Pacific Opera Victoria facts for kids

Pacific Opera Victoria is an exciting opera company found in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. They put on amazing opera shows each year. These shows happen at the Royal Theatre in Victoria.

The company works with musicians from the Victoria Symphony. This means live music makes their performances even more special! Since 2009, they have performed four main shows each season. They also added special Saturday afternoon shows.

What is Pacific Opera Victoria?

Pacific Opera Victoria, often called POV, started in 1980. It was created to bring the magic of opera to people in Victoria. Opera is a type of play where the story is told mostly through singing.

POV performs many different kinds of operas. They do famous, classic operas that people know and love. But they also perform brand-new operas. This mix keeps their shows fresh and exciting for everyone.

Who Started It?

The person who first imagined and started Pacific Opera Victoria was Timothy Vernon. He is known as the founding artistic director. He helped shape the company into what it is today.

Behind the Scenes

Pacific Opera Victoria is special because they do a lot of work themselves. They build their own sets for the stage. They also make their own costumes for the singers. They even have their own workshops to do all this creative work! This helps them make each show unique and perfect.

New Operas in Canada

POV has brought many operas to Canada for the very first time. These are called "Canadian premieres." It means they were the first company to perform these specific operas in Canada.

Some of these important premieres include:

• Regina by Marc Blitzstein in 2008.
• Daphne in 2007 and Capriccio in 2010, both by Richard Strauss.
• The Tempest by Lee Hoiby in 2004.
• Taming of the Shrew by Vittorio Giannini in 2001.

New Stories and Music

Pacific Opera Victoria also supports new Canadian artists. They ask composers and writers to create brand-new operas. This is called "commissioning" a work.

In 2000, POV put on the very first performance of Erewhon. This was a big moment for the company. It was their first full-length opera that they asked a Canadian artist to create.

Later, in 2011, they asked for another new opera called Mary's Wedding. This opera was composed by Andrew Paul MacDonald. The story, or "libretto," was written by Stephen Massicotte. It was based on a play he had already written.

Pacific Opera Victoria continues to be an important part of the arts scene in Canada. They bring classic stories to life and help create new ones for future generations.