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DRAGON’s TALE: A soaring epic across generations
Written by Mark Brownell
Composed by Chan Ka Nin
Directed by Michael Hidetoshi Mori
Music Director David Fallis, Naomi Woo (June 18)
June 15 – 18, 2023
Harbourfront Centre Concert Stage
A Tapestry Opera and Soundstreams co-production.
Content warning: Dragon’s Tale contains death by suicide.
Co-presented by Luminato Festival Toronto and realized in partnership with Harbourfront Centre
Artwork by Gracia Lam
FROM TAPESTRY OPERA
Welcome to Dragon’s Tale! If it’s your first time at a Tapestry show, welcome. If you know us well, welcome back! Either way, we’re so glad you’re here.
Tapestry Opera is a 44-year old company, the only professional company in Canada dedicated solely and obsessively to the cultivation, commissioning, development, and producing of new works of opera. We believe that opera is a vast, expansive art form, and that there is no end to the stories that we can tell. We celebrate creators and artists who disrupt the status quo, who access universal emotions through specificity of storytelling, and who are engaged in the time and place they live. Opera is an art form of possibilities, and we know that those possibilities can stretch on forever.
Chan Ka Nin and Mark Brownell have a long history with Tapestry; their work Iron Road premiered in 2001 as the largest work Tapestry ever produced to date, and was an incredible spectacle of beauty, history, and fable. When they approached us about Dragon’s Tale in 2018, we knew that there was similar magic at work – a story that stretches backwards and forwards, but keeps the humanity of its characters at its heart. After many years of starts and stops, we are so delighted to be here with you.
Thank you for joining us for this epic journey on the water, through the mists of time and place. We hope that in the end, you find yourself at home.
Michael Hidetoshi Mori, Artistic and General Director
Jaime Martino, Executive Director
FROM SOUNDSTREAMS
Soundstreams is celebrating its 40th anniversary this season, and it’s so fitting that we’re premiering an opera by Chan Ka Nin at the culmination of this celebratory season. Soundstreams’ history with Ka Nin, and mine as oboist, go backnearly three decades, beginning with The Charmer, a work commissioned in 1994 for our Encounters series. Encounters was co-produced with CBC’s Two New Hours in the Glenn Gould Studio and I premiered this work for my instrument – the oboe’amore – together with chamber ensemble. It was subsequently recorded and released on a CD of Canadian music called The Charmer, still available on the Centrediscs label.
A number of Soundstreams commissions followed, but of particular interest in the context of Dragon’s Tale was that for the oratorio The Weaving Maiden, premiered on the Encounters series in 2006. The Weaving Maiden has much in common with Dragon’s Tale: it features a libretto by Ka Nin’s long-time collaborator Mark Brownell; both are centred around a quintessential ancient Chinese legend, in that case a story of unrequited love; the orchestras in both include Western and non-Western instruments, i.e., traditional Chinese; and both incorporate Western and non-Western operatic traditions, including those from Beijing Opera.
In addition to our long history with Ka Nin and Mark, we’re also delighted that Dragon’s Tale incorporates performing artists that are near and dear to us having worked with Soundstreams over many seasons. These include Dragon Tale’s music director David Fallis, who is also the music director of Soundstreams Choir 21, a project choir formed more than a decade ago specifically for the performance of contemporary music and opera. And Ensemble Soundstreams itself has a history of performing and touring music that combines Western and non-Western instruments. That ensemble has toured to the Beijing Modern Music Festival, the Shanghai New Music Week and has appeared in Tapei’s National Concert Hall.
Dragon’s Tale marks our third major co-production with Luminato, the first being R. Murray Schafer’s monumental opera The Children’s Crusade in 2009, the second being Hell’s Fury, The Hollywood Songbook in 2019, starring Russell Braun.
We thank Luminato for their continuing support for Canadian music and contemporary creation. This is our first co-production with Tapestry Opera of a staged work and we thank them for being such a resourceful and talented partner.
– Lawrence Cherney, Founding Artistic Director
FROM LUMINATO FESTIVAL TORONTO
Luminato has been proud partners with both Soundstreams and Tapestry Opera over many festivals, and we are so excited to be collaborating with both organizations, together, in 2023. We began talking about presenting Dragon’s Tale in 2019, so it’s been a long time coming, and I could not be more thrilled to see this beautiful project come to fruition. Dragon’s Tale is a tremendous work by the brilliant team of Chan Ka Nin and Mark Brownell which tells an important story for our city.
