La Bohème

Opera in 4 Acts

Composed by Giacomo Puccini Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa Premiered February 1, 1896 at the Teatro Regio in Turi Sung in Italian with English Projected SurTitles™ This performance is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 25-minute intermission Costumes provided by Sarasota Opera Association, Inc. Set provided by the New Orleans Opera Association Projection Images provided by LA Opera Rhythmic Gymnasts with ribbon from Elite Gymnastics

CREATIVE TEAM Conductor Jonathan Darlington Director Brenna Corner Lighting Designer Sophie Tang Set Designer Steven C. Kemp Costume Designer Howard Tsvi Kaplan Chorus Director & Associate Conductor Leslie Dala Children’s Chorus Director & Principal Répétiteur Tina Chang Assistant Director & Intimacy Captain Tayte Mitchell*

Intimacy Director Lisa Goebel Assistant Lighting Designer Jamie Sweeney Répétiteurs Perri Lo† Derek Stanyer*† Stage Manager Theresa Tsang Assistant Stage Managers Marijka Asbeek Brusse Michelle Harrison Apprentice Stage Manager Anna Brew SurTitle™ Creator and Operator Sarah Jane Pelzer * Artists from the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program † David Spencer Artist, supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

CAST *In order of vocal appearance Marcello Gregory Dahl Rodolfo Matthew White (April 25, 30, May 2) Zachary Rioux (April 26, May 3) Colline Alex Halliday Schaunard Justin Welsh Benoit / Alcindoro Thomas Goerz Mimì Jonelle Sills (April 25, 30, May 2) Lucia Cesaroni (April 26, May 3)

Prune Seller Brent MacKenzie Parpignol Lyndon Ladeur*† Musetta Lara Ciekiewicz Custom House Officer Willy Miles-Grenzberg Sergeant Angus Bell * Artists from the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program † David Spencer Artist, supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

One of opera’s most enduring love stories, set in the world’s most romantic city, rendered with the most vibrant characters and melodies: La Bohème is the perfect way to close out a 2025–2026 season that’s dared us to feel everything, and rewarded us for accepting that dare! Pacific Opera Victoria Artistic Director Brenna Corner returns to helm a classic Bohème, having previously brought the Puccini masterpiece to life with LA Opera, Calgary Opera, and North Carolina Opera. The split-cast run allows us to experience different world-class artists in key roles. On April 25, 30, and May 2, Mimì and Rodolfo will be performed by Jonelle Sills and Matthew White, each returning after wowing audiences in 2024’s blockbuster Carmen. On April 26 and May 3, Mimì will be performed by Lucia Cesaroni, previously seen in VO productions of The Merry Widow and West Side Story, and Zachary Rioux will make his company debut as Rodolfo. We are honoured to have Vancouver Opera Music Director Emeritus Jonathan Darlington returning to guide Puccini’s intimate and affecting score. Maestro Darlington was our Music Director for nearly 20 years, until 2018, and is currently Chief Conductor of Die Nürnberger Symphoniker. This master of nuance, range, and passion will transport us to the heart of bohemian life in Paris and lead us through some of opera’s most iconic music. As our 2025–2026 programme draws to a close, we want to thank everyone who joined us this season. As Mimì and Rodolfo famously sing, “Ci lascerem alla stagion dei fior” (“we’ll part when the flowers bloom”), but thankfully our opera community can look ahead to autumn, when the 2026–2027 season will bring us together again. Next season features exceptional productions of Tosca, The Barber of Seville, and La Traviata, and ticket packages are on sale now, with early bird prices in effect until May 31! And as vital as ticket sales are, we rely on donations and sponsorships to deliver high-quality, large-scale productions. We’d love you to consider donating today to help keep opera thriving in Vancouver. Love is sublime, but it can be fleeting. Life, the same. This production of La Bohème is also sublime, so let’s savour every fleeting moment of it (which–spoiler alert–will be about two and a half hours, including intermission!). It’s our pleasure to share this exceptional opera experience with you. Sincerely, Tom Wright, General Director Krista Johanson, Board Chair

