Interplay Opera Workshop: Excerpts from St. Matthew Passion, 2025.
Presented in collaboration with Toronto’s Tapestry Opera—the country's leading producer of new opera—this dazzling contemporary opera tangos with the ethics of A.I.
Inspired by Karel Čapek’s 1920’s science-fiction play Rossum’s Universal Robots, which introduced the word “robot” to the English language, R.U.R. A Torrent of Light offers a look into the near future, where humanoid bots start to prioritize their own learning over their creators’ instructions. Tech mogul inventors Helena and Dom soon realize they’ve reached a turning point in the A.I. tech race. But is humanity ready?
With compositions by the highly innovative JUNO-nominated Nicole Lizée and a libretto by award-winning writer Nicolas Billon, the opera made its Dora Award-winning world premiere at Tapestry Opera in 2022. It was the first Canadian work to win the best new opera award from the Music Critics Association of North America. Four years since its world premiere, this workshop presents updates to the piece’s A.I. language, incorporates motion capture, and new sections of movement and choreography.
With its daring, electronic-infused score and its complex reflections on the risks of A.I., R.U.R. A Torrent of Light couldn’t be timelier.
Opera is generously supported by the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund and the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Scholarship Fund for Dutch Artists.
Program
Run time: 75 min
The evening opens with Cassation, a new work by participant composer Tristan Wilson, performed by Taline Yeremian and Kelsey Ronn, followed by selected scenes from R.U.R. A Torrent of Light. After the workshop, audiences will get a short technical demonstration of the wearable sound and light technology the creative team has been tinkering with throughout the process.
About the Program Faculty
Christina Bell
Soprano Christina Bell is in demand across North America for Concert, Opera, and Oratorio. She recently made her debut with Toronto City Opera in the title role of Susannah and sang the role of Paquette in Candide with the North York Concert Orchestra. A graduate from University of Toronto with a Diploma in Operatic Performance, Christina sang the roles of Mrs. Baggett in Footsteps in Campbell House, Lady with a Cake Box in Dominick Argentos’ Postcard from Morocco, Lady Billows in Brittens’ Albert Herring, Donatella in Encouters, as well as being a part of Last Days, a new production with Tim Albery and David Fallis.
Over the years Christina has attended the Mainstage/Ensemble Programs at Opera on the Avalon, The Centre for Opera Studies in Italy, Halifax Summer Opera Festival, St. Andrews Summer Opera Workshop. Other recent operatic performances include Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito, Liliana in Miracle Flight 571 with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Portia in Le marchand de Venise, Cousin Hebe from Gilbert & Sullivans’ HMS Pinafore, Mrs.Grose in The Turn of the Screw, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Helena in Brittens’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Christina has been a member of the Canadian Opera Company Chorus since 2015 and when she is not on a stage, she can be found exploring her passion for arts administration and management. She is the Opera & Public Events Administrator at the University of Toronto and in 2023 took on the role of the Company Manager for the Banff Centre: Opera in the 21st Century & Interplay Programs.
Michael Mori
Michael Hidetoshi Mori is an artist and opera director known for genre-defying work. His bold productions include RUR: A Torrent of Light (MCANA 2023 Best New Opera), Forbidden with Persian classical and hip hop artists, and Shanawdithit, a landmark Indigenous-led opera. He has collaborated with punk band Fucked Up and led tech-driven innovations like cue-able wearable-tech. A two-time recipient of Canada’s highest award for opera direction, he also co-founded the Women in Musical Leadership program. Michael is General Director of Tapestry Opera, a board director of Opera America and the past chair of the Association for Opera in Canada
Lesley Abarquez Bradley
Working primarily in opera for 30 years, Lesley stage manages regularly for the Canadian Opera Company and the Glenn Gould School, at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has also enjoyed working with Tapestry Opera, Edmonton Opera, Against the Grain Theatre, Opera Columbus, the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, and the University of Toronto Opera School.
Some of her favourite credits include: Eugene Onegin, Don Pasquale, Fidelio, Tosca, Pomegranate, Die Walkure, Salome, Traviata (COC); Dialogues des Carmelites, Flight, Rinaldo, The Magic Flute, Svadba, Cendrillon (GGS); Die Fledermaus (Edmonton Opera); Figaro’s Wedding, Kopernikus, A Little Too Cozy (Against the Grain Theatre); Orphée (AGT/Opera Columbus/Banff Centre); Gould’s Wall, Shanawdithit (Tapestry Opera); The Queen In Me (Amplified Opera/Nightwood Theatre).
Lesley is thrilled to be back at The Banff Centre this summer, as stage manager for The Handmaid’s Tale.
Spencer Kryzanowski
Spencer Kryzanowski is a passionate crossover artist working as a conductor, music director, répétiteur, and vocal coach in both musical theatre and opera.
Spencer is the assistant conductor and pianist for Edmonton Opera; a staff member in the University of Toronto Opera department; resident music director for Good Mess Opera Theatre; and resident music director for Pop Goes the Opera in Edmonton, Alberta. On top of these regular positions, Spencer maintains a busy freelance schedule.
As a conductor and music director, Spencer has worked on numerous opera and musical theatre productions across Canada. His recent opera credits include Wagner’s Die Walküre (Edmonton Opera), Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle (Edmonton Opera), Strauss Jr's Die Fledermaus (Edmonton Opera), Puccini's Il tabarro (Pop Goes the Opera), Massenet's Cendrillon (UofT Opera), Hank and Gremlin (Good Mess Opera), and La bohème (Mercury Opera). Spencer's recent musical theatre credits include Newsies, Mean Girls: The Musical, and Beauty and the Beast with Bravo Academy.
Spencer's recent répétiteur credits include Guerrero's El huésped del sevillano with Toronto Operetta Theatre, Nino Rota's Il cappello di paglia di Firenze, and a comedic triple-bill of Hindemith's Hin und zurück, Offenbach's Monsieur Choufleuri, and Douglas Moore's Gallantry. Other credits include Humperdink's Hänsel und Gretel with Berlin Opera Academy; Copland's The Tender Land; Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia; Puccini’s Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi; and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. Spencer had the pleasure of workshopping Melancholia, an opera based on the Lars von Trier film, by Mikael Karlsson and Royce Vavrek in 2023 for the Royal Swedish Opera. Additionally, Spencer assisted as a répétiteur and vocal coach in a workshop of Indians on Vacation by Ian Cusson and Royce Vavrek in 2024 as part of a collaboration with Against the Grain Theatre and Edmonton Opera.