WHAT WE DO
Founded in 1972, Calgary Opera is one of Canada’s most innovative and ambitious professional opera companies.
Now in our 51st season, Calgary Opera has become known nationally and internationally for its commitment to the development of Canadian talent and the creation of new operas.
ABOUT
Calgary Opera serves our entire community with innovative and inspiring operas in a multitude of forms and venues, and through educational activities and the training of young Canadian artists, while developing our people and managing our operations in a fiscally sound and efficient manner.
MISSION
Calgary Opera aspires to be a leader in the opera field, known for its intensive collaboration with arts organizations of all sizes, a thoughtful balance of traditional classics and more alternative works, and a mix of larger-scale and smaller artistic projects. The company will rely on a network of diverse sources to recruit artistic and operational talent, with a strong commitment to develop and showcase top Canadian talent.
VISION
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta Districts 5 and 6, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
Leadership Team
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One of North America’s most innovative arts leaders, Sue Elliott has revolutionized the cultural service that performing and visual arts organizations provide. Through locally-relevant and internationally-renowned work that increases revenue and builds public value, hundreds of thousands of people have engaged in traditional and non-traditional performances and programs.
Sue comes to Calgary Opera from Norman Rockwell Museum, where she transformed the ways in which the Museum connects with and engages its audiences, online and in person, as its first-ever Chief Audience Officer.
Prior to joining NRM, Sue was inaugural Director of the Boston Symphony's Tanglewood Learning Institute and the Linde Center for Music and Learning. Through in-person and online programming, TLI refreshed the BSO’s relationship with loyal audiences while diversifying programming to engage new participants. Under her artistic direction, TLI featured Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, Tom Stoppard, Madeleine K. Albright, Tony Kushner, Joy Harjo, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Bill T. Jones, and hundreds of other artists and scholars. She also developed collaborations with organizations including Martha Graham Dance Company, the Lobkowicz Collections, Jacob's Pillow, and Berkshire International Film Festival.
Sue led the world’s first online professional development, certificate, and accreditation program for private teachers at all stages of their careers at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Through this community of practice, thousands of teachers from around the world now call the Conservatory their partner in lifelong learning.
At Seattle Opera, Sue redesigned the company’s programs, tripled annual events and participants, increased revenues, and established the case for their new headquarters. She commissioned its first community-inspired new work, An American Dream, and the Our Earth trilogy for schools and families. Sue also produced the company’s most profitable Ring Cycle Festival. A popular music lecturer at home and abroad, she co-hosted Saturday Night Opera on Classical King FM and served on the advisory boards of ArtsEd Washington, University of Washington School of Music, King FM, Seattle Science Festival, and OPERA America.
Prior to her tenure in the Pacific Northwest, Sue spent 10 years at Houston Grand Opera. There, she created the award-winning Song of Houston initiative, pairing commissions from Christopher Theofanidis, Huang Ruo, Jake Heggie, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, and Jose “Pepe” Martínez with groundbreaking education and community projects. Through its 20+ new works—including The Refuge; Now & Then: the blues; the East + West chamber opera series; and the world’s first mariachi opera—Song of Houston has engaged more than 100 organizations and 500,000 people. Sue started at HGO as a stage manager, having served in that capacity at the Canadian Opera Company, San Diego Opera, Arizona Opera, and Glimmerglass Opera. She was the first Canadian recipient of an OPERA America fellowship in Production and Stage Management.
An accomplished clarinetist and pianist, Sue holds a Master of Music Performance degree from the University of Southern California, an Artist Diploma from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from McGill University, alongside certificates from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Social Impact Strategy.
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Jonathan Brandani is an Italian born conductor, appreciated for his "fine regard for the score's details ... his clear, purposeful indications" and "his enthusiasm" (Seen and Heard International).Recent engagements include L'elisir d'amore and Don Pasquale at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Düsseldorf, Germany), Haydn's Il mondo della luna at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia (Valencia, Spain) and Mayr's Medea in Corinto at the first edition of Teatro Nuovo 2018 (New York).
In 2018 he made his debut at the Wexford Festival Opera (Ireland) conducting Mercadante's Il Bravo (whose score he had previously restored and co-edited). His interpretation of this hidden Bel Canto gem was awarded as Best Opera Production by the Irish Times; the production is now available on demand on ARTE.