Notes from the Conductor and Director

Bohemia: the land of both reality and fantasy which one enters at one’s peril. Today we tend to romanticize about poverty-stricken characters living out their creative dreams, of suffering for their art. Puccini’s masterpiece based on Henry Murger’s play, Scènes de la vie de Bohème has become perhaps the most famous example of this phenomenon. Mimì’s death hits us so hard because all the longings of a care-free bohemian life (fantasy) are brought to a shuddering halt by her tragic end (reality). Listening to La Bohème, one has the impression that Puccini’s journey of composition was a seamless bohemian jaunt. The truth is that the genesis of the opera was punctuated by one crisis after another, and he almost gave up on the project completely in the early days. He was an obsessive reviser of his compositions, and demanded endless rewriting of the libretto, either to give him inspiration, or to fit his already conceived musical ideas. In the existing manuscripts of La Bohème, hardly a page goes by without substantial corrections and revisions. As a lover of mechanical inventions at the turn of the century (he was a great friend of Thomas Edison), it is no surprise that his music is full of precise instructions which seem to belie the rubato that we often think of as the innate Puccini style. Just like the corrections in the manuscripts, hardly a page goes by without obsessive tempo or expressive instructions. Part of the fascination for me personally has always been Puccini’s ability to change his musical language for each opera. Manon Lescaut is Wagnerian in its approach; La Bohème the epitome of late romanticism; Tosca shows us he could master verismo; Madama Butterfly with its pentatonic scales spreads its Asian wings; and La Fanciulla del West takes its inspiration from Debussy and impressionism. The orchestra, of course, is the key to these changes of atmosphere, and his mastery of orchestral colour was for a long time underestimated in academic circles. There are hundreds of examples of blissful word painting in La Bohème (the combination of harp and flutes at the beginning of Act III to represent falling snow, to name just one), and of thematic fragments he used to characterize objects or sentiments. And then, of course, there is melody, which goes right to the heart of the matter. He manipulates our emotions with his irresistible melodic gifts, and in an era that was just discovering the opportunities that recording could offer, he was a man at the right place at the right time. A canny businessman, he composed many of his arias to fit on an original 78 rpm phonograph recording (3 – 5 minutes on each side). All in all, Puccini was a man of his time, and in some ways well ahead of his time. In La Bohème, he created one of the greatest operatic masterpieces of all time.

Welcome to the Latin Quarter. Yes the one found in 19th century Paris, but also the one that exists in the hearts of everyone who has ever been young, broke, and in love. When Puccini first set Henri Murger’s Scènes de la vie de Bohème to music, he was truly capturing the feeling of a moment in time, and a memory of being young. More than a century later, La Bohème remains an entry point for so many into our art form precisely because it reflects so many facets of humanity. We see ourselves in the desperate, hilarious, and creative characters, in the breathless fumbling of first love, and in the messy, agonizing jealousy that can be the price of passion. They are familiar aspects of ourselves, of the old friends we’ve toasted with, and loves we remember with sorrow and joy. The bohemian spirit, motivated by expression, art, and connection over the economic realities, is more than just a historic romantic notion. La Bohème’s enduring power is the transition from the invincibility of youth to the sobering reality of adulthood. Watching Rodolfo and his friends confront Mimì’s illness marks that universal threshold of growth: the shattering moment we realize that love, as powerful as it is, cannot stop time. This heartbreak is just as sharp in 2026 as it was in 1896. We return to La Bohème because it reconnects us with the intensity of our memories of youth (whether that is now, or a more distant memory). As you watch this production, I invite you to remember the magic of those moments that you yourself have experienced, and to reflect on the ways that the joys and sorrows of the Latin Quarter exist within all of us. On a personal note, it is an absolute joy to be returning home to Vancouver Opera, a company that has served as the bedrock for so much of my artistic growth during my time in the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program. To bring this story to life on the same stage where I learnt so much of my craft is a privilege beyond words. I am thrilled to share this story of love with this wonderful community.

Synopsis

THE STORY IN SHORT

Mimì, a seamstress, and Rodolfo, a poet, fall in love in the Latin Quarter of 1890s Paris. After months of living together alongside their bohemian friends, Rodolfo feigns jealousy to hide his real reason for wanting to part with Mimì: he feels his impoverished living conditions are worsening her health. They agree to separate, but months later a desperately ill Mimì begs her friend Musetta to bring her back to Rodolfo’s side, where they reconnect before she quietly passes, leaving Rodolfo in mourning.

Full Synopsis

In the Latin Quarter of 1890s Paris, Rodolfo, a poet, and Marcello, a painter, share a garret studio. It is Christmas Eve and bitterly cold. The two friends try to stay warm by feeding pages of Rodolfo’s latest manuscript into the stove. They are joined by their roommates Colline, a philosopher, and Schaunard, a musician who has recently landed a job and who brings food, wine, firewood, and money. As they enjoy the wine, Benoit, the landlord, arrives to collect the rent. Plying the older man with wine, they flatter him shamelessly and urge him to tell of his flirtations, then throw him out in mock indignation. The friends depart for Café Momus, in the heart of the Latin Quarter, leaving Rodolfo behind. He promises to join them as soon as he finishes writing an article. There is a knock at the door: it is their unknown neighbour, Mimì, whose candle has gone out on the drafty stairs. She coughs painfully and, exhausted from climbing the stairs, she faints. Rodolfo, distressed by her pallor, offers her a glass of wine. After she has revived, he relights her candle and helps her to the door, but she discovers that she has dropped her key. Both their candles are blown out by a draft, plunging the room into darkness. As they search for the key in the moonlight, their fingers touch. Taking her shivering hand in his, Rodolfo tells Mimì about his life and his dreams. Mimì reveals that she is a seamstress who lives alone, waiting each year for the warmth of spring to bring the scent of real flowers instead of the ones she embroiders all winter. Drawn to each other, they declare their love and depart for the café.

