Breaking: Canadian opera company shuts down

Breaking: Canadian opera company shuts down

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norman lebrecht

January 09, 2014

The curtain has fallen with terrible finality on Opera Hamilton, one of the most deep-rooted companies in Canada. The organisation cannot pay its bills and decided to lock the doors three days before its annual fund-raising gala. Details here.

Founded in 1980, OH expanded to incorporate Opera Kitchener-Waterloo. Its close leaves a large swathe of Canada without lyric diversion.

The general and artistic director for the past ten years has been David Speers, formerly head of Calgary Opera and Arizona Opera.

Sad way to start 2014.

opera hamilton

Comments

  • Slipped Disc is right. This is a major blow to Canada and to the city of Hamilton. Many Torontonians could catch a bus for an hour’s drive, have dinner, see the opera and catch a bus back to Toronto. Many of us would be surprised to see each other there and joked about our ‘quiet’ trip. Singers developed in Opera Hamilton and gained valuable experience on a good level thanks to David Speers’ guidance. Let’s hope help will arrive and the company is able to be maintained. Canada can’t afford to lose it. Ann Summers Dossena

  • Olaugh Tershav says:

    They should program Tovey’s masterpiece as well as the world class Estacio chefs-d’oeuvre and see their fortune turn and rise to the top, right?

  • V.Lind says:

    I haven’t heard the Tovey, but Estacio’s Lilian Alling was pretty good.

  • TMD says:

    The art of Canada will miss it.

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