Who We Are

Tapestry is dedicated to the creation, development and performance of new opera through its unique and highly collaborative work process. Under the leadership of Founding and Managing Artistic Director Wayne Strongman, Tapestry engages artists and audiences on subjects relevant to contemporary society. Beginning with writers and composers, Tapestry provides guidance, direction and resources for the creation of new opera, from idea to stage. In the Tapestry New Work Studio we encourage exploration and discovery in a complex and inclusive art form, and promote dialogue among creative artists, directors, performers, designers, funders and audiences.

Founded as an eight-voice ensemble in 1979, the Tapestry Singers toured extensively and presented an annual series of staged contemporary vaudevilles. The performing company transformed into Tapestry Music Theatre in 1986, marking the end of the resident ensemble and reflecting a growing emphasis on new work development and production. In 1999, in its 20th anniversary season, the company evolved further to Tapestry new opera works, acknowledging the art form that most consumed the creative artists with whom we were working. The company’s increasingly collaborative nature, with partners inside and beyond our new work studio, is reflected by its name in brief, Tapestry.

In 2003, the company moved to its first permanent home, with offices adjacent to our New Work Studio at the Distillery Historic District. The Ernest Balmer Studio was named for our past Vice-President and lead individual donor. The New Work Studio Company was introduced in 2007 as a resource to develop new work and to interpret the new vocabulary that is contemporary opera to our audiences. Over a 30 year history, Tapestry productions have premiered to critical and popular acclaim and toured extensively, including:

Nigredo Hotel

(Nic Gotham/Ann-Marie MacDonald); Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria

Still the Night

(Theresa Tova); Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Winnipeg

Elsewhereless

(Rodney Sharman/Atom Egoyan); Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver

Iron Road

(Chan Ka Nin/Mark Brownell); bilingual Cantonese-English; Toronto
Facing South
(Linda Catlin Smith/Don Hannah); Toronto

Constantinople

(Christos Hatzis): a co-production with The Gryphon Trio, Music Toronto and Banff Centre; National Tours; Covent Garden

Elijah’s Kite

(James Rolfe/Camyar Chai) premiered at the Manhattan School of Music; Canadian premiere at Rideau Hall

Sanctuary Song

(Abigail Richardson/Marjorie Chan): with Theatre Direct; world premiere presented in partnership with Luminato. Winner of Outstanding New Opera/Musical at 2009 Dora Mavor Moore Awards.

The Perfect Match

(Krista Dalby/Anthony Young): directed by Tom Diamond; developed with assistance from Bravo!FACT, premiered at Opera to Go 2009, toured the film festival circuit, nominated for Best Experimental Film in Miami, broadcast on Bravo! Television.

Get Stuffed

(Alexis Diamond/Richard Payne): developed with Words in Motion and the Canadian Diabetes Association; has toured to over 10,000 children in Ontario promoting healthy food choices.

The Shadow

(Alex Poch-Goldin/Omar Daniel): world premiere, Toronto.

The annual Composer-Librettist Laboratory (LIBLAB), begun in 1996, is a white hot introduction of four writers to four composers to discover the collaborative art form of opera: we receive over 40 applications from around the world each year. Scenes developed at the LIBLAB are given modest production values in the programme Opera Briefs. The next step for creative teams to develop their craft is to develop a fifteen minute work in the New Work Studio with full access to workshop development process and the collaborative process of full production. Now in its fifth iteration, Opera to Go, the unique production of short operas, has become integral to Tapestry’s annual programming. Having completed their Tapestry “curriculum studies”, successful teams are supported through intensive development and ultimate production of a full length work. Often the first step is a one-act opera, developed and produced by Tapestry with a partner organization.

The INside Opera Education Programme offers creative workshops for students to discover their own stories and engage in the creation of opera.

Tapestry is a leader in the arts community: an active member of Opera.ca and OPERA America, and a proud founding member of Creative Trust: Working Capital for the Arts. A member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) and the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), Tapestry employs professional artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association and musicians who are members of the American Federation of Musicians.