Since 2014, Jonathan has worked as the Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Opera, where he has conducted Tosca, La Bohème, Don Pasquale and Il Cappello di straw di Firenze.
He is a regular guest of Daegu Opera House (South Korea), where he has conducted Aida, Il Trittico, Madama Butterfly and L'Elisir d'amore. His performances of Puccini's Il Trittico at the 15th Daegu International Opera Festival were hailed with such enthusiasm that they earned him the Grand Prix, the highest recognition bestowed on an artist by the festival.
He has also been Associate Conductor of Des Moines Metro Opera, Assistant Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale University, and Music Director of the New Haven Chamber Orchestra. Since 2012 he is Music Director of LuccaOperaFestival (Italy), where he has been conducting new productions of Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan Tutte, The Barber of Seville, Don Pasquale, and L'Elisir d'amore. He also worked as Assistant Conductor of Festival Oper Klosterneuburg (Austria).
A passionate interpreter of Early Music, Jonathan has been playing harpsichord and organ continuo with several renowned European ensembles like Concerto Köln, I Barocchisti and Coro della Radiotelevisione Svizzera, ArteMusica, Oltremontano, and regularly performing at major international festivals. He has been recording for Deutsche Grammophon, VIRGIN Classics, ORF, Radio4 Netherlands / AVRO, RSI, Bongiovanni. Jonathan is also founder, conductor, and artistic director of the period instrument orchestra L'Eloquenza. He received the bursary Theodor Körner Fonds 2010 of the Austrian Republic for his research in the field of baroque and classical music of composers from Tuscany.
He graduated in Orchestra Conducting with full marks and honours from the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna and holds a Master of Music in Orchestra Conducting from Yale University. After graduating in Piano, Jonathan studied Composition, Harpsichord and Historically Informed Performance Practice at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, and Musicology at the University of Pavia (Italy). Mr. Brandani is also a laureate of the Merola Opera Program of San Francisco Opera.
MANDATE
CALGARY OPERA IS DEDICATED TO:
Promoting interest, awareness, and attendance of the operatic art form
Presenting classic and contemporary operas, and other musical entertainments, at an extremely high performance standard
Training and development of high-potential emerging artists
The recruitment, development, and presentation of exceptionally talented performers, composers, librettists, directors, and designers, with emphasis on Canadian talent
Childhood education and exposure to opera
Telling Canadian stories through new works
Calgary opera association board of directors
Chair
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Don Edie was born in Edmonton, but quickly moved south and was raised and has since resided in Calgary – with the exception of his legal education back in Edmonton, graduating in 1976. Don recently retired as Counsel to the firm of Carscallen LLP, where he practiced law, primarily in the Canadian and international energy sectors and before Canadian regulatory boards. Don has been active with Calgary Opera, as a subscriber for more than two decades, as a member of the Board of Directors for over a decade and as a member of the Calgary Opera Chorus for 25 years. He also sings with the Scarboro United Church choir and with the EnChor chamber ensemble. Don’s passion for music is shared by his family.
Vice Chair
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Lachlin McKinnon is a Partner of Prospector Executive Search & Consulting, where he leads the firm’s non-profit sector practice. Lachlin also serves on the board of Heritage Park Society. He and his wife, Julianne, have three young daughters.
Corporate Secretary
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Jeff Kahane is founder of Kahane Law Office and practicing real estate lawyer at his firm. Jeff has sat on numerous boards and committees and various volunteer positions in a wide range of the not for profit sector enjoying contributing to his community in any way he can. His community and work recognition include: The Alberta Centennial Medal of Honour, A Leader of Tomorrow, Top Choice Award and the first non-real estate agent to be recognized for his contributions to the real estate industry by the Calgary Real Estate Board. As a former grade 4 teacher, he continues his passion for teaching for various groups including the Law Society of Alberta, the U of C Law School, the Real Estate Counsel of Alberta, the Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association and more. Outside of work he enjoys sailing, travel, culinary everything, the arts, and getting his hands dirty developing his off-grid recreational property.
