Opera Opulenza is a Vancouver-based opera company founded in 2014 by artistic director Trudy Chalmers. Together, with music director Roger Parton, Trudy has created a company that is dedicated to providing singers with opportunities to sing in concerts, fully-staged operas, and opera scenes.
In January 2019, Opera Opulenza joined chART: Public Art and Emily Carr University of Art + Design in the fieldhouse at Oak Park – an initiative made possible by the Vancouver Parks Board. This opportunity has given Opera Opulenza the ability to broaden their programming to include a wide range of community engagement events and activities for the communities of Marpole and Oakridge.
We are bringing opera to the community by way of free concerts, workshops, opera screenings, masterclasses, a community opera chorus, and more! We hope to bring people together, to help people build confidence through singing and movement, to break social isolation, to be inclusive and accessible for all, to spark creativity, and to break the perceived social and financial barriers of this art form.
Mission
The vision: to inspire and educate the community – singers, musicians, and audiences – with fully-mounted productions of operas, both staples of the repertoire and lesser-known gems. Productions are staged throughout the year, rather than in conformity to a particular season. Our optimal goal is a rotating, ever-changing group of core works, always undergoing rehearsal that can be presented to Vancouver audiences over the calendar year.
Although Opulenza stages well-known works and repertoire favorites, we have a special interest in operas that are often not staged for practical reasons. We believe that in tackling such pieces we are in a unique position to identify and solve challenges that often prevent these masterpieces from being performed.
Auditions, for both prospective chorus members and soloists, are held year-round.
operaopulenza@gmail.com