Offering the opera to the public for free, on the water, in partnership with our friends at Harbourfront Centre, is a wonderful way to honour the story of Dragon’s Tale after so many years of planning. Thank you for coming. Enjoy the show, enjoy the lake, enjoy Luminato Festival Toronto!
– Naomi Campbell, Artistic Director
Composer’s Note
Growing up in Hong Kong, my fond memories are the festivals, often associated with fun activities such as lighting firecrackers and playing with lanterns. Together with special foods and a public holiday, what’s not to like? When Dragon Boat racing became popular in Canada, I was amazed this Chinese cultural event is practiced worldwide, and I decided to write an opera to tell the story behind this legend, Qu Yuan because this loyal minister in the court of Chu from 2300 years ago is not that well known in Canada. My first thought is to ask Mark Brownell, a writer with whom I have worked for over 20 years, to write the story and the text. As always, Mark is a good sport and dives into the subject. After 8 years, he knows more about Qu Yuan than I do; initially, I did not know he was also an influential poet. In the process, we incorporate this ancient story into a modern-day story of a young girl and her father. Both Mark and I have a daughter, and our parental experience is inevitably reflected in the story. I am very thankful to Mark, and the dragon team: Michael Mori of Tapestry Opera, Lawrence Cherney of Soundstreams, and music director David Fallis, for realizing the tale from the past.
– Chan Ka Nin
Librettist’s Note
I am grateful for the kind support of composer Chan Ka Nin and the Tapestry Opera creative team. It is always a challenge to adapt factual history into drama. With Dragon’s Tale, we have chosen to present a simplified version of the great poet Qu Yuan’s life. The historical record is far more complex, of course, but the essence of the man and what he sacrificed remains.
– Mark Brownell
Director’s Note
Collaborating with composer Chan Ka Nin and librettist Mark Brownell has been a great pleasure with a dynamic that is a reflection of the show. Both creators are fathers with adult children, whereas I relate more to this story as the son of an immigrant father. While the opera features the story of Qu Yuan, for Xiao Lian, it is the struggle of a child with a stubborn parent that forces the exploration of Qu Yuan’s mythical past, and that tricky intergenerational dynamic is where I find the most resonance.
At the heart of Dragon’s Tale are three propositions. One for parents: despite your lived experience, your children, especially in times of change, must be fundamentally different to adapt and thrive. One for children: you may never know the full picture of your parents, and you should not judge them by the last 5 minutes or years of their life. The final proposition is for Toronto as a model for many places in the world: With a younger population composed of many children of immigrants, any one person’s cultural identity is fluid, complex and unique and mostly accepted as such. This feature of cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montréal I humbly put forward as a great opportunity for Canada to lead in celebrating common humanity and cultural differences as complementary.
– Michael Hidetoshi Mori
Music Director’s Note
Dragon’s Tale tells the story of a young woman struggling to find balance as she incorporates many sides of her family and cultural inheritance into her modern life. And so it is entirely appropriate that the music in Dragon’s Tale is also a combination of many styles and influences. This has been one of the great pleasures of working on the piece, discovering moments of challenging contemporary writing beside heartfelt musical theatre ballads, Chinese pentatonic melodies beside astringent chromaticism, and in the orchestra, traditional Chinese instruments beside traditional Western ones. And all of these varied themes and styles are brilliantly woven together by Chan Ka Nin to create a unique synthesis where musical motifs shift and transform in an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colours.
– David Fallis
Synopsis
Dragon’s Tale is the story of a young Chinese-Canadian woman (Xiao Lian) and her ailing father, both living in Toronto. Xiao Lian wakes up in the ancient past and witnesses the last days of one of China’s greatest poets, Qu Yuan. In doing so, she begins to understand her father and herself as she returns to a challenging present.
Scene 1 | A young Chinese/Canadian woman (Xiao Lian) faces a difficult choice: Honour her family’s traditional past or embrace a more modern future. Her father dwells on the memory of his deceased wife and honours her by performing the Qingming funeral tradition. Meanwhile, Xiao Lian’s two friends want her to get out and be more social. Her father objects to this and demands that she stay home.
Scene 2 | Xiao Lian’s father bitterly reveals that he will die soon. Xiao Lian’s mother appears in spirit form and asks her to forgive her father. She speaks of their happiness together as a family in earlier times. As a child, Xiao Lian had a close connection with the Dragon Boat Festival, known as Duanwu and its hero, the ancient poet Qu Yuan. Her Father and Qu Yuan are linked together by fate.
Scene 3 | Xiao Lian vows to look to the past and summons the great spirit of Qu Yuan. His spirit rises and assumes the form of Xiao Lian’s father.
