Against the Grain Theatre has been exploring opera and how it is presented since its inception 13 seasons ago. Under founding artistic director Joel Ivany, AtG broke boundaries and made Opera America Awards history.
Ivany announced his move to the Edmonton Opera Company last summer, and after an award-winning season, the company is taking the time to kickstart a new era under new artistic leadership.
Board Chair Marc Chalifoux said in a statement, “Our board of directors and management team is dedicated to moving the organization through this pivotal moment, and our clear mandate and strategic plan will be our guiding principles in this process. We are aiming to open the call for applications within the next few months and will be looking for someone committed to carrying the AtG torch onward.”
In September, the company hired experienced arts administrator Amy Strilchuk as its new Director of Operations. General Director Robin Whiffen will take parental leave this winter, with Strilchuk stepping into the role of Interim General Director in November.
“Evolving the nature and perception of what opera and vocal works can be is our vision statement,” says Whiffen. “Our artistic programming has embodied that vision for 13 years, and now we have the opportunity to live it through meaningful organizational evolution. We have a loyal community deeply invested in us owning that space in our sector, and the transitional work I’ve been doing with Amy and our board is generative and focused. I’m excited for the road ahead and confident in our pathway forward.”
In Progress
Chalifoux comments, “We are committed to projects that former Artistic Director, Joel Ivany, began seeding at AtG and we will return to premiering new work and producing in-person pieces once an Artistic Director is in place. This ensures that our roster of artists is supported until we can unite our dedicated audiences with new artistic leadership.”
Identity: A Song Cycle
(Dinuk Wijeratne and Shauntay Grant)
Joel Ivany directs and baritone Elliot Madore performs in an artistic exploration of the self. With music by composer Dinuk Wijeratne and words by poet Shauntay Grant, the work stems from a social media post of Madore’s dating from 2020. He expressed his struggles with expressing his biracial identity. Ivany and Madore connected over the post, and decided to find a way to put the universal theme of identity into a song cycle.
A full version, to be performed live, is under development. The film version, which presented an early stage of the project with five songs, is currently streaming (via subscription) at Stratford Festival At Home [HERE].
Indians on Vacation
(Ian Cusson and Royce Vavrek) — a co-commission with Edmonton Opera
Based on the Thomas King novel of the same name, the opera stars mezzo Marion Newman and baritone Grant Youngblood as a middle-aged Indigenous couple Bird and Mimi. Thomas King’s stories are noted for their combination of poignant and comedic moments.
The project began as a mini-opera developed by Edmonton Opera’s Wild Rose Project, and will be developed into a full-length work. The production, with music by Ian Cusson and libretto by Royce Vavrek, is planned for a premiere in 2025.
In addition, Sankofa: A Soldier’s Tale Retold (Titilope Sonuga and Igor Stravinsky), a co-commission with Art of Time Ensemble, will be part of a future season’s programming.
Digital & In-Person
Past hits for the company will be available to enjoy online, and Opera Pubs have already begun for a new season in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver.
Opera Pub
Opera Pubs take the art form out of the concert hall and put it into a lively milieu for improvised nights with both established and emerging opera talents. The season has begun in Toronto (The Drake Hotel), Edmonton (Blue Chair, in partnership with Edmonton Opera), and Vancouver (La Fabrique St-George Winery, in partnership with City Opera Vancouver).
In Toronto, the next Opera Pub is November 6 at 7:30 p.m. More info and tickets [HERE].
La Bohème
AtG turned Puccini’s masterpiece into a modern love story sung in English. The setting is a dive bar in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood. The production is directed by Joel Ivany, who also wrote the English libretto. It stars Jonelle Sills as Mimi, with Marcel d’Entremont as Rodolfo.
It’s the production that went on a tour of bars across the country, and it became Canada’s first ever professionally live-streamed opera. The film is streaming now until October 29, 2023. Get tickets [HERE].
Best of luck to AtG in their search for a new artistic director. It’s a plum gig for the right person.
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