NAMWAYUT
First Lab Dates: February 2021
Second Lab Dates: April 2022
Third Lab Dates: TBA
THE PROJECT
Namwayut is a word in Kwak'wala, the language of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples from northern Vancouver Island, smaller surrounding islands and adjacent mainland BC in Canada, meaning "we are all one".
The piece grew out of Canadian opera singer and dramaturg Marion Newman’s artistic impulse to conceptualize and create an opera under Indigenous leadership in an entirely new way.
This project was a collaboration of singers, composers, a librettist and musicians, that allowed each artist’s voice to be heard and held with respect, equal weight and a sense of community. Working in this new way, they planted the seeds of an operatic work based on elements from the oral history of First Nations storytelling that celebrates the resilience of Indigenous peoples and their enduring connection to the land.
Lab #1: Seeds of Namwayut
Lab #2: saplings of Namwayut
THE TEAM
MARION NEWMAN - MEZZO-SOPRANO, DRAMATURG
Kwagiulth and Stó:lō First Nations, English, Irish and Scottish mezzo soprano Marion Newman is firmly established as one of Canada’s most accomplished singers. She starred in the world premiere of Shanawdithit (Nolan/Burry) with Tapestry Opera. Operatic roles include the Mother in Edmonton Opera’s Hansel and Gretel, Rosina in Barber of Seville (Opera Lyra Ottawa) and Carmen, (Opera 2005 Ireland). Marion portrayed Dr. Wilson in Missing (Clements/Current) with Pacific Opera Victoria. Marion will create the role of Dawn with Welsh National Opera in the upcoming world premiere of Migrations. In addition to her performing career Marion is a Co-Founder of Amplified Opera and is an often-invited guest for Masterclasses and diversity in opera speaking engagements.
PARMELA ATTARIWALA - CO-COMPOSER
Violinist and ethnomusicologist Dr. Parmela Attariwala interweaves life as a performer-creator, academic, arts equity consultant and music educator. In addition to being an interpreter of traditional Western art music, Attariwala’s creative work explores the liminal space between musical genres, artistic disciplines and identities, using improvisatory techniques as a point of departure. Through the Attar Project, she has developed an avant-garde repertoire for violin and tabla (highlighted on three critically-acclaimed CDs), and bharata-natyam based works for choreographed solo violin. Attariwala’s academic work focuses on equity, diversity and ethics in the Canadian music sector and in music pedagogy.
IAN CUSSON - CO-COMPOSER
Ian Cusson is a composer of Métis (Georgian Bay Métis Community) and French Canadian descent. His work explores Canadian Indigenous experience including the history of the Métis people, the hybridity of mixed-racial identity, and the intersection of Western and Indigenous cultures. He has studied with Jake Heggie, Samuel Dolin, James Anagnoson. Ian was an inaugural Carrefour Composer-in-Residence with the National Arts Centre Orchestra for 2017-2019 and is Composer-in-Residence for the Canadian Opera Company for 2019-2021. He is a Co-Artistic Director of Opera in the 21st Century for 2020/2021 at the Banff Centre. He is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. He lives in Oakville with his wife and four children.
YVETTE NOLAN - LIBRETTIST
Yvette Nolan (Algonquin) is a playwright, director and dramaturg. Her works include the play The Unplugging, the dance-opera Bearing, the libretto Shawnadithit, the short play-for-film Katharsis. She was one of the ten writers on Gabriel Dumont’s Wild West Show. She co-created, with Joel Bernbaum and Lancelot Knight, the verbatim play Reasonable Doubt, about relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan. Her book, Medicine Shows, about Indigenous performance in Canada was published by Playwrights Canada Press in 2015. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Policy at Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy.
MELODY COURAGE - SOPRANO
Métis soprano of Dene, Cree and Chipewyan descent Melody Courage gained national attention as The Native Girl in the 2017 world premiere of Marie Clements’ and Brian Current’s opera Missing, co-produced by City Opera Vancouver and Pacific Opera Victoria. She was honoured to appear with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in the World Premiere of composer Ian Cusson’s aria ‘Dodo, mon tout petit’, a co-commission by the Canadian Opera Company and the National Arts Centre. She also starred in Two Odysseys: Pimooteewin/Gállábártnit presented by Soundstreams Canada and Signal Theatre, directed by Michael Greyeyes and Cole Alvis, composed by Melissa Hui/Britta Byström. These two operas, sung in Cree and Sàmi, are rooted in traditional tales from Canada and Nordic countries.
MICHELLE LAFFERTY - MEZZO-SOPRANO
Mezzo-soprano Michelle Lafferty, is a First Nations indigenous woman from the Northwest Territories and graduated in 2019 from The University of Western Ontario with her Master’s in Literature and Performance. In 2017 she performed the roles of Mrs. Peachum in Britten’s The Beggar’s Opera, Katisha in The Mikado and La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica. She has performed the role of Eileen in the Ecstasy of Rita Joe by Victor Davis through Opera in Concert in Toronto’s St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. In 2019 she was involved in The Banff Centre for the Performing Arts program for Indigenous Classical Musicians Gathering and a Call to Witness performance.
ASITHA TENNEKOON - TENOR
Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon has quickly established himself as one of Canada’s most impressive and versatile singing artists. He drew critical acclaim as Paul in Tapestry Opera/Scottish Opera’s Rocking Horse Winner, receiving the 2016 Dora Award for Best Male Performance. Operatic highlights include leading roles with Opéra de Montréal, Against the Grain Theatre, Vancouver Opera, Soundstreams Canada, Opera on the Avalon, Opera 5, and Opera Lafayette (USA). In addition to his artistic abilities, Asitha is a co-founder of Amplified Opera, a new indie opera company based in Toronto that seeks to place artists at the centre of public discourse.
SHELBY-JAI FLICK - STAGE MANAGER
Shelby-Jai has stage managed across Canada, and is happy to now call Calgary home. She feels incredibly lucky to be working with this incredible group of artists to bring opera to life in these times of COVID-19. Recent credits include: The Bremen Town Musicians, Norma, Christmas at the Opera, La Bohème (Calgary Opera); Lighting the Way, The Temporary (Downstage); The Seven Wonderers (Beakerhead 2019); We Are All Treaty People (Quest Theatre/Young People’s Theatre); in addition to ongoing work with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as well as working with several national sports organizations ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games.
EVAN MOUNCE - REPETITEUR
Pianist and vocal coach Evan Mounce is Chorus Leader of the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus, répétiteur with Calgary Opera, pianist with Cantaré Children’s Choir, Music Director at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, and past Resident Music Director for Cowtown Opera. Evan has performed with the CPO and coached k.d. lang. As a saxophonist Evan has given premieres of two concerti. He is primarily a self-taught pianist and has always enjoyed collaborating with singers - especially his wife Laura Brandt. As frequent recital partners they have performed on river boat cruises from Budapest to Amsterdam as ambassadors of Calgary Opera.
MARC LAVALLÉE - AUDIO VISUAL TECHNICIAN
Marc is a freelance Technical Director, Video Programmer and Design Assistant based out of Calgary. A graduate of the National Theatre School in Montreal, he has worked as a head of department for Theatre Calgary, Calgary Opera, Alberta Theatre Projects, Alberta Ballet, and The Grand YYC. He has been a technical director for a handful of smaller shows and festivals such as Opera Nuova, Ghost River Theatre and Sage Theatre and as Assistant Technical Director for Calgary Opera. He also acts as Technical Director for Axis Z Media Arts, a collective organization that brings large scale, interactive digital art to public spaces across Canada and abroad.