In the busy square outside Café Momus, people jostle as street vendors hawk their wares. Rodolfo buys Mimì a bonnet before introducing her to his friends. They sit at an outdoor table, order dinner, and banter good-naturedly. A toy vendor, Parpignol, passes by, besieged by children. Marcello’s former lover Musetta sweeps in, followed by her suitor, the elderly, wealthy Alcindoro. Musetta sits near Marcello, but as he studiously ignores her, she realizes that she still loves him. Trying to regain the painter’s attention and affections, she sings a waltz about her beauty and irresistibility. Complaining loudly that her shoe pinches, Musetta sends Alcindoro to buy her a new pair. Realizing the purpose of Musetta’s ruse, Marcello sings to her ecstatically and they fall into each other’s arms. The bohemians join a group of marching soldiers, leaving a befuddled Alcindoro to pay the bill.

Marcello and Musetta are living in a tavern on the outskirts of Paris. Mimì, racked with coughing, appears, searching for Marcello. When the painter emerges, she pours out her heart: Rodolfo’s unrelenting jealousy has made their life together miserable; he has walked out. She begs Marcello to help them resolve their quarrels, before realizing that it’s probably best that they part. Mimì hides as Rodolfo, who has been asleep in the tavern, comes out. He tells Marcello that he wants to leave Mimì because of her constant flirtations. Pressed, he confesses that the real reason is that Mimì is very sick, and he is consumed with remorse. Rodolfo believes their poor living conditions have worsened her illness, and in his poverty, he can no longer provide for her. Overhearing this, Mimì cannot stifle her sobs, which draw Rodolfo’s attention. Wildly calling her name, Rodolfo takes her in his arms and they speak of needing to go their separate ways, despite their love. Hearing Musetta’s raucous laughter from inside the tavern, Marcello runs to investigate. Crockery is smashed and the two of them storm out, hurling insults at each other. As Musetta and Marcello quarrel, Mimì and Rodolfo agree to wait until spring before they separate.

In their garret, Rodolfo and Marcello gamely pretend to work as they talk of their lost loves. Their glumness is interrupted by the arrival of Schaunard and Colline bearing bread and a herring for dinner. The four then stage a dance, which becomes a mock sword fight. When the merriment is at its peak, Musetta rushes in. Mimì is with her, desperately ill. As Rodolfo helps Mimì to the bed, Musetta relates how Mimì left her rich lover and begged to be brought to Rodolfo. Marcello goes with Musetta to sell her earrings for medicine and a muff to warm the dying woman’s hands. Colline leaves to pawn his treasured overcoat to help pay for the doctor, while Schaunard withdraws from the room to leave Mimì and Rodolfo alone. The lovers recall the early days. When the others return, Musetta gives Mimì a muff and says a prayer. No longer able to fight for her life, Mimì peacefully dies. With agonized sobs, Rodolfo cries for his departed love.

Creative Team

Jonathan Darlington
Conductor

For almost 20 years Jonathan was the highly successful Music Director at Vancouver Opera, where he now holds the title of Music Director Emeritus. In September 2022 he was appointed Chief Conductor of the Nuremberg Symphoniker (Germany) and the orchestra’s concert-goers continue to be fascinated by his audience-orientated and charismatic way of communicating. Both his symphonic and opera repertoire is vast and he conducts major ensembles all over the world from Paris to Sydney.

Brenna Corner
Director

Brenna Corner is an international stage director and Artistic Director of Pacific Opera Victoria. She made her company debut as a Young Artist in the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program in 2014.  She is known for her emotionally clear storytelling across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Past directing credits include: Hansel & Gretel (Vancouver Opera), Il Trovatore, and Macbetto (Washington National Opera), Madama Butterfly (Los Angeles Opera), Dead Man Walking (Israeli National Opera), The Handmaid's Tale (Detroit Opera), and Carmen (The Atlanta Opera).

Sophie Tang
Lighting Designer

Sophie Tang is an award-winning lighting designer working in Theatre, Opera and Dance. She has worked with companies including Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Theatre Calgary, Arts Club Theatre, Bard on the Beach, and so on. Selected credits: Handmaid’s Tale (Banff Arts Centre), The Little Prince (Pacific Opera Victoria), Salesman In China, Rez Sisters (Stratford Festival), The Pearl Fishers, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Vancouver Opera). Portfolio: sophieyufeitang.com

Steven C. Kemp
Set Design

Steven C. Kemp is an international set designer for opera, theatre and events. His 150 designs for opera have been presented at more than 40 companies including The Atlanta Opera, Seattle Opera, Calgary Opera, The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Sarasota Opera, Opera San Jose and many more. He has designed on the West End in London and over 50 productions in New York City as well as numerous productions for regional theatres, cruise ships, and international tours such as the current Sesame Street Live!

