2025 Season

Q: Artistic Team and Cast

Composer: David Hanlon Librettist: Stephanie Fleischmann Conductor: Nicole Paiement , Opera Parallèle’s Artistic and General Director, leading an 8-piece orchestra. Director & Designer: Brian Staufenbiel Set Designer: Jacquelyn Scott Lighting and Projection Designer: Jessica Ann Drayton (company debut) Costume, Hair, and Makeup Designer: Y. Sharon Peng Assistant Conductor: Jaco Wong

Q: Ensemble Cast

Soprano Angela Yam (returning, portraying The Emissary) Tenor Bernard Holcomb (company debut) Baritone Craig Irvin (company debut) Members of the award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus

Season 4 of The Rock performs

In 2024, Opera on the Avalon joined forces with Adventure Canada to bring Season 4 of The Rock Performs to life during the “Newfoundland and Wild Labrador: A Torngat Mountains Adventure” cruise. This innovative series celebrates artistic expression against the backdrop of some of the province’s most untouched and picturesque locations, emphasizing Newfoundland and Labrador’s rich cultural and historical narrative.

The Rock Performs is a creative platform where a diverse collective of artists—including renowned figures like Alan Doyle, Kristin Deamorim, Meghan Lindsay, Deantha Edmunds, and traditional Inuit throat singers Tyriekah Semigak and Althaya Solomon—come together to craft digital shorts. These pieces merge breathtaking landscapes, vibrant musical performances, and compelling storytelling, offering viewers a window into the deep bond between the land, its people, and the arts.

Edge of Creation

In 2025, Opera on the Avalon will present Edge of Creation: Adventures in Artful Travel, a new documentary series that provides an in-depth look at the making of Season 4 of The Rock Performs. Filmed during Adventure Canada’s Newfoundland and Wild Labrador: A Torngat Mountains Adventure cruise, the project documents our journey to some of the most remote and visually stunning regions of Newfoundland, Labrador, and Nunavut—areas seldom visited by travelers.

Tapestry

Opera on the Avalon proudly presents “Tapestry”, an ambitious digital project anchoring our 2025 season. This initiative celebrates the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in Newfoundland and Labrador by highlighting a diverse array of remarkable women who have shaped our province’s history. From pioneering business leaders to trailblazers in education, music, social justice, and the arts, “Tapestry” explores the achievements of women who have woven themselves into Newfoundland and Labrador’s cultural and historical fabric. The project will blend artistic performances with in-depth interviews to bring stories to life, ensuring a rich, multifaceted representation.

2025 Fall Festival

Dates and Artists to be announced

The Pigeon Keeper

The Pigeon Keeper is a co-commissioned opera presented in celebration of Opera Parallèle’s 15th Anniversary season. Developed in collaboration with Opera Omaha and Canada’s Opera on the Avalon, the work examines themes of otherness, belonging, compassion, and the meaning of family.

Production Overview:

Format: One-act opera with multiple scenes, approximately 75 minutes in length, performed without intermission.

Language: Sung in English with projected subtitles.

Premiere: The world premiere is scheduled for three performances at the Cowell Theatre, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, San Francisco.

Artistic Team and Cast

Composer: David Hanlon

Librettist: Stephanie Fleischmann

Conductor: Nicole Paiement, Opera Parallèle’s Artistic and General Director, leading an 8-piece orchestra.

Director & Designer: Brian Staufenbiel

Set Designer: Jacquelyn Scott

Lighting and Projection Designer: Jessica Ann Drayton (company debut)

Costume, Hair, and Makeup Designer: Y. Sharon Peng

Assistant Conductor: Jaco Wong

Ensemble Cast

Soprano Angela Yam (returning, portraying The Emissary)

Tenor Bernard Holcomb (company debut)

Baritone Craig Irvin (company debut)

Members of the award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus