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Overview
Founded in 1972, Calgary Opera’s Mission is:“To Engage our Audience and Enhance our Community through the Magic of Opera.”
Since its inception, and especially in the past decade, Calgary Opera has made a name for itself as a company that is committed to the development of Canadian talent and the development of new opera works.
In July 2005, Calgary Opera moved to a new home - the Arrata Opera Centre - a 29,000 square foot facility in the historic Wesley United Church that brings together administration offices, rehearsal and education space, as well as props and wardrobe workshops. The company also returned to its performance venue, the Jubilee Auditorium, after it was closed from July 2004-September 2005 for major renovations.
At the beginning of the 2006-2007 season Calgary Opera recorded its eighth consecutive budget surplus, while, at the same time, its annual operating budget has increased from $1.9 million to $4.2 million since 1998. Calgary Opera has also seen substantial growth in its attendance with a subscription base close to 4,500 and total attendance reaching 94% capacity.
Over the past decade creating new works and building new productions has been a cornerstone of the company. By the end of the 2006-2007 season Calgary Opera will have presented three world premieres, two Canadian premieres, and many company premieres. Calgary Opera will have built four new productions, presented four works by living composers, and four works written in the 20th century. On the horizon, Calgary Opera will present two more new opera commissions over the next four seasons: Hannaraptor by Allan Gilliland and Val Brandt, and The Inventor, by Bramwell Tovey and John Murrell.
Calgary Opera’s outreach and education programs are helping the company connect with the community more than ever. Let’s Create an Opera continues to take the magic of opera into Calgary schools, giving children the chance to write and present their very own operas to Calgary audiences. The Opera for All program offers those ordinarily not able to come to experience live opera performances, and our For Students Only Dress Rehearsals provides thousands of students with hugely discounted tickets to mainstage productions.
Calgary Opera promotes young Canadian talent and is thrilled to have launched the Emerging Artist Development Program in 2006-2007. The most robust program of its kind in Western Canada, the program is geared at attracting some of this nation’s finest young performers to train within the context of a professional opera company and bridge the gap between the trained amateur and the professional singer.
On the mainstage, Calgary Opera produces a subscription season of three full-scale operas at the 2,400-seat Jubilee Auditorium complimented by a series of opera-related events and fundraisers.
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