Scene 4 | Xiao Lian is transported back to the ancient royal court, where she witnesses the majestic entrance of King Huai of Chu. Qu Yuan is at the peak of his power but is soon outfoxed by rival minister Zhang Yi. Qu Yuan is cast down and banished by his beloved king.
Scene 5 | Qu Yuan wanders into the southern wilderness. As he travels, he composes a lament for himself and his lost position in court. In the present, Xiao Lian’s Father senses his end is near. Summoning up his strength, he joins with the spirit of Qu Yuan to tell the final chapter.
Scene 6 | Years later, Qu Yuan has earned the honour and respect of the people in a little fishing village on the river Miluo. Xiao Lian and a local villager strike up a conversation with Qu Yuan, and it is soon revealed that The Kingdom of Chu has been destroyed by its enemies. After learning this news, Qu Yuan’s heart breaks, and he drowns himself in the river. Xiao Lian and the villager raise the alarm, and the fishermen launch their dragon boats in a desperate attempt to save Qu Yuan.
Scene 7 | All hope is lost as the villagers return and collect Qu Yuan’s possessions. They take the scrolls containing his famous poetry to the Daoist temple, where they will be preserved forever. Xiao Lian returns to the present at the bedside of her dying father. With his encouragement and love, she finally recognizes the value of honouring the past.
Scene 8 | Xiao Lian performs the Qingming ceremony to honour the spirit of her departed father and mother. Love and fellowship combine in the running of a dragon boat race. Xiao Lian joins her friends and crosses into her future.
Scene 9 (Epilogue) | The combined spirits of Qu Yuan and Father return and ask the audience to release them from their servitude. That freedom granted, they ascend into the heavens triumphantly.
Creators
Chan Ka Nin
Composer
Twice winner of Juno Awards for Best Classical Composition, Chan Ka Nin’s works have been performed by ensembles and artists such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Orchestra, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Esprit Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra London Canada, Symphony Nova Scotia, Amici, Mirò Quartet, Purcell Quartet, Rivka Golani and Lawrence Cherney.
Mark Brownell
Librettist
Mark is a Toronto-based playwright and librettist. His projects with composer Chan Ka Nin include Iron Road (Tapestry Opera), The Weaving Maiden (Soundstreams), Harmonious Interest (Victoria Symphony) and Dragon’s Tale (Tapestry/Soundstreams). Other selected work includes Monsieur d’Eon is a Woman (Pea Green Theatre Group/Buddies In Bad Times), The Chevalier St. George (Tafelmusik), The Schoolyard Carmen (Shoestring Opera) and Three Men in a Boat (Pea Green Theatre Group).
Michael Hidetoshi Mori
Director
Michael Hidetoshi Mori is an internationally acclaimed stage director, working equally in site-specific settings and conventional theatres. As an operatic stage director, Michael is a two-time Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Direction winner for Rocking Horse Winner and R.U.R. A Torrent of Light.
David Fallis
Music Director
David Fallis is a Canadian conductor and music director renowned for his work in both early and contemporary music. He has conducted at the Royal Opera House in Versailles, the Luminato Festival, the Glimmerglass Festival, the Singapore Festival, Festival Vancouver, Houston Grand Opera, the Seoul Arts Centre, Cleveland Opera, Wolftrap Theater, Utah Opera, and in major opera houses in Japan.
Cast
Alicia Ault
Xiao Lian
Hailing from Toronto Canada, Alicia Ault is a Chinese-Canadian actor with a passion for musical theatre, opera, and jazz music. Alicia is excited to be returning to Tapestry Opera as Xiao Lian in this co-production of Dragon’s Tale with Soundstreams and the Luminato Festival!
Evanna Lai
Mom / Zhang Yi / Villager / Female Friend (Cover)
Canadian mezzo-soprano and future veterinarian Evanna Lai is thrilled to return to the stage in Tapestry Opera’s Dragon’s Tale. As a singer, she apprenticed at Santa Fe Opera, and holds degrees from the University of British Columbia and the Yale School of Music. Ms. Lai has a special interest in contemporary and early music, but currently resides in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where she is pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
Mishael Eusebio
King / Male Friend
Mishael Eusebio is Filipino-Canadian Tenor currently based in Montréal and Toronto. He is an avid interpreter of contemporary classical music; recent engagements include: Young Harvey Milk (Harvey Milk Reimagined), the cover for Rose’s Fiancé (Awakenings) at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the cover for Alexandre Rosenberg (La beauté du monde) at l’Opéra de Montréal. He has also workshopped operas with Houston Grand Opera and the National Sawdust in Brooklyn. Eusebio is a graduate of The Juilliard School, CCM (Cincinnati), and l’Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal.
