Pacific Opera Victoria Reimagines 2020-2021 Season With Online and Live Presentations

Pacific Opera is reimagining the 2020-21 opera season to conform to the requirements of British Columbia's Restart Plan. As activities requiring large gatherings are impossible for the foreseeable future, Pacific Opera has postponed the opera productions that were to be performed at Victoria's Royal Theatre and McPherson Playhouse this season.

Pacific Opera CEO Ian Rye announced today that, while the 2020-21 season can't proceed as originally planned, the company will continue to produce opera in the coming months in ways that are both safe and surprising -- online and in small gatherings.

POV's reimagined 2020-21 Opera Season launches in July and includes online and radio broadcasts of Pacific Opera productions from the past several years of opera creation, new intimate operas created for the small screen, sidewalk performances of Pop Up Opera outside local residences, engaging programming for youth and families, and chamber performances for small audiences streamed online from the Baumann Centre.

"Pacific Opera will also take this time to commission new works from Canadian writers and composers" said Rye, "and to invest in artist residencies, mentorships and training through the continuation of our Artist Development program."

Pacific Opera continues to work with artists in preparation for a future season that will include Carmen, Death in Venice, and Don Giovanni as soon as it is safe and responsible to gather once again at the Royal Theatre. The planned production of Wagner's Die Walküre is postponed to a future season due to the extraordinary preparations required by artists and orchestra. The Spanish baroque opera, Los Elementos, and the new family opera The Flight of the Hummingbird will also be offered in a future season.

Pacific Opera launched free on-demand online programs within days of the BC Government's announcement requiring social distancing. New content is available each Friday for Acoustic Afternoons, Inside Opera, Lunchbox Opera and Listening Party Podcasts. A video of the new Pacific Opera/Vancouver Opera youth opera by Maxime Goulet is available at pacificopera.ca. The Flight of the Hummingbird is an environmental fable about moral courage and the story encourages doing what we can for our planet - a fitting call to action for these turbulent times.

Visit pacificopera.ca often for updated information about scheduled performances, both online and live.