Michael Hidetoshi Mori

Michael Hidetoshi Mori is the General Director and Artistic Director of Tapestry Opera and a freelance opera director based in Toronto, Canada. Michael has won Canada’s highest award for outstanding direction in opera twice, has received accolades as a recording artist and film director, and developed and directed Nicole Lizée and Nicolas Billon’s R.U.R., a Torrent of Light which won the Music Critics’ Association of North America 2023 Best New Opera (marking the first time for a Canadian work.) He recently became the youngest recipient of Opera Canada’s Ruby Award for his co-creation of the Women in Musical Leadership program with co-awardee Jaime Martino. Michael is also the past chair of the Association for Opera in Canada and a board member of Opera America. 

Select Tapestry projects that Michael has piloted include working with The Ontario College of Art and Design to create cue-able, collaboratively developed wearable tech for the robot-opera R.U.R. a torrent of light; Persian Classical musicians and a Farsi rapper for the opera Forbidden; 10+ Indigenous artists and elders for the collaborative creation of Shanawdithit, giving voice back to the last living Beothuk (the first full Indigenous genocide in North America); and creating the Opera Writers Room during the pandemic to create S.O.S. aka Sketch Opera Shorts with a team of writers, composers, singers, and pianists exchanging roles fluidly. Michael has led Tapestry Opera since 2014, helping commission and premiere over 15 major Canadian works.

Coffee or tea:Green tea.
Favourite Tapestry show or memory:When we presented M’dea Undone at the Evergreen Brickworks, the space was partially covered but semi-open to the elements, and it began to rain during a scene. As the rain started to abate, conductor Jordan de Souza was able to guess when it would stop and timed the playout of the scene with the end of the rain for a magical scene transition.
Musical talent(s):A little-known fact is that I am an erstwhile alphorn (think “Riiii-cola”) player. In my twenties, I used to busk across Europe with the alphorn, and even dragged it up a few mountains in BC to find the perfect echo.
Most anticipated part of our new neighbourhood and venue:I’m excited for the point when the venue and facility are so frequently used that it becomes a place to encounter new artists from different disciplines and shows in the green room.
Favourite Opera / Musical:I will always have a deep love for La nozze di Figaro, as one of the first operas I performed in university (Papageno!). Of contemporary repertoire, I would say R.U.R: a torrent of light for its orchestration, storytelling and possibilities for the integration of technology.
I recommend:…ensuring that you don’t miss Ten Days in a Madhouse next June. This co-production between Tapestry and Opera Philadelphia features an incredible libretto by Hannah Moscovitch (who mainly writes for TV and film these days and now has a show on Broadway with Hugh Jackman!) and a compelling score by Renee Orth.