Just as Toronto’s Tapestry Opera is set to launch its 2023-24 season, the innovative organization has also been short-listed for a 2023 International Opera Award. Tapestry’s season kicks off November 1 with Rocking Horse Winner, just before the announcement of the Opera Awards on November 9.
It will be the 10th anniversary season for Tapestry General and Artistic Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori, who has built the organization into an internationally recognized company, and a champion of Canadian artists and new works. Together with Executive Director Jaime Martino, Tapestry has premiered 26 productions, including 22 world premieres, and the multi-award winning R.U.R. a Torrent of Light.
2023 International Opera Award
Tapestry Opera has been shortlisted for a 2023 International Opera Award in the Equal Opportunities & Impact category.
“This year’s International Opera Awards shortlist once again celebrates talent from around the world and proves that opera is truly the most international of artforms. Huge congratulations to all our nominees and I look forward to celebrating with them at the magnificent Teatr Wielki in Warsaw,” said Harry Hyman, founder of the International Opera Awards, in an official press statement.
Other nominees in the same category include Asian Opera Alliance, La Monnaie De Munt, National Opera Studio, Opera for Peace and The Atlanta Opera. The awards will be given out at a gala on November 9 at the Teatr Wielki, Polish National Opera, Warsaw.
The 2023-24 Season
Tapestry’s Artistic and General Director Michael Mori comments about the season and the company’s plans in a statement.
“As we reflect on 26 productions in the last 10 years, including many incredible artists and works and audiences who have experienced opera for the first time, it is thrilling to open the next chapter by launching a new facility dedicated to fostering new works and artists, not only for Tapestry Opera and our partner Nightwood Theatre but also for the Toronto independent arts community, who are desperate for space to make art.
The 2016 production of Rocking Horse Winner marked a dramatic turning point for Tapestry, garnering awards, critical acclaim, new audiences and, as a result, paving the way for the most prolific period in the organization’s 43-year history. It was a dark horse, a show no one expected to hit as hard as it did, but the passion and artistry of the artists involved led to its surprising success. For my tenth anniversary of artistic direction, it is consequential to share and celebrate this beautiful and tragic work as we look ahead to the next exciting chapter.”
Rocking Horse Winner (A Tapestry Opera production in association with Crow’s Theatre)
Composed by Gareth Williams | Libretto by Anna Chatterton | Directed by Michael Hidetoshi Mori | Music Direction by Kamna Gupta
Guloien Theatre at Crow’s Theatre | November 1 – 12, 2023
Tapestry’s Rocking Horse Winner brings back an adaptation of the D.H. Lawrence story of the same name. At its world premiere in 2016, Rocking Horse Winner snagged five Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including Outstanding Production and Outstanding Direction. The one-act opera uses music in a minimalist mode and magic realism to convey themes of love, greed, and luck.
Concert: Songbook XIII featuring Naomi Woo & Keith Klassen
The Redwood Theatre | Thursday, March 28, 2024
Naomi Woo is a Fellow of Tapestry’s Women in Musical Leadership programme. The conductor and pianist, together with tenor Keith Klassen, will headline an all-Canadian show. A showcase for up-and-coming singers and pianists, the repertoire will range from musical theatre to opera.
Concert: Le Kitchen Party: An Acadian celebration of food and music (Featuring host Juliane Gallant)
Venue to be announced | Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Associate Artistic Director Juliane Gallant will share traditional songs and contemporary compositions with roots in Acadian heritage. There will be special guest performers, and the audience is encouraged to sing and dance along. Juliane is the Resident Conductor of the Calgary Phil, and has appeared as a guest conductor with Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, Kingston Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony New Brunswick, as well as leading a series of opera productions, including her 2021 Royal Opera House debut. Juliane is in her third and final year of the Women in Musical Leadership programme.
Concert: IRON CHEF d’orchestre (Featuring Jennifer Tung as host and pianist)
Venue to be announced | Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Associate Artistic Director Jennifer Tung hosts a concert that combines her love of food and musical creations. She and guest creators and performers will invite the audience to participate in the process. Jennifer is a versatile artist, and has worked as conductor, music director, collaborative pianist, and soprano. She is Artistic Director of Toronto City Opera, Assistant Conductor of the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, and serves on the faculty at the Glenn Gould School of Music.
Tickets for Rocking Horse Winner, and more information about the upcoming season, available [HERE].
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