COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS
Calgary Opera’s Community Ambassadors Program connects professional vocal artists and teachers with local organizations and schools to create short-term, voice-centered, music education projects.
Each project is customized for the organization and developed collaboratively: we listen to the needs and interests of the community and together create and facilitate a project to serve all participants through song.
CURRENT COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR PROJECTS
2023-2024 AMBASSADORS
DALLAS HAYES-SPARKS
This is Dallas’ third year serving as a community ambassador with Calgary Opera. Dallas has a passion for education and performance and the experience to show for it. Her warmth, energy, and care for her students is immediately evident and serves her well in her dedication to addressing barriers in music education. Dallas holds a BMus in opera performance and psychology, and she is an esteemed vocal instructor and member of the Calgary Opera Chorus.
STEPHANIA ROMANIUK
As a teaching artist, Stephania is passionate about working with learners from early childhood to older adults. Her innovative approach invites each learner to cultivate understanding—whether in listening or music-making—first through accessing their own creative abilities and musical intuition. Stephania completed degrees in vocal performance and music education at the Eastman School of Music, where she received the Arts Leadership Program certificate and was awarded the Teaching Assistant Prize for group voice instruction.
2023-2024 PARTNERS
Dallas Hayes-Sparks works with junior high and high school students across the city in the Voice Foundations program. Aimed at students with limited access to voice instruction outside of school, the program builds vocal skills and strength, as well as self-confidence and connection. She also works in both the CBE and CSSD to provide vocal coaching to teachers and shares resources to better equip them in helping students with vocal development.
Stephania Romaniuk is the lead teaching artist for Opera Buddies, an intergenerational opera discovery program for youth and older adults in partnership with LINKages. Stephania also serves as a resource to local K-12 teachers for vocal professional development and arts integration in the classroom. Additional partnerships with the Calgary Public Library and Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association have her leading community engagement and opera discovery programming with learners of all ages across Calgary.
In addition to the main partnerships, we create projects that typically range in length from one to five sessions. Examples include:
Vocal masterclasses in High Schools.
Online guided mindfulness and music listening sessions tailored to organizations.
Calgary Board of Education - Professional development and private instruction for teachers.
Introduction to Opera sessions for adult learners at universities and other local organizations.
Panel discussions developed in collaboration with local organizations and singers to spotlight the experiences of vocalists from our diverse communities in Canada.
The Community Ambassadors program is a shining model of what is possible when talented artists and Calgary’s vibrant community organizations come together to facilitate growth and connection through voice and singing.
For more information about the Community Ambassador Program, please contact
Patricia Kesler
Education & Community Engagement Manager
Phone: 403-802-3404
E-Mail