Howard Tsvi Kaplan
Costume Designer

For 29 seasons Mr. Kaplan has been the Resident Costume Designer for the Sarasota Opera, where he has designed over 125 operas. His recent endeavors include designing the costumes for productions at Capital Rep, Florida Grand Opera, and for Opera Tampa. For twelve years he was the principal designer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Clown College. He was a resident designer for both The Alley Theatre, where he designed over 25 productions including the American premiere of HENCEFORWARD...

Leslie Dala
Chorus Director & Associate Conductor

Conductor and Pianist Leslie Dala is the Head of Music at Vancouver Opera and Music Director of the Vancouver Bach Choir. He has recently conducted VO’s productions of Cosi Fan Tutte, Jonathan Dove’s Flight, Carmen, The Flying Dutchman and Gluck’s Orfeo. As a Cover Conductor at Santa Fe Opera, he has recently worked on Die Walkūre, Der Rosenkavalier and Pelléas et Mélisande.

He has worked at L’Opéra National du Rhin, the Wexford Festival, Edmonton Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, the Banff Centre for the Arts, Saskatoon Opera, Tapestry Opera, and Soundstreams Canada. His recording of the Complete Etudes of Philip Glass was named one of the top recordings of 2021 by CBC Radio.

Tina Chang
Children’s Chorus Director & Principal Répétiteur

Described as a “scintillating player,” pianist, and coach, Tina Chang is currently on the music staff at Vancouver Opera. She has been involved with Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland and soundSCAPE New Music Festival in Italy. Locally, she works with Chor Leoni and the Arts Club. She maintains her own private studio and has been on the adjunct faculty of both UBC and Dalhousie University. Other hobbies include hiking and eating chocolate. To find out more about Tina, visit www.TinaChangPiano.ca

Tayte Mitchell
Assistant Director & Intimacy Captain

Hailing from Vulcan, AB, stage director and tenor Tayte Mitchell most recently launched Ammolite Opera as its founding Artistic Director. He is an alumnus of the McPhee Artist Program with Calgary Opera, the Music Academy of the West, and the Wolf Trap Opera Studio. Tayte holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. * 2025-26 Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program Participant

Lisa Goebel
Intimacy Director

Select credits: choreographer/intimacy director for Bright Star (GTP/Mirvish), The Dark Lady (Bard on the Beach), A Doll’s House (Arts Club), and Pride & Prejudice (Western Canada/Gateway). Intimacy direction for Vancouver Opera: Die Fledermaus, Flight, Madama Butterfly, Rigoletto, and Così fan tutte. Lisa is a certified intimacy director through Intimacy Directors and Coordinators and is a graduate of Studio 58.

Jamie Sweeney
Assistant Lighting Designer

Jamie Sweeney is a Canadian, Vancouver-based theatre collaborator. She is a lighting designer, a production manager, a performer, a deviser, a creator, and an artist. She has a BFA in theatre production and design from Simon Fraser University. Some companies she has worked with include Ballet BC, Bard on the Beach, Vancouver Opera, Arts Club, Rice & Beans Theatre, vAct, and Neworld Theatre.

Perri Lo
Répétiteur

Perri Lo is a pianist and vocal coach working in opera, chamber music, and dance.  She has worked with companies across Canada and locally, including Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, City Opera Vancouver, Re:N Opera and Opera Kelowna.  In addition to performing as a recitalist, Perri is a company pianist with Ballet BC and Arts Umbrella Dance.  She performed in New York City with Ballet BC at the Fall for Dance Festival 2025. † David Spencer Artist, supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

Derek Stanyer
Répétiteur

Dr. Stanyer has worked as a pianist/coach with UBC Opera since 2019, and as an Adjunct Professor in 2023. He has recently performed both opera and art song with the Vancouver Fringe Festival, Vancouver Opera, Opera Unbound, COC, York Place Concerts, and many others. His doctoral research (and passion!) relates to the art songs of Nikolai Medtner, which had previously been a largely ignored part of the art song repertoire.  * 2025-26 Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program Participant † David Spencer Artist, supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

Theresa Tsang
Stage Manager
Theresa Tsang

In her 30 seasons with Vancouver Opera’s Stage Management Department, Theresa Tsang has worked on nearly 100 productions for VO. She also stage manages for Wexford Festival Opera, Highlands Opera Studio, and Garsington Opera earning acclaim for The Turn of the Screw and Silent Night. A UBC graduate, she is lauded internationally and received recognition from the Stage Management Association in London.

Marijka Asbeek Brusse
Assistant Stage Manager

Marijka has enjoyed working on dozens of Vancouver Opera productions over the past 15 years, as well as productions at Pacific Opera Victoria, Canadian Opera Company, Arts Club Theatre, Canadian Stage, Belfry Theatre, and as a Faculty stage manager at the Banff Centre’s Opera program in 2019. Marijka has a BFA from UBC Theatre Production & Design, where she also taught stage management for seven seasons.

