Four librettists and four composers have been chosen to participate in Tapestry Opera’s 2025 Composer-Librettist Laboratory. It’s the 30th anniversary for the program, which has become a wellspring for the creation of new Canadian operas.
The intensive program takes place from July 15 to 25 at the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre. The four libretttists, Rachel Gray, Sarah Henstra, Pierre-André Doucet, and Christene Adina Browne, will work with composers Rebecca Gray, Saman Shahi, Roydon Tse, and Prokhor Protasoff.
Composer James Rolfe and director Michael Hidetoshi Mori will be guiding the process, supported by performers that include soprano Reilly Nelson, mezzo-soprano Adanya Dunn, tenor Keith Klassen, baritone Jorell Williams, and collaborative pianists Jennifer Tung and Hyejin Kwon.
Composer-Librettist Laboratory: LIBLAB
Since 1995, LIBLAB has been at the heart of Tapestry Opera’s commitment to creating and producing new works.
In the world of classical music, larger works come together through partnerships and collaborations. But — where and how do emerging artists find those crucial collaborators? That’s where the program steps into the breach.
Tapestry’s LIBLAB brings both established and up and coming artists together for two weeks with a view to forming lasting relationships as they work on refining the necessary skills. LIBLAB takes on a practical, hands-on format designed to produce successful productions.
Together, the artists will create 16 5-minute scenes,
- Each scene is written, composed, and performed within a tight 48-hour cycle;
- The cycle repeats four times during LIBLAB;
- It allows each writer to work with each composer, ensuring a diverse experience.
Audiences will be able to sample the best pieces to emerge from 2025 LIBLAB at the Tapestry Briefs showcase in October 2025.
“For 30 years, LIBLAB has been an unparalleled incubator for operatic talent, fostering the collaborations that lead to groundbreaking new works,” says Michael Hidetoshi Mori, Tapestry’s Artistic Director. “We’re thrilled to welcome this exceptional group of artists to our new home at the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre, and we look forward to seeing the innovative projects that emerge from this milestone year.”
A total of 134 artists have taken part in LIBLAB over the years, and more than 50 creative teams have emerged from the process. They’ve created new works for Tapestry Opera as well as other companies across Canada and beyond.
Notable operas that have emerged from the collaborations at LIBLAB include:
- 10 Days in a Madhouse, (Rene Orth and Hannah Moscovitch): co-commissioned and co-produced by Opera Philadelphia and Tapestry Opera, premiered at Opera Philadelphia in September 2024, and became the second Canadian recipient of the Music Critics Association of North America’s Best New Opera Award;
- Of the Sea (Ian Cusson and Kanika Ambrose): Co-commissioned and co-produced with Obsidian Theatre Company in partnership with TO Live. This first Canadian large-scale Black opera premiered at the Bluma Appel Theatre in 2023;
- R.U.R. A Torrent of Light (Nicole Lizée and Nicolas Billon): Produced in collaboration with OCAD University and developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund, this opera won six Dora Mavor Moore Awards in 2022, and was the first Canadian recipient of the Music Critics Association of North America’s Best New Opera Award;
- Rocking Horse Winner (Gareth Williams and Anna Chatterton): premiered in 2016, winning five Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including Best Production and Best Performer. It was returned to the stage in association with Crow’s Theatre in 2023;
- Iron Road (Mark Brownell and Chan Ka Nin): Premiered at the Elgin Theatre in 2001 and inspired the 2009 TV miniseries by the same name;
- Sanctuary Song (Marjorie Chan and Abigail Richardson-Schulte): Co-commissioned by Theatre Direct and presented by the Luminato Festival in 2008, and remounted by Tapestry Opera in 2025.
You can find more information about Tapestry Opera [HERE], and for more more details on LIBLAB, see [HERE].
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