Mar 19, 2026

Manitoba Opera to present a Reimagined Masterpiece & An Enduring Favourite In the 2026/27 Season

Manitoba Opera announced programming for the 2026/27 season (its 54th) today at a launch event at the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg. The Western Canadian premiere of Volcano Theatre’s production of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha (pronounced TREE-muh-NEESH-uh): A Musical Reimagining will open the season with three performances November 21, 25, and 27.  One of opera’s most powerful and unforgettable stories, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, will close the season April 17, 21, and 23.  All performances will take place at the Centennial Concert Hall.

Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha: A Musical Reimagining received its world premiere in 2023 in Toronto as part of the city’s Luminato Festival, co-presented with TO Live. It opened to ecstatic roars, cheering, and rave reviews. The Toronto Star wrote: “Joplin’s long-forgotten masterpiece has been ravishingly reborn for the 21st century in a triumphant production.”

Legendary ragtime composer Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha was published in 1911. This opera about a young woman was unlike anything that had come before. It fused Western classical music with popular Black music from the era: blues, barbershop (before it was called that), gospel, and ragtime. Both musically and narratively, it was revolutionary. However, no backer would touch it, and it was not produced in Joplin’s lifetime.

This new Treemonisha was built over seven years of dedicated work with an international team of leading Black women artists who reimagined the piece. While preserving its setting and characters, they crafted a new story and a richly hybrid orchestration that expands on Joplin’s original music fusion.

“As I prepared to conclude my time with Manitoba Opera after 25 years, I wanted this final season to reflect both where we’ve been as well as possibilities for the future,” said Interim Artistic Director, Larry Desrochers. “Treemonisha: A Musical Reimagining represents bold, necessary storytelling and a thrilling expansion of the operatic canon, while Madama Butterfly reminds us of the enduring emotional power that first draws audiences to this art form. Together, they capture the spirit of a company that honours tradition while embracing change.”

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES AND VIDEO

Nov 17, 2025

POLITICAL THRILLER – TOSCA – OPENS MANITOBA OPERA’S 2025/26 SEASON November 22, 26, 28

Manitoba Opera’s (MO) 53rd season opens with the political thriller, Tosca, one of the greatest operas ever written November 22, 26, and 28, at the Centennial Concert Hall. Last performed by the company in 2010, Puccini’s Tosca is electrifying and packed with love, jealousy, and betrayal. With some of the most breathtaking music ever written, this opera grips you from the very first note and doesn’t let you go.

For tickets, call 204-944-8824, go online at mbopera.ca, or in person at the MO Box Office, lower level, Centennial Concert Hall, 555 Main St. (9:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday).  Seniors, students, and youth discounts are available. 

THE STORY

Music by Giacomo Puccini                        Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa

Based on Victorien Sardou’s drama La Tosca

Heart-pounding drama, intense passion, and soaring melodies are a killer combination in this fateful day in the life of the diva Tosca.

In revolutionary Rome, the fiery, famous singer lives for art and love but finds herself in a life-and-death struggle when her lover, the painter Cavaradossi, is caught trying to protect a freedom fighter. Scarpia, the corrupt chief of police, will stop at nothing to satisfy his lust for her. In this game of deadly political intrigue will Tosca submit to Scarpia’s desires or see her lover die? Can Scarpia’s evil reach from beyond the grave?

This captivating classic features some of Puccini’s best: “Vissi d’arte,” the opera’s most famous aria in which Tosca sings that she’s always lived her life for art and love; Cavaradossi’s “Recondita armonia”; Scarpia’s “Te Deum,” sung with self-satisfied villainy and madness; and “E lucevan le stelle,” Cavaradossi’s farewell to Tosca.

Sung in Italian with projected English translations.

THE ARTISTS

Making her Manitoba Opera debut and singing for the first time in Canada, is the phenomenal soprano Marina Costa-Jackson as Tosca (her sister, Ginger, performed with MO in 2024 as the fiery Carmen).  Critics have lauded her portrayal, noting her “molten intensity” and describing her as a “splendid Tosca” (Bachtrack).

Tenor David Pomeroy, last seen with MO as Don José in 2024’s Carmen, returns as the heroic artist Cavaradossi. Celebrated for his compelling performances, Pomeroy’s voice has been described as “consistently full yet controlled, effortlessly soaring above the orchestra without a hint of strain.”

Baritone Gregory Dahl, renowned for his formidable portrayals, returns to his hometown to deliver a chilling Scarpia. His performances have been praised for their intensity and depth, with critics highlighting his “splendidly oily and corrupt” characterizations.

Directed by Anna Theodosakis, who made her MO debut with last season’s La Bohème, the cast will also feature David Watson as Angelotti, Peter McGillivray in the roles of a sacristan and a jailer, and James McLennan as Spoletta. The Manitoba Opera Chorus, a Children’s Chorus, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will be under the direction of Maestro Tyrone Paterson.

Lighting design is by Larry Isacoff. Scenery, props, and costumes: Seattle Opera. Additional costumes: Harlequin Costume & Dance.

Cast subject to change.

Oct 30, 2025

Brent Phillips joins the MO Admin Team

Manitoba Opera is pleased to welcome Brent Phillips, a long-time arts marketer and manager in Winnipeg’s arts community, to our administrative team. Brent joined Manitoba Opera as the Prairie Projects Arts Initiative (PPAI) Project & Box Office Manager in September. 

Brent will oversee the implementation of some new initiatives tied to the Prairie Performing Arts Initiative (PPAI), a transformative strategy supported by PrairiesCan funding. Brent’s role focuses on managing the integration of some new technologies in box office and marketing operations, including working on developing a refreshed website integrated with our ticketing system, and enhancing audience development strategies. 

Brent attended the University of Manitoba before discovering the Creative Communications program at Red River College, which helped launch his career. He has held marketing director roles at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. After graduating from “Cre Comm,” he also spent two summers working on a contract basis for Jazz Winnipeg.

“As a lifelong Winnipegger, I’ve always considered myself an ambassador for the city and a passionate supporter of the arts community,” says Brent when asked what drew him to Manitoba Opera. 

“I’m excited to be part of an organization that is an integral part of our cultural fabric and brings the powerful stories, voices, and music of opera to life for audiences.” 

As he’s always considered himself both left brain and right brain, the PPAI projects really piqued his interest. 

“This role provides the opportunity to combine both my creative and analytical sides and work on some exciting projects to modernize the technology we use while strengthening our relationships with patrons and donors.” 

As Brent is an avid music fan, outside of work you may find him in a local store searching for new vinyl to add to his collection or enjoying a meal at a restaurant in our city’s vibrant culinary scene – continuing his long-standing passion for culture in all forms.