Michelle Harrison
Assistant Stage Manager
Michelle Harrison

Michelle has worked in stage management for over a decade. Career highlights include Stage Manager for Rigoletto (Vancouver Opera), Waitress (Arts Club), Die Fledermaus (Vancouver Opera), Little Shop of Horrors (Arts Club/Citadel), and ASM for Kinky Boots (Arts Club), Così fan tutte (Vancouver Opera), Flight (Vancouver Opera), A Christmas Carol (Theatre Calgary), and the Jessie Award winning production of Whose Life Is It Anyway? (Realwheels). She is a graduate of UBC. 

Anna Brew
Apprentice Stage Manager

Anna (she/her) is a stage manager and administrator currently working and living on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səl̓ílwətaɬ Nations. She is forever grateful to be working with lovely humans in this amazing city. Anna’s select credits include: The Baking Show Show: The Play (Ruby Slippers Theatre), Inferno: A Hip Hop Opera (Re:Naissance Opera), Sleeping Beauty (Fever), Lumbar 5, Thoracic 12 (Pivot Theatre), and Tremors Festival (Rumble Theatre).

Sarah Jane Pelzer
SurTitle™ Creator and Operator

Sarah Jane Pelzer is a stage director and surtitlist based in Vancouver, BC. She has directed, assisted, and taught across Canada and the US at Vancouver, Edmonton, and Manitoba Opera, Opera on the Avalon, Opera Kelowna, Wolf Trap, and the New England Conservatory. Sarah is the co-founder of Lucky Penny Opera, a company dedicated to exploring alternative models for creating opera performances.

Cast

Jonelle Sills
Mimì (April 25, 30, May 2)

Soprano Jonelle Sills is an alumna of Vancouver Opera's Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program (2021-2022). Her mainstage debut of Mimì in La bohème at the Canadian Opera Company (2023), was lauded for being “beautifully sensitive… with careful control and colour” (The Globe and Mail). Recent engagements include Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw (Pacific Opera Victoria), Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Edmonton Opera), Roselinde in Die Fledermaus (Edmonton Opera), and Micaëla in Carmen (Vancouver Opera). Her collaboration with the Canadian Art Song Project’s Known to Dreamers received a 2025 Juno nomination.

Lucia Cesaroni
Mimì (April 26, May 3)

Italian-Canadian soprano Lucia Cesaroni has been praised as a "vivacious performer blessed with a lush voice" (Times Colonist). Recent highlights include Norina (Don Pasquale) and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) with Calgary Opera, Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) with Pacific Opera Victoria, as well as appearances with the Toronto and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras. Upcoming performances include Mimì in La Bohème with Vancouver Opera and her anticipated debut as Violetta in La Traviata at the Canadian Opera Company.

Lara Ciekiewicz
Musetta

Hailed for her “tour-de-force performance” (Winnipeg Free Press) in the title role of Manitoba Opera’s Susannah, Lara has established herself as a dynamic, intelligent, and moving singing-actress. Lara is thrilled to rejoin her Vancouver Opera family after last season’s Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus.

Select credits: Jenůfa/Jenůfa, Amelia/Simon Boccanegra (POV); Tatyana/Eugene Onegin (CO); Countess/Le nozze di Figaro (EO, F-MO, MOA, VO); Elle/La voix humaine (MO); Micaëla/Carmen (F-MO, MOA, OKel, OLO); Mother Abbess/The Sound of Music (Citadel, RMTC).

Lara serves as a Voice Instructor at the University of Manitoba. She also enjoys gardening, is an avid walker, loves fabulous footwear, and is a self-professed prairie-girl forever.

Matthew White
Rodolfo (April 25, 30, May 2)

This season, American tenor Matthew White sings Don José in Carmen with San Diego Opera and Malmö Opera, the Macau International Music Festival and Cincinnati Opera, and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Calgary Opera and Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Recently, he performed the title role in a new production of Verdi’s Don Carlo with the Royal Danish Opera, Rodolfo in La Bohème with the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, and Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca with Cincinnati Opera and the New Mexico Philharmonic.

Zachary Rioux
Rodolfo (April 26, May 3)

Praised as a “show-stopping tenor” (Ludwig van Toronto), Canadian Zachary Rioux is an alumnus of the Bayerische Staatsoper Opernstudio. Noted for his “heroic delivery,” he recently performed the Prince (Rusalka) at Nouvel Opéra Fribourg. This season, he makes his Vancouver Opera debut as Rodolfo (La Bohème). Winner of a Talent Development Award at the Neue Stimmen and 2nd prize at the Mario Lanza Competition, he holds degrees from the Academy of Vocal Arts and The Glenn Gould School.

