2026 — 2027
SEASON
Blocks were made to be busted, and at Vancouver Opera we’re proud to call ourselves blockbusterers (aka purveyors of fine blockbusters) as we present some of the most popular and indisputably spectacular operas of all time. It’s a testament to their timelessness that they all rank in the top 10 most performed operas worldwide in this very decade, despite having a collective age of 509!
Let’s set the calculator aside and look ahead at what’s in store for 2026–2027. We’ll get off to a rollicking start in October with Tosca, Puccini’s fast-paced, emotionally charged thriller, back on the Queen Elizabeth Theatre stage for the first time since 2013. To counteract the February cold, we’ll have a warm dose of comedy ready with The Barber of Seville, a work that’s been called “perhaps the greatest piece of musical slapstick ever written.” After starting on a high note, and then continuing on a high note, it will satisfy the rule of threes (and audiences) to close on one: Verdi’s sweeping tale of impossible love, La Traviata, takes the stage in April/May, 2027.
As we get set for our 67th season, VO continues to foster every part of the opera ecosystem, from educational outreach to bringing the best in Canadian and international talent to the mainstage. The 2026–2027 season will go from strength to strength, as we present some of the most deservedly popular operas of all time. It’s a
season for longtime opera lovers to reconnect with desert-island favourites while sharing cornerstone works with the new supporters who have helped make recent seasons so successful and inspiring. Our season subscribers have kept exceptional opera thriving in Vancouver for decades, and each new subscription is an investment in excellence for years to come.
This art form has the power to quicken our pulse, swell our hearts, and bring that special, indescribable shimmer to our souls. Let’s share another season of spectacular connection in 2026–2027.
Tom Wright General Director, Vancouver Opera
TOSCA
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
LA TRAVIATA
GIACOMO PUCCINI
TOS CA
OCT 24, 29, NOV 1M , 2026
QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE APPROX 2HRS 20MINS
CONDUCTOR: JACQUES LACOMBE DIRECTOR: BRENNA CORNER
FLORIA TOSCA: JOYCE EL-KHOURY
MARIO CAVARADOSSI: DAVID POMEROY
BARON SCARPIA: GREGORY DAHL
WITH THE VANCOUVER OPERA ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS
SUNG IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH
PROJECTED TITLES
TOSCA
Passion, politics, and betrayal collide in Tosca —a breathtaking opera where love burns bright against the dark tides of tyranny. Set amidst upheaval and war in 1800s Rome, the fiery singer Floria Tosca is caught in a deadly triangle between her beloved, the revolutionary artist Mario Cavaradossi, and Baron Scarpia, the corrupt, sadistic chief of police.
Puccini’s masterful score will crackle with emotion under the baton of VO Music Director Jacques Lacombe, as Floria navigates a brutal game of power and sacrifice where even her voice—the thing she holds most sacred—becomes a weapon. This new co-production with Pacific Opera Victoria is directed by their celebrated Artistic Director, Brenna Corner,
with a cast that includes baritone Gregory Dahl, who has recently stunned VO audiences as both Don Pasquale and the Flying Dutchman, David Pomeroy, who The New York Times called “a powerful, agile tenor,” and the captivating Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury in the title role.
More than a tale of doomed love, Tosca is a searing portrait of resistance in the face of oppression, where art and faith are tested against cruelty and injustice. It’s opera at its most visceral—intimate yet grand, deeply human and tragically heroic. In Tosca, the personal becomes political, and every choice cuts deep.
GIOACHINO ROSSINI
THE BAR BER OF SEV ILLE
FEB 13, 18, 20, 21M , 2027
QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE
APPROX 2HRS 50MINS
CONDUCTOR: LESLIE DALA
DIRECTOR: MORRIS PANYCH
ROSINA: DEEPA JOHNNY
FIGARO: CLARENCE FRAZER
COUNT ALMAVIVA: JOHN TESSIER
WITH THE VANCOUVER OPERA
ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS
SUNG IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH
PROJECTED TITLES
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
If you’ve heard of Figaro, chances are you’ve heard of him a number of times in a row (Figaro...Figaro...Figaro... Fiiiiiiiiiiiigaro!!!). Figaro is something of a fixer, and not just of hair. In this adventure, the industrious barber works to unite two young lovers, Count Almaviva and Rosina, but to do so, he must also thwart Dr. Bartolo’s plan to make Rosina his bride, thereby pocketing her considerable dowry.
Arguably the most buffa opera of all opera buffas, The Barber of Seville is a joyful, highenergy romp that delights the eyes and ears while offering a much-needed counterbalance to the deep, dark doldrums of a Vancouver midwinter.
