OUR STORY
Essential Opera supports new composers and compositions, reimagines works from the Western classical canon, and centres stories by and about women.
Co-founded by Maureen Batt and Erin Bardua in 2010 with the idea for a single opera concert, Essential Opera has evolved through shifting artistic and cultural landscapes. Since then, we have explored nearly 300 years of musical history ranging from world premières by Canadian composers to rarely performed classical gems, reimagined canonical works, and pieces we believe deserve a place within the canon.
Opera is a living art form; what we do and how we do it reflects the world in which we’re creating. Our focus remains on having something meaningful to say with each production and saying it in an engaging, dynamic way.
Photo credit: Meghan Tansey Whitton
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to give both audiences and artists opportunities to experience opera at its most essential—guided by a dynamic and evolving understanding of what “essential” means.
Essential Opera’s work spans from the tried and tested to the brand new, featuring a continually changing array of exceptional artists. We are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all forms, for all people.
This commitment informs our mandate to create and produce works that allow us to employ and uplift a diverse range of artists—particularly those from frequently excluded or underrecognized communities. We strive to deepen and expand this commitment with each successive project.