Gregory Dahl
Marcello

Gregory Dahl is one of Canada’s leading baritones, praised for his “warm, powerful voice” (Winnipeg Free Press). He has appeared in leading roles across Canada and on international stages, including English National Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and Teatro Real. In 2025–2026, Dahl reprises Scarpia (Tosca) for Manitoba Opera, Monterone (Rigoletto) with the Canadian Opera Company, Gianni Schicchi with Opera 5, and Marcello (La Bohème) at Vancouver Opera.

Alex Halliday
Colline

Named one of CBC’s 2025 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30, bass-baritone Alex Halliday’s 2025–2026 sees debuts with Vancouver Opera (La Bohème), Pacific Opera Victoria (Tosca), Edmonton Opera (Siegfried), and a return to the Canadian Opera Company for Roméo et Juliette. Additional engagements this season include concerts with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, as well as performances of Beethoven’s Ninth at Toronto’s Koerner Hall.

Justin Welsh
Schaunard

British Columbia-born baritone Justin Welsh’s career highlights include appearances as Crown in Porgy and Bess with l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and Queegueg in Calgary Opera’s Canadian premiere of Moby Dick. He recently appeared as Schaunard in La Bohème with the Canadian Opera Company; and Leporello in Don Giovanni with Edmonton Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra; and Marullo in Rigoletto with Pacific Opera Victoria.

Lyndon Ladeur
Parpignol & Rodolfo Understudy

Lyndon Ladeur’s favourite performances to date include Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore. He competed at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival playing Marco in The Gondoliers where he won the award for Best Male Vocalist. Lyndon completed his Masters of Music in Opera in 2024 at the University of Toronto. He studies with the Canadian Opera Company’s Head Vocal Consultant, Wendy Nielsen.  * 2025-2026 Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program Participant † David Spencer Artist, supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

Thomas Goerz
Benoit / Alcindoro

Thomas Goerz, bass-baritone, is an outstanding singing-actor who excels in both opera and musical theatre. With clarity of voice and character, he has shone in such roles as Dr. Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with Vancouver Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria; Owen Hart in Dead Man Walking in Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver; Simone in Gianni Schicchi with the Canadian Opera Company; and Titurel in Parsifal at Quebec’s Festival Lanaudière conducted by Yannick Nezet-Sequin.

Willy Miles-Grenzberg
Custom House Officer

Willy has performed with the top opera companies, orchestras and choirs across Canada, as well as in churches, cafes, etc. as singer/songwriter/guitarist. He appears regularly with Vancouver Opera in both chorus and solo roles,. He has performed as soloist in many of the great oratorios with Vancouver Bach Choir, The Handel Society, The Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra and The New Westminster Symphony. He has also performed with the Canadian Opera Co., Tapestry New Opera Works, The Elmer Iseler Singers, The Hamilton Bach-Elgar Choir, The Scarborough Symphony and the Amadeus Choir, among others.

Willy is also an avid guitarist and song-writer, with a vast repertoire of folk, pop and jazz standards, along with a catalogue of over seventy original songs. He has also recorded and toured extensively in Canada and the U.S as vocalist and bass-guitarist with Silk Road Music, a Vancouver-based Chinese "world music" ensemble, and is featured vocalist on their c.d. "Village Tales".

Angus Bell
Sergeant

A native of Australia, Angus has been a mainstay of the Vancouver Opera chorus for 25 years. Angus has performed recitals, concerts and in operas throughout North America in such diverse locations as Vancouver, Victoria, Montreal Los Angeles, New York, and Houston. His concert performances include Handel’s Messiah, the Fauré, Brahms, and Mozart Requiems, Haydn’s Creation and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. His operatic roles include the title characters in Don Pasquale and Sweeney Todd, Kecal in The Bartered Bride, Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Dr. Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, the First Apprentice in Wozzeck with Pacific Opera Victoria, and a variety of roles with Vancouver Opera including Dr. Grenvil in La Traviata, and the Fifth Jew in Salome.

Brent MacKenzie
Prune Seller

Described by ReviewVancouver as a “mellifluous tenor”, Brent MacKenzie is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, holding a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music. In 2022, Brent appeared in City Opera Vancouver’s world premiere of Chinatown as The Policeman, and lent his talents to the original cast recording. Brent has sung in the chorus for Vancouver Opera since 2023, first appearing in The Flying Dutchman, and has enjoyed chorus parts such as The Dragon in The Magic Flute.

