Programs in our Community
Vancouver Opera has a long tradition of innovative and award-winning community programs and of forging groundbreaking cross-cultural creative partnerships that have brought opera to new generations of Canadians.
Learning about opera
Join us to learn more about Vancouver Opera productions! Are you a part of a community group that would be interested in a presentation about one of our productions? Vancouver Opera’s dedicated staff is always willing to talk about our current productions and life behind the scenes at an opera company. To request a visit please email Colleen Maybin, Director of Education and Community Engagement, or call 604.331.4960.
Pre-show Talks
Join Vancouver Opera staff before each performance of the season for an engaging overview of the opera. The Pre Show Talk includes a synopsis of the opera, background on its creation and at least one unique story from its production history! Talks are free for all ticket holders and take place in the same theatre as the performance.
6:30pm for evening performances
1:00pm for matinée performances
Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Mezzanine Level
Vancouver Playhouse – Upper Lobby
Opera Speaks
VO’s Opera Speaks series is presented in partnership with the Vancouver Public Library. These talks feature expert panelists speaking to topics and issues inspired by the main stage productions. Each discussion is preceded by an expert from the opera performed by members of the Vancouver Opera Chorus and/or the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program.
La Traviata: Then and Now
Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 7:00PM
Montalbano Family Theatre, Central Branch, Vancouver Public Library
Another Brick in the Wall: From Album to Opera
Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 7:00PM
Montalbano Family Theatre, Central Branch, Vancouver Public Library
Opera: Live in our Community!
Follow Vancouver Opera on social media for updates and invitations to free community performances around Metro Vancouver. You never know where we might be performing. Watch for us at:
Culture Days
Car Free Day (multiple locations)
Vancouver Opera Festival: Party on the Plaza
Italian Day of the Drive
VSO Day of Music
The Kettle Society Partnership
Vancouver Opera is proud to support the Kettle Society in its mandate to improve the lives of those living with mental illness. VO Teaching Artists lead choir rehearsals, compositions lessons, and writing workshops for clients. Each season VO produces an original theatre performance based on their work.
The community engagement team with artists involved in Requiem for a Lost Girl during the 2018 Vancouver Opera Festival.
This partnership is ongoing with continuing Choir and Writing group sessions at The Kettle on Burrard as well as Sing-Along’s at the Venables location. The Kettle Choir continues to learn and perform new repertoire at community events and at private Open Mic Nights hosted by Vancouver Opera.
The Kettle Society: http://www.thekettle.ca/
Requiem for a Lost Girl: https://issuu.com/yvropera/docs/requiem_for_a_lost_girl
The Jim Green Night at the Opera Program- Free Film Series
This film series is presented in partnership with SFU Woodward’s Community Programs. Selected films compliment the main stage productions at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets are available through the Vancouver Opera Ticket Centre. Screenings take place at the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts: Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema.
The Barber of Seville
Film: The Marriage of Figaro (the Royal Opera 2008)
Despite being written 40 years after The Marriage of Figaro, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, is the first half of the story of Figaro, Rosina, and Count Almaviva.
Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 1:00PM
Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera
Film: Roger Waters’ The Wall
The epic concert film created and performed by Roger Waters.
Sunday, March 21, 2020 at 1:00PM
https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/about-sfu-woodward-s.html
Carnegie Community Centre and The Gathering Place events
The Education Staff at Vancouver Opera offers free learning sessions at the Carnegie Community Centre before each production throughout the season. VO works within this community to provide Dress Rehearsal tickets to extend the opportunity to see live, performing arts. This initiative is a part of the Jim Green Night at the Opera program.
Health Arts
Since 2006 over 12,000 high-quality professional Concerts in Care have brought the rich experience of performance arts to people in residential care. Vancouver Opera is reaching out to this community to provide professional singers and instrumentalists to perform within this program.
Heart Partners
Vancouver Opera hosts an Opera Festival every year that offers free programming to the community. We feature and partner with other non-profit arts organizations during our Vancouver Opera Festival. Our Heart Partner for the 2019-2020 season is Kids Up Front, a non-profit society that provides free tickets to children in our community.
If you are interested in partnering with Vancouver Opera as a potential Heart Partner, send an email to Courtney Dugan, Education and Community Projects Coordinator, to apply.
