VANCOUVER OPERA ANNOUNCES A POWERFUL
2026—2027 SEASON OF TIMELESS OPERAS
TOSCA, THE BARBER OF SEVILLE,
& LA TRAVIATA
Vancouver Opera announces an audience-inspired 2026–2027 season featuring three iconic works by Puccini, Rossini, and Verdi, with season tickets now on sale. Opening with the white-hot intensity of Tosca in October 2026, followed by Rossini’s effervescent comedy The Barber of Seville in February 2027, the season concludes in grand style with Verdi’s beloved La Traviata in April/May 2027.
“Our 67th season invites audiences to confront power, delight in comedy, and open themselves to vulnerability with timeless classics that are adored by opera audiences everywhere,” said Tom Wright, Vancouver Opera General Director. “We are bringing internationally celebrated artists and visionary Canadian directors together with our Vancouver Opera Orchestra and Chorus for a trio of productions that speak urgently to love, power, sacrifice, and resilience. Whether tragic, comic, or heartbreakingly intimate, each opera invites audiences to feel profoundly moved and reflect deeply.”
The season opens October 24, 29, and November 1, 2026, with Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, a gripping thriller of passion, politics, and betrayal set against the turmoil of 1800s Rome. Under the baton of Vancouver Opera Music Director Jacques Lacombe and directed by Brenna Corner, Artistic Director of Pacific Opera Victoria, this new co-production brings Puccini’s searing score and gripping drama vividly to life.
Internationally acclaimed Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury stars as the fiery singer Floria Tosca, opposite tenor David Pomeroy as the idealistic revolutionary artist Mario Cavaradossi, and baritone Gregory Dahl as the chillingly corrupt Baron Scarpia. Sung in Italian with English projected titles, Tosca is a story where art, faith, and love are tested against tyranny, and where every choice carries devastating consequences.
“In Tosca, the personal and the political are inseparable,” added Wright. “It’s an opera that feels startlingly contemporary in its depiction of power, resistance, and moral compromise, and this cast and creative team are ideally suited to unleash its full emotional force.”
In February 2027, Vancouver Opera presents Gioachino Rossini’s exuberant The Barber of Seville, performing February 13, 18, 20, and 21. Conducted by Leslie Dala and directed by celebrated Canadian theatre artist Morris Panych, this production offers a much-needed burst of wit and warmth in the heart of winter.
Rising international star Canadian mezzo-soprano Deepa Johnny makes her Vancouver Opera debut as the clever Rosina, with baritone Clarence Frazer starring as the irrepressible Figaro and tenor John Tessier as the smitten Count Almaviva. Sung in Italian with English projected titles, this colourful reimagining—designed by Ken MacDonald—keeps Rossini’s comic masterpiece buoyant, fast-paced, and irresistibly funny.
“Opera doesn’t always end in heartbreak,” said Wright. “The Barber of Seville reminds us of the joy, ingenuity, and sheer entertainment this art form can deliver. It’s a sparkling celebration of love, laughter, and human cleverness—and a perfect counterbalance within the season.”
The 2026–2027 season concludes with Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, one of the most beloved operas of all time, with performances April 24, 29, May 1, and May 2, 2027. Conducted by Jacques Lacombe and directed by internationally acclaimed Vancouver-based director Idan Cohen, this new co-production with Pacific Opera Victoria brings a striking contemporary visual sensibility to Verdi’s timeless tragedy.
Soprano Andriana Chuchman stars as Violetta, the doomed heroine whose quest for love and dignity collides with rigid social judgment. Drawing inspiration from Pop Art, classic Hitchcock aesthetics, and mass media culture, Cohen’s staging reframes La Traviata as both an intimate love story and a powerful critique of how society consumes, elevates, and discards women.
“La Traviata endures because its emotional truth never fades,” said Wright. “It’s a devastatingly beautiful opera about love constrained by hypocrisy and social expectation. Closing the season with this work allows us to reflect on the cost of compassion—and the courage it takes to love fully.”
Vancouver Opera will also be presenting several other special events, including the highly anticipated return of the beloved, free, and family-friendly Opera in the Park on July 19, 2026. This enchanting open-air concert will take place at 7:30pm in the picturesque Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, offering a magical evening of music under the stars for all ages.
2026–2027 season ticket packages are on sale now, and current season ticket holders have until April 3, 2026, to renew. Single tickets for Tosca, The Barber of Seville, and La Traviata go on sale June 29, 2026. For more information about Vancouver Opera and season tickets, visitvancouveropera.ca.
2026—2027 VANCOUVER OPERA SEASON
TOSCA
By Giacomo Puccini
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Sung in Italian with English SURTITLES™ projected above the stage
Saturday, Oct 24, 7:30PM | Thursday, Oct 29, 7:30PM | Sunday, Nov 1, 2:00PM
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
By Gioachino Rossini
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Sung in Italian with English SURTITLES™ projected above the stage
Saturday, February 13, 7:30PM | Thursday, February 18, 7:30PM | Saturday, February 20, 7:30PM | Sunday, February 21, 2:00PM
LA TRAVIATA
By Giuseppe Verdi
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Sung in Italian with English SURTITLES™ projected above the stage
Saturday, April 24, 7:30PM | Thursday, April 29, 7:30PM | Saturday, May 1, 7:30PM | Sunday, May 2, 2:00PM
ABOUT VANCOUVER OPERA
Vancouver Opera creates extraordinary experiences that engage, inspire and entertain through voice, music and theatre. Vancouver Opera is the second largest professional opera company in Canada and is regarded worldwide for its fine mainstage productions, country-leading education programs and innovative community programs. Learn more at www.vancouveropera.ca.
Vancouver Opera has the continuing support of The Canada Council for the Arts, Government of Canada, the BC Arts Council and BC Provincial Government, the City of Vancouver Cultural Services and Vancouver Civic Theatres. Vancouver Opera’s season sponsor is Montecristo Jewellers.