In a colourful reimagining by the dynamic Canadian creative duo of director Morris Panych and designer Ken MacDonald, Barber’s fast-paced plot is kept aloft by the unrivalled comedic chemistry between Cesare Sterbini’s libretto and Rossini’s energetic, endlessly inventive melodies, steered here by Maestro Leslie Dala.
Admittedly, opera can lean a bit towards the tragic, so it may surprise some that in a story full of trickery, scheming, and lovers separated by a despicable villain…everything ends well! Save that pit in your stomach for another day and enjoy a sparkling, laugh-outloud comedy ride packed with irresistible melodies, scissorsharp scheming, and Rossini’s most famous tunes.
GIUSEPPE VERDI
LA TRA VIA TA
APR 24, 29, MAY 1, 2M , 2027
QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE APPROX 2HRS 50MINS
CONDUCTOR: JACQUES LACOMBE DIRECTOR: IDAN COHEN
VIOLETTA: ANDRIANA CHUCHMAN
WITH THE VANCOUVER OPERA ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS
SUNG IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH PROJECTED TITLES
LA TRAVIATA
Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata premiered in 1853 and has since become one of opera’s most beloved works. Today, it stands as the second-mostpresented opera worldwide since 2022—an enduring favourite whose popularity shows no signs of slowing.
A sweeping story of impossible love, set to some of Verdi’s most emotionally-charged music, La Traviata tells of Violetta, a courtesan desired, elevated, and ultimately undone by the society that fixes its gaze on her. Alfredo sees her through the soft blur of infatuation, believing he alone can capture her truth. Alfredo’s father, however, sees Violetta as a “fallen woman” and demands that she break off her relationship with Alfredo for the sake of his family’s
reputation. Heartbroken sacrifice made, her health worsens. Alfredo rushes to her side, but is it too late to undo what’s done?
Helmed by internationally acclaimed Vancouver-based director Idan Cohen, this new co-production with Pacific Opera Victoria closes out 2026–2027 with a striking stage design that draws from Pop Art, classic Hitchcock aesthetics, and mass media culture, while Vancouver Opera’s esteemed Music Director Jacques Lacombe steers Verdi’s score through the intoxicating desire lines of romance, high drama, and exquisite melody.
SEASON TICKETS PURCHASE YOUR
STEP 1: Pick two or three shows
STEP 2: Choose your seating section
STEP 3: Order your package online at vancouveropera.ca or call the VO Ticket Centre at 604 683 0222
STEP 4: Enjoy a season of great opera!
BALCONY
DRESS CIRCLE
SEASON TICKET BENEFITS
ENJOY THESE SEASON TICKET HOLDER BENEFITS
Massive savings compared to single tickets.
First access to tickets, so you get the best seats in the house, and keep them each year you renew.
Free and unlimited ticket exchanges, in case you can’t make the performance you originally booked.
Personalized service with a subscriber representative.
Tax receipt for returned tickets, if you can’t attend.
Discounts on additional seats. Bring a friend and save 20% on their ticket!
The option to pay in two instalments.
Opportunities to win access to special events.
Special offers from our partners and friends in the arts, culture, and food scenes.
PURCHASE TODAY
HOW TO BUY
TOSCA
OCT 24–NOV 1, 2026
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
FEB 13–21, 2027
LA TRAVIATA
APR 24–MAY 2, 2027
Casting and performances are subject to change.
Photos are for promotional purposes and not representative of the productions.
ONLINE: vancouveropera.ca
CALL: 604 683 0222
Mon—Fri, 9AM to 5PM
MAIL: VO Ticket Centre
1945 McLean Drive Vancouver, BC V5N 3J7
PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS
BY MAY 31, 2026
TO GET OUR SPECIAL EARLY BIRD PRICES.
SEASON PHOTOGRAPHY
Art Director: Annie Mack
Photographer: Deanna Milligan
Lighting: Ramsey Fendall
Models: Okwukwe Oji, Ivan Engel Larrain, Tiffany Bailey
Lead Stylist / Costume Design: Lisa-Marie Read
Prop Stylist: Rosie Schinners
Makeup Artist: Melody Attrill
Hair Stylist: Ysabella Branker
Photographer’s Assistant: Emanuel Foucault
Assistant Post Production: Akeem Nermo
Production Assistant: Sadie Mack
SEASON SPONSOR
SEASON PATRONS
Michael and Inna O’Brian Family Foundation
Alan and Gwendoline Pyatt Foundation
Yoshiko Karasawa
Martha Lou Henley, c.m.
WITH CONTINUING SUPPORT FROM
MATINEE SEASON SPONSOR
VOICES FREE CONCERT SERIES SPONSOR
SEASON SUPPORTER
MULTILINGUAL COMMUNICATIONS SPONSOR