Treasurer
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Kim brings 17 years of broad experience in the energy industry with a focus on business development. Early career in oil & gas corporate advisory both in Calgary and Internationally, followed by industry experience, now approaching 10 years with Suncor Energy, including roles across Strategy & Corporate Development, Commercial & Business Development, and Finance. Kim has a BComm from the University of Alberta with a major in Finance.
Past Chair
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Tina is an executive at the asset manager and pension administrator of the Alberta Teachers Retirement Fund (“ATRF”), which invests its just over $17 billion under management in infrastructure, real estate, private equity and public equities globally for the benefit of Alberta’s 80,000 teachers. Prior to joining ATRF, Tina was on the executive of publicly-traded entities and a partner at one of Canada’s largest national law firms. Tina was recently honoured as a C-Suite Executive of the Year. With a passion for innovation, collaboration, and commitment to the arts community, Tina has a track record of successful stakeholder engagement particularly in the development and implementation of transformational change in challenging or novel circumstances. She holds has a bachelor of Music, an ICD.D from the Rotman School of Management, is a member of Women in Capital Markets, the Institute of Corporate Directors, and the Governance Professionals of Canada.
Director
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Craig Golinowski is a Managing Partner of JOG Capital Corp., a Calgary-based private equity firm that focuses on investments in start-up oil and gas companies. Craig has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, an MBA from the University of Western Ontario and is a CFA charter holder. Craig and his wife Niki are avid supporters of the Calgary arts community.
Director
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Amanda Hall is the CEO and Founder of Summit Nanotech, a company developing lithium extraction technology for the growing lithium ion battery sector. Amanda is a professional geophysicist and has been identified by the Canadian government as a leading female innovator. Amanda graduated from the University of Toronto and the University of Calgary and is on the Advisory Board for the Canadian New Energy Nexxus. Amanda is passionate about employing innovative, resourceful people who feel responsible for rapidly creating the change that is needed in our energy landscape today using wisdom, technology and adaptive solutions.
Director
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Mirela is responsible for the technology, development and innovation portfolio at TC Energy. She brings over 16 years of experience in innovation, technology strategy and portfolio management in the energy industry in Europe and Canada. An active volunteer, Mirela enjoys working with organizations that support the Calgary community: she is currently a vice-president on the board of Green Calgary and a board member at The Calgary Drop-In Centre. She holds a Ph.D. in Engineering and an MBA from Laval University, and a Master Degree in Engineering from the University of Zagreb, Croatia. Mirela is married and has two young daughters.
Director
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Sharie Hunter is Principal and Managing Partner of Arthur/Hunter, an award-winning Calgary based design agency. With over 21 years of creative and business experience Sharie has been featured in several publications including; the Financial Post, Calgary Herald, Business in Calgary, Avenue, Designedge Canada, Style at Home and Western Living. Sharie’s tireless support of the city’s arts scene ranges from the Calgary Opera, Honens, Cowtown Opera and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) to JazzYYC, Calgary’s jazz collaborative. Sharie’s passion for design and ongoing pursuit for new challenges has been recognized with various national and international awards. She has chaired and co-chaired numerous events over the years including the Calgary Opera Annual Gala and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra/Holt Renfrew Fashion Gala, CPO James Bond Gala and Design Speaker Series. Sharie currently sits on Honens Board of Directors. She also lends her considerable talents to her beloved design community as a member of the Advisory Board for Designedge Canada and as a judge for a variety of design industry awards in Canada.
Director
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Jalal has over 15 years of capital markets and corporate strategy experience in both public and private markets. He began his career at RBC in Montreal and moved into strategy and advisory roles with two major midstream companies in Calgary. After which, he joined Deloitte as VP Corporate Finance for the Calgary office. Currently he manages investments for a family office. His fondness for the arts continues to grow as he sits on two non-profit boards, both of which are dedicated to creating a meaningful and lasting impact to audiences through the arts, for all ages.
Director
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Christel Johansson has 36 years of experience in the banking industry, seven years in the international division of Union Bank of Finland and 29 years of commercial banking with The Bank of Nova Scotia in Calgary. She grew up in an environment with a strong focus on the arts and music which became a passion at an early age. Ms. Johansson’s intent is to take an active part in the effort to widen the interest in opera in Calgary and especially to reach young audiences and people who have not been exposed to opera.