Todd Jang
Qu Yuan / Father
Todd is delighted to return to the stage after a hiatus of 11 years to make his Tapestry Opera debut in the dual roles of Dad and Qu Yuan. As the son of a Chinese-Canadian mother, Todd learnt from a young age the importance of embracing and preserving cultural traditions. He would like to dedicate his performance to his mother, (Bonnie) Jang Mojing, his grandparents, (Dick) Jang Yin Chong and (Dora) Jang Gut Lin, and his cousin (Julia) Lee Moolan.
Grace Lee
Chorus (Soprano)
Korean-Canadian soprano Grace Lee discovered a love for contemporary music at 16 when debuting as Pandora in Dean Burry’s Pandora’s Locker. She is honoured to be a part of Dragon’s Tale, hoping all glory goes to Jesus.
Alyssa Nicole Samson
Chorus (Mezzo) / Female Friend
Alyssa Nicole Samson is a Filipino-Canadian mezzo-soprano based in Vancouver, BC. Her artistic presence is inspired by her continued curiosity and dedication in bridging the gap between her Western classical education and her Filipino heritage. Driven by her passion to connect with the community through the operatic art form, it enabled Alyssa to tour and perform internationally in Portugal, Italy, Spain, Austria and the United States, in addition to working with musical communities within the Lower Mainland.
Mike Fan 范祖铭
Chorus (Tenor)
Mike Fan | 范祖铭 (they), is renowned for memorable performances in 11 languages, “sung extremely well and acted even better” (Opera Ramblings) across North America, Europe, and Australia. A multi-disciplinary artist whose work spans opera and beyond as a tenor, actor, producer, and educator, Mike is thrilled to make their professional début with Tapestry Opera in Chan’s Dragon’s Tale.
Keith Lam
Chorus (Baritone)
Hong Kong-born, Toronto-based singer Keith Lam (he/him) recently made his European debut with Soundstream’s staged production of Claude Vivier’s Musik für das Ende. He also appeared in the film adaption of the a cappella opera Sweat, reviving the role of the Boss, which had its premiere this year at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival.
SOUNDSTREAMS Choir 21
Founded in 2010 by Soundstreams’ Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney, Soundstreams Choir 21 is a pre-eminent group of exceptional singers selected on a project basis by Music Director David Fallis. Soundstreams Choir 21 members are handpicked for their ability to perform contemporary choral music. They are drawn from a pool of professional choristers, including the Canadian Opera Company Chorus, Tafelmusik Choir, and The Elmer Iseler Singers. The choir appears in Soundstreams’ concerts under David Fallis and with renowned guest conductors such as James MacMillan, Tõnu Kaljuste and Péter Eötvös. Soundstreams Choir 21 has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and for the Toronto International Film Festival, Art of Time, and Continuum. Soundstreams Choir 21 is committed to the highest possible standards for the performance of compelling new choral music in the 21st century.
David Fallis | Music Director & Conductor
Grace Lee | Soprano
Clara Krausse | Soprano
Gisele Kulak | Soprano
Alyssa Nicole Samson | Alto
Veronika Anissimova | Alto
Claudia Lemcke | Alto
Mike Fan 范祖铭 | Tenor
Robert Busiakiewicz | Tenor
Benjamin Keast | Tenor
Keith Lam | Bass
Jacob Feldman | Bass
Bryan Martin | Bass
ENSEMBLE SOUNDSTREAMS
Soundstreams has no permanent ensemble but has worked for more than twenty years with a nucleus group of some of Toronto and Canada’s finest instrumentalists assembled by the excellent cellist David Hetherington. As with Soundstreams Choir 21, they have appeared under esteemed international conductors of the stature of James MacMillan, Tõnu Kaljuste and Péter Eötvös. Ensemble Soundstreams made its first international tour to the Beijing Modern Music Festival and Taiwan’s National Concert Hall in 2013, returning to China in 2018 at the invitation of the Shanghai New Music Festival.
Patty Chan
Erhu
Patty Chan is a second-generation Chinese Canadian erhu musician, educator, composer, and author. She is the Music Director of the Toronto Chinese Orchestra, Co-founder of PhoeNX Ensemble with harpist Sanya Eng, and the Founder of the Centre for Music Innovations.
