Manitoba Opera

Stories

50th Anniversary Stories: The Kozub Sisters

Tusia Kozub, Karin Woods, and Koren Kaminski are three sisters whose involvement with Manitoba Opera spans decades. On some performance nights, you might have seen Tusia working as assistant stage manager, stage left, Koren as the assistant stage manager holding down stage right, and Karin on stage singing in the chorus.   For the sisters, working […]

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Inspiring Moments of Wonder

In Manitoba Opera’s recent production of Così fan tutte, Italian sisters Dorabella and Fiordiligi came to Canada for a new experience and for that sense of wonder and adventure that travelling provides. The arts can also provide a sense of wonder and rich experiences. All it takes is a little passion and an investment from […]

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50th Annversary Stories: Kurt Schwarz

For dedicated opera lover Kurt Schwarz, volunteering is a way of putting feeling into action. “I wanted to spread the word about Manitoba Opera,” he explains. “I wanted to really encourage people to get involved, and I did that by getting involved myself.  “I’ll do whatever it takes to promote opera within our city and […]

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Canada Life delivers the magic of opera to students.

A supporter since 1972, Canada Life is one of Manitoba Opera’s oldest partners. While both organizations have evolved over the past 50 years, they remain connected in their understanding of how important a thriving arts and culture sector is for our community. […]

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50th Anniversary Stories: Monica & Anna Huisman

The musical experiences of Anna Huisman and her daughter, Monica, span almost the full five decades of Manitoba Opera’s existence. Anna started singing in the MO chorus in 1974, and Monica recently co-hosted 50th season anniversary concert. In between, they’ve sometimes shared the stage, and they’ve always shared their passionate love of opera. […]

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50th Anniversary Stories: Drs. Bill Pope & Elizabeth Tippett Pope

Dr. Elizabeth Tippett Pope and Dr. Bill Pope have a long history with Manitoba Opera, as supporters, donors, board members, and just out-and-out fans.  

Winnipeg-raised Bill grew up with music. “I’m an instrumentalist. I did the whole piano thing, and I was a student of Jean Broadfoot (the legendary Winnipeg teacher).” The English-born Elizabeth, on the other hand, admits to coming from “a totally unmusical family.  […]

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Payworks: A Champion of Inclusion

Payworks is committed to “Doing Right by People”, not because they have to, but because it’s who they are. A leading expert in workforce management solutions with a multitude of awards to back it up, Payworks is proud to be a Canadian owned and operated company that values giving back to the community they serve. […]

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50th Anniversary Stories: Al Simmons

When Juno Award-winning performer Al Simmons was growing up in Anola, Manitoba, his family listened to all kinds of music. Now known for his inimitable blend of ingenious gadgets, wacky humour, and wonderfully preposterous songs, he recalls his first exposure to opera was―no surprise here―essentially comic. […]

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50th Anniversary Stories: Jeanie Dubberley

Asked how she came to work at Manitoba Opera, Jeanie Dubberley laughs. “It’s a very long story,” she says, and it’s a little serendipitous. Jeanie, who was a go-to administrative multitasker for the company from 1983 to 1992, was working as a teller at the Royal Bank of Canada branch at Portage and Fort, and “one day a gentleman came in, and it was Bruce Lang, at the time the only paid employee of Manitoba Opera, except for the production people. He was the administrative director.”  […]

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50th Anniversary Stories: Hedie Epp

Long-time Manitoba Opera volunteer Hedie Epp first heard opera when she was growing up in the small Mennonite community of Springstein, Manitoba. Her relationship with the art form didn’t start well.  […]

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50th Anniversary Stories: Nikki Einfeld

Lyric coloratura soprano Nikki Einfeld has been based in California for more than two decades, as a former Adler Fellow and Merola alumna with the San Francisco Opera. But she’s a “born and raised Winnipegger,” she says, and she still thinks of Manitoba Opera as her home company. […]

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The Pollack Braun Blatt Advisory Group

The Pollack Braun Blatt Advisory Group encourages us to dream

The Pollack Braun Blatt Advisory Group at CIBC Wood Gundy believes that we should all be expecting more. And just like Angelina (Cenerentola) in La Cenerentola, this multigenerational wealth management practice also believes in the power of dreams to design the kind of lives that we all envision for ourselves.   Often these dreams need […]

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50th Anniversary Stories: Senator Patricia Bovey

Patricia Bovey, art historian, curator, former director of the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, and long-time supporter of Manitoba Opera, knows the value of culture. As an Independent Senator for Manitoba, she advocates passionately for the importance of the arts in every aspect of Canadian life.  […]

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To Be or Not To Be?

The program’s first Independent Learner was Winnipeg artist Ritchie Diggs, for whom participating in the program was a life-changing experience. It provided him with the reassurance and encouragement he needed to recommit to his artistic journey at a time when he was questioning his options. […]

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RBC Emerging Artists believes in fostering supportive environments for Artists

What began as a program to help emerging artists step into the next stage of their careers has now evolved into a place for artistic discovery. Hosting its third consecutive year of singers, Manitoba Opera’s Digital Emerging Artist Program (DEAP) engages artists from across the country for a four‑week multidisciplinary course of intensive skill building and creative exploration. […]

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Giving Back, Part of the Taylor McCaffrey Philosophy

For a full-service law firm, Taylor McCaffrey’s philosophy is simple: provide exceptional legal advice, be kind and contribute back to the communities in which they live and work. Supporting local charities is one of the ways Taylor McCaffrey contributes back. […]

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