About OperOttawa

History

OperOttawa, was founded in 2012 by former General Manager of Opera Lyra Ottawa Norman E. Brown in response to the impending demise of Opera Lyra Ottawa, and to address the absence of regular opera performances in the National Capital Region.   OperOttawa has now produced over 35 shows, ranging from Baroque operas, oratorios, world premiere commissions, tours, creative adaptations of standard operas, fully-staged performances of operas, and Canadian premieres of operas.

From the first few years during which our shows were accompanied on piano, we slowly added obligatto solo instruments to enhance the sound, and now use the OperOttawa Orchestra for all shows.

From the beginning, OperOttawa formed a partnership with First Baptist Church giving OperOttawa more accessibility to the venue for rehearsals and performances, creating a two-way synergy in which OperOttawa made tickets available to members of the First Baptist congregation for our performances.

Highlights

The Medium (Menotti) (2018) fully staged and costumed

Pearlfishers (Bizet) (2019) semi-staged with costumes, toured Toronto, Oakville and Belleville.

Commissioned world premieres by Ottawa composer Hui Litster The Day You Were Born (2021 - performed during COVID in an on-line production), What is Love (2022) and Gates of Heaven: Requiem for a Life of Peace (2024) performed with the OperOttawa  Soloists, Chorus & Orchestra – all recipients of a City of Ottawa Project Grant.

Suor Angelica (Puccini) (2023) with the OperOttawa Orchestra, staged with costumes, and an updated interpretation of the story

The All-female Magic Flute (Mozart) (2023) staged with costumes and with the OperOttawa Orchestra. 95% seating capacity!

An artistically successful semi-staged performance with full orchestra of GIULIO CESARE IN EGITTO by Handel (November 2025)

OperOttawa soloists have gone on to great acclaim, such as finalist in the Laffont Metropolitan Opera Competition, finalist in the ALL TENOR competition in Poland, finalist in the COC Ensemble Competition, and soloists with many major opera companies.  As well, principal conductor Norman Brown received a Canada Council for the Arts Grant for advanced conducting with Vancouver Opera, was invited to a conducting workshop with the Elmer Iseler Singers, was invited as a Fellow in Conducting with the Boise Baroque Orchestra, and was Guest Conductor of a Rachmaninoff opera (Aleko) with New Opera Lyra in 2025.

Mandate

Founded in 2012 by Norman E. Brown, OperOttawa has continued to produce opera, oratorio and concert performances, including during COVID. With a renewed mandate to bring new and creative interpretations of standard operas to the public, OperOttawa productions run the full gamut from Baroque operas (Alcina-2023), to re-interpretations of Romantic works (Suor Angelica-2023), alternative versions of classical oratorios (Messiah-2022) and world premiere operas (What is Love-2022) and oratorios (Gates of Heaven: Requiem for a Life of Peace-2024), and gender-bending productions of classic operas (All-female Magic Flute 2023). Since 2023 OperOttawa performs all shows with the OperOttawa Orchestra (first heard at Alcina-2023 and the entire 2023-24 season (Suor Angelica, Magic Flute and Requiem)). OperOttawa provides an opportunity for singers to perform, learn new roles, understudy roles, and be part of an opera chorus. For up-and-coming singers, for young professionals, for full professionals, and amateur singers, and for veteran and young orchestral musicians, OperOttawa offers a chance to experience professional rehearsal protocol, to learn more about staging, acting, and movement through their participation.  OperOttawa welcomes singers and musicians regardless of colour, race, orientation, gender or physical or mental challenges. In the 2023-24 season OperOttawa welcomed 18 new singers and musicians and in the 2024-25 season we welcomed 12 new professional singers and musicians, and continued our collaborative tradition by doing our 4th joint performance with Toronto-based Opera by Request (Der Freischutz). Our 13th season has to date produced an Italian Gala, and a semi-staged performance of Giulio Cesare in Egitto. Our season will conclude in March 2026 with a Tribute to the Works of Ralph and Ursula Vaughan Williams.

 OPEROTTAWA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Norman E. Brown – President, Artistic Director & CEO

Carole Portelance – Vice-president

Guy Edrington –  Treasurer 

Erinne-Colleen Laurin –  Secretary

Patricia Beckett – Member-at-large

Advisory Committee

Michael J. Hudson CPA CA – Accountant/Auditor

Mary Zborowski – Programming and Personnel Advisor

Jean-E Hudson / Katie Gratton – Stage Management

Patti Linn – Performance Venue Liaison

Volunteers

Box Office – Marc Tessier, Line Seguin

Front of House –  Michael Hudson

Crew – Michael Hudson