Director
Director
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Jackie has 28 years experience in upstream oil and gas with a focus in the areas of marketing, finance, planning and strategy, including over 20 years at Talisman Energy. She is a long time community volunteer, including acting as past Board chair of Social Venture Partners Calgary. Jackie has a BA from the University of Calgary and an MBA from University of Western Ontario. In addition to opera, Jackie is also passionate about vizslas and yoga.
Director
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Greta Raymond is an experienced Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) and Human Resources (HR) professional with many years in the oil and gas industry. She has held global responsibility for environment, health, employee assistance programs, safety, aboriginal affairs, security, stakeholder relations, emergency response and crisis management as well as corporate responsibility. She has 7 years of experience in HR, including 5 years as Vice President responsible for HR service delivery globally. Greta has her own consulting firm in EHS management and heads Pilko and Associate’s Governance and Assurance practice. She advises Boards of Directors and Senior Executives on EHS and Operational Risk Management. She is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and holds their ICD.D designation. In addition to Calgary Opera, she is a Board member for the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST), Alberta Water Portal Society and Tidewater Midstream.
Director
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Dr. Nureen Sumar concurrently completed her BMus and BSc at McGill University prior to pursuing her Doctor of Medicine (MD CCFP) at the University of Calgary. She is continuing academic pursuits in Epidemiology at the LSHTM in the United Kingdom. Dr. Sumar’s current clinical practice includes clinical associate work in medical oncology, palliative care and hospice work, supportive care and medical education. Through her medical training, Dr. Sumar served as Vice President of the Resident Doctors of Canada. Dr. Sumar currently sits on the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Post-Graduate Education Committee, First Five Years in Family Practice Canada Committee, and the CFPC Honours and Awards Committee (as a past recipient of the CFPC’s National Murray Stalker Award for Family Medicine Leadership). Dr. Sumar also serves with the Alberta College of Family Physicians and was a past recipient of the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award. Outside of medical and academic pursuits, Dr. Sumar’s passion and affinity for performing arts have lead her to perform and participate in numerous artistic undertakings across the globe. Dr. Sumar was deeply honoured to be invited to perform at His Highness the Aga Khan’s Aiglemont Estate and collaborate with Bollywood composers Salim-Sulaiman in a tribute piece for the Aga Khan during the momentous Diamond Jubilee year. Her journey in choral music began at age 4 as a chorister in the Mount Royal Junior Children’s Choir. Dr. Sumar’s clinical practice and endeavours are deeply rooted in the guiding principles inherent to the pursuit of music, including creativity, collaboration, connectivity, honesty, and vulnerability.
Director
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Jerilyn Wright owns one of Alberta’s leading Interior Design firms, Jerilyn Wright & Associates, since 1984. Strong passion for design has earned her firm a reputation in the marketplace for excellence, creativity and versatility. She has been consistently recognized by her peers and critics having earned several Design Awards across the country. In 2012 Jerilyn won the Business in Calgary magazine’s “Leaders of Tomorrow” award. Community involvement is very important to Jerilyn. She currently sits on the board for the Abilities Society assisting them in their goals. In the past, Jerilyn worked with Habitat for Humanity and also chaired Mount Royal University annual fund raiser “Feast of Sound and Song” for four years to assist young underprivileged musicians with their education and career development.
Director
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Ariane Young is a partner at the law firm, TingleMerrett LLP, having joined the Firm in 2006. She has been practicing law for almost 30 years, assisting clients with the legal aspects of public and private financing, corporate acquisitions and business combinations, cross border transactions, share and asset acquisitions, corporate restructurings, corporate governance and securities compliance. Her clients are in various stages of development and involved in a variety of business activities, including industrial technology, biotechnology, the cannabis industry, natural health products, software development, medical services, professional services, portfolio management, corporate finance and conventional oil and gas.
Ariane was born and raised in Calgary and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (Honours) (University of Calgary) followed by a law degree (LLB) (University of British Columbia). Ariane’s passion for Opera began while in Law School with a riveting performance of Dialogues of the Carmelites by the Vancouver Opera.
Banner image: Cast of The Barber of Seville. Calgary Opera 2018. Trudie Lee Photography.