancouver Opera