Understudies

Marianne Bertrand
Musetta Understudy

Quebec mezzo-soprano Marianne Bertrand is praised for her “very pretty mezzo voice” and dramatic talent (Revue l’Opéra). She joins Vancouver Opera’s Young Artist Program in 2025–2026. She has performed roles such as Hänsel, Dido, Laetitia, Croûte-au-pot, Orlofsky, and Prince Charmant in Canada and Germany, and was a national laureate of the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations competition.  * 2025-2026 Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program Participant † David Spencer Artist, supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

Julia LoRusso
Musetta Understudy

Julia LoRusso is a rising Canadian soprano recognized for her vocal agility and expressive performance. In 2025, she made her house debut with Vancouver Opera as Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto and will return in 2027 as Annina in La traviata. She made her New York debut at the Winners’ Concert at Merkin Hall as a first-place winner of the International Music Grand Prix. In 2024, she won the Toronto Mozart Competition and in 2025 received the Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Indiana District). She holds a Master of Music degree from Western University in London, Ontario. * 2025-2026 Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program Participant † David Spencer Artist, supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

Mihnea Nitu
Marcello Understudy

Romanian-Canadian baritone Mihnea Nitu has been praised for his “booming and robust vocals” (Opera Canada) and his “charismatic presence marked him as a name to watch” (Bachtrack). Recent performance highlights include Marullo in Verdi’s Rigoletto with Vancouver Opera, the title role in Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert, and the Father in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel with Manitoba Underground Opera. Mihnea received his Masters of Music from McGill University. * 2025-2026 Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program Participant † David Spencer Artist, supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

Orchestra, Chorus, Supernumeraries, and Production

FLUTES Brenda Fedoruk, Principal Heather Beaty PICCOLO Anne-Elise Keefer OBOES Emma Ringrose, Principal Kristen Cooke ENGLISH HORN Erin Marks CLARINETS Christopher Lee, Principal Aaron McDonald BASS CLARINET AK Coope BASSOONS Ingrid Chiang, Principal Allan Thorpe HORNS Valerie Whitney, Acting Principal Nick Anderson Heather Walker Nicole Ma TRUMPETS Katherine Evans, Principal Nikolaj Hansen Candice Newberry TROMBONES Jeremy Berkman, Principal Jim Tranquilla BASS TROMBONE William Broverman CIMBASSO Drew Dumas, Acting Principal HARP Janelle Nadeau, Principal TIMPANI Phillip Crewe, Principal PERCUSSION Julia Chien, Principal Lauri Lyster Martin Fisk VIOLIN I Rebecca Ruthven, Concertmaster Angela Cavadas, Associate Concertmaster Jiten Beairsto, Acting Assistant Concertmaster Ji In Kim Ellen Farrugia Rick Dorfer Heilwig von Koenigsloew Joyce Lee Toni Stanick Sarah Westwick VIOLIN II Andrea Siradze, Acting Principal 2nd Lawrie Hill, Acting Assistant Principal 2nd Evelyn Creaser-Rumley David Lee Julia Lim Maia Siradze Adrianne Stride Sandra Fiddes VIOLAS Tawnya Popoff, Principal Reginald Quiring, Acting Assistant Principal Marie-Claude Brunet Barbara Irschick Sarah Kwok Ju Dee Ang CELLOS Rebecca Wenham, Principal Heather Hay, Assistant Principal Jake Klinkenborg Sue Round Ashton Lim BASSES Michael Vaughan, Acting Principal Jeff White, Acting Assistant Principal Mark Haney Laurence Mollerup

... Orchestra Manager Nick Anderson Orchestra Stage Manager Jim Tranquilla Deputy Orchestra Librarian Micheal Vaughan

SOPRANO D'Arcy Blunston Rebecca Collett Elizabeth Harris Eve-Lyn de la Haye Allyson Hop Aviva Lacterman Heather Pawsey Julia Rooney Szu-Wen Wang Karen Ydenberg† MEZZO SOPRANO Shani Cohen Francesca Corrado† Katie Fraser† Brenda Glass Martina Govednik Rachael McAuley Heather Molloy Megan Morrison Elena Razlog Dionne Sellinger† TENOR William Grossman Paul Just Adam Kozak Brent MacKenzie Harout Markarian Wade Nott Sung Min Park Mark Pepe Zainen Suzuki Don Wright BASS/BARITONE Angus Bell Henry Chen Jason Cook Glenn deVerteuil Jonathon Dick Dean Giustini Willy Miles-Grenzberg Liam Robertson Andrew Stewart Philip Wing † David Spencer Artist, supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund

Julia Abreu Ben Hutchinson Hannah Memory Myers Bianca Salazar Sarah Shepherd

Olivia Begg Kona Reece Cameron Emerald Chen Clara Griesdale Eloise Grieve Fanya Gross Jake Apricity Hetherington Myles Hunter-Gibbs Rowan Leslie Cynthia Lian Lucia Liberato Mana Nakamura Salomé Ochoa Claire O’Donnell Hanbi Park Tessa Petkau Mela Pietropaolo Sofia Scaglione Rachel Shakya Valerie Wong Supervisors Inkara Askar Lorryzel Badajos Gillian Hunter-Gibbs

Rhythmic Gymnasts with ribbon from Elite Gymnastics

Chloe Chan Suhaila Khan Gina Kujundzic

Director of Artistic & Production Nicole Lamb Company Manager Kewen Huang Technical Director Milk Chan Production Assistants Mack McGillivray Jimena Pacheco (On Leave) Head of Wardrobe Florence Barrett Head of Properties Stephen Field Elgar Head Scenic Painter Omanie Elias Assistant Wardrobe Oriana Camporese Audrey Nishi Carolyn Reemeyer Lily Yuen Cutter Victoria Klippenstein Stitchers Oriana Camporese Jeanine Chau Sophia Cossentine Paul Fan Darryl Milot Jennifer Reid Pachiel Smith Costume Coordintor Lester Lee Capilano University Practicum Student Paulina Vázquez Hernández SHOW CREW Production Carpenter Dale Baratelli Assistant Carpenter Vince Folgizan Grip Carpenters Elisha Burrows Patrick O'Doherty Dustin Burns David DeGryse Production Electrician Mike Bowen Assistant Electrician Brett Janis Followspots Martin Argus Richard Cavan Production Video Chantele Fry Head Props Mike Phelan Assistant Props Kelly Maloney Grip Props Grant Windsor Philip Birkby Fly Operator Carlos Avila Head Wardrobe Lily Yuen Assistant Wardrobe Carolyn Reemeyer Dressers Alanna Baker Victoria Klippenstein Kate Rittenhouse Production Hair & Wigs Donnie Tejani Head Hair & Wigs Andie Mei Fong Ho Production Makeup Michael Croteau Head Makeup Saghar Bazargan Makeup Crystal Macdonald CIVIC CREW Head Stage Carpenter, Civics Scott Ellis Head Fly Operator, Civics Darell Dunlop Head Electrician, Civics Beth Campbell Head Sound, Civics Vaughn Pease Head Video, Civics David Page

Watch, Listen, Discover

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What Happens Before the Downbeat

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La Bohème in 60 Seconds
La Bohème in 60 Seconds

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Two Tenors, One Opera, No Casualties
Two Tenors, One Opera, No Casualties

A mechanic, a rock kid from New Brunswick, and the opera that refuses to stop being relevant.

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Beautiful Deaths
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Study Guide
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Learn more about Puccini's La Bohème with our Study Guide.

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The Instrument That Never Stops Ringing
The Instrument That Never Stops Ringing

Janelle Nadeau on the ancient art of the harp, the peculiar demands of opera, and finding beauty in disconnection.

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Chair Krista Johanson Vice Chair Stanis Smith Secretary Jennifer Choi Past Chair Susan Van der Flier Reda Akladios Amanda Burrows Krysta Chapman Shaun Dolman Joshua Hutchinson Sameer Jamal Kevin Kelly Kirk LaPointe Pierre Lebel Ivor Luk Emily MacKinnon Allie Meeres Richard Rees Chloe Sauder Stephen Schachter Isabelle Spothelfer Carol Tsuyuki Wilson Williams Yang Wang President, Vancouver Opera Guild Nancy Wu

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General Director Tom Wright Music Director Jacques Lacombe Music Director Emeritus Jonathan Darlington Director of Marketing Jonathan Harrison Director of Development Suzanne Scott Director of Artistic & Production Nicole Lamb Director of Finance and Administration William Murgatroyd Director of Engagement and Civic Practice Ashley Daniel Foot ARTISTIC PLANNING Company Manager Kewen Huang Head of Music Leslie Dala Coach/Répétiteur Tina Chang Preparatory Librarian Connie Goetz PRODUCTION Technical Director Milk Chan Production Assistants Mack McGillivray Jimena Pacheco (On Leave) Head of Properties Stephen Field Elgar Head of Wardrobe Florence Barrett Capilano University Practicum Student Paulina Vázquez Hernández DEVELOPMENT Manager, Grants & Sponsorships Xin Xuan Song Executive Associate, Development Nainy Sharma FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Accounting and Payroll Manager Sonny Sohn Facilities Manager Mack McGillivray MARKETING Creative Director Annie Mack Associate Director of Marketing Keltie Laidlaw Database and Ticket Centre Manager Tracey Flattes Ticket Centre Associate Charlene Hibbard Social Media Specialist Lucas Bertoli Senior Communications Advisor Stephen Lyons Publicist Cynnamon Schreinert Program Ad Sales Jennifer Lee ENGAGEMENT AND CIVIC PRACTICE Writing/Research Jane Potter Multimedia Producer Mack McGillivray Engagement/Musicology Curator Nicholas Burns YULANDA M. FARIS YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAM Program Director Leslie Dala Coach Tina Chang Julia LoRusso, Soprano Marianne Bertrand, Mezzo-Soprano Lyndon Ladeur, Tenor Mihnea Nitu, Baritone Tayte Mitchell, Stage Director Derek Stanyer, Pianist

Vancouver Opera is a professional company. It operates under the jurisdiction of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, Vancouver Musicians’ Association, and IATSE 118, and is a member of OPERA America and The Association for Opera in Canada.