Wen Zhao
Pipa
Wen Zhao is an acclaimed pipa virtuoso, “a sensitive and lyrical performer”. Born in Beijing, she began to learn the Pipa at the age of seven, having studied under the renowned pipa master Wang Fan Di at the China Conservatory of Music. In 1990 Wen continued her musical journey in England, performing and leading Chinese music workshops throughout the U.K. Wen has lived in Toronto since 1997 and teaches pipa at York University. She is the co-founder of the Lute Legends Collective, which is a performing association of musicians who represent ancient plucked-string traditions.
ZiWen Cynthia Qin
Guzheng
ZiWen Cynthia Qin, B. A. graduated from the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing; her excellent and mature performance is well-known in the Greater Toronto Area. Cynthia Qin has successfully developed her own distinctive performance style. Her performance is skillful, her timbre is soft and brilliant, and her expression is exquisite.
Leslie Allt
Flute / Dizi
Leslie Allt is a Toronto-based poly-flutist known for combining finesse with versatility. As Principal Flute for the National Ballet of Canada and regular guest principal with the Hamilton and Kitchener-Waterloo orchestras, he is a respected classical orchestral player and soloist.
Colin Maier
Oboe
Since 2009, Colin has been the oboist for the internationally acclaimed classical crossover ensemble Quartetto Gelato. During that time, he has been heard on global radio broadcasts, recorded 6 albums, received the 2010 INDIE award for best classical ensemble, and toured the world several times.
Dominic Desautels
Clarinet
Dominic Desautels has been the Principal Clarinetist at the Canadian Opera Company since 2017 and on the University of Toronto faculty. He is considered one of Canada’s most sought-after wind instrumentalists and enjoys a thriving career as a soloist, chamber musician and pedagogue.
Zsofia Stefan
Bassoon
Zsofia Stefan is a winner of multiple international competitions and received an excellent diploma from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest. Before relocating to Canada, she was the principal bassoonist and soloist of a leading Hungarian orchestra, Concerto Budapest (2011-2020). Her first solo album, “Exploring Enchanted Gardens” was released in 2018.
Olivia Esther
Horn
Olivia Esther is an active performer, having played with many of Canada’s finest arts organizations, orchestras and presenters, including the Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia, Festival of the Sound, Toronto Jazz Festival, and Mirvish Productions.
Anita McAlister
Trumpet
An active freelancer in Toronto, Anita McAlister has an interesting and varied career performing with the Toronto Symphony, the National Ballet Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company, the Hamilton Philharmonic and the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Ian Cowie
Trombone
Toronto-born Ian Cowie is a member of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra where he has performed over 150 opera productions including eight world premieres and […]
Michael Murphy
Percussion
Hailed as “excellent” (New York Times, 2022) and “captivating” (Myanmar Times, 2018), Chinese-Canadian percussionist Michael Murphy has toured North America, Scandinavia, Europe, and Asia as a chamber and solo musician.
Michelle Colton
Percussion
Dr. Michelle Colton is a versatile percussionist who has performed throughout North America, Asia, Europe, and Central America. She often performs with the Canadian Opera Company, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Soundstreams, Esprit Orchestra, Niagara Symphony, and her duo Oregano Percussion.
Andréa Tyniec
Violin I / Concertmaster
Violinist Andréa Tyniec has created a versatile performance career as a soloist and as a collaborator with dance and theatre; and is recognized as a promoter of contemporary music, particularly of Canadian new works.
Suhashini Arulanandam
Violin II
Violinist Suhashini Arulanandam is a musical explorer with an intense curiosity and a love for finding a commonality between elements. Her explorations have included tango, free improvisation, new music, historically informed performance/Baroque violin, and folk music traditions.
Suhashini is a member of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and Windsor Symphony Orchestra and frequently plays with the Esprit Orchestra as well as numerous other ensembles such as the Thin Edge New Music Collective, Arraymusic and Soundstreams.
Jody Davenport
Viola
Judith is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, where she studied with members of the Penderecki String Quartet. She has been a member of the National Youth Orchestra, continuing her summer studies in Banff at the Orford Arts Centre and has participated in a number of QuartetFests at Wilfrid Laurier University.
David Hetherington
Cello
A native of St. Catharines, Ontario, David Hetherington was the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Assistant Principal Cellist for many years. He received musical training at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto. He furthered his cello studies in New York, Italy and Germany with Claus Adam, André Navarra and Paul Tortelier.
Sanya Eng
Harp
Sanya Eng is one of Canada’s most sought-after harpists of her generation, equally celebrated as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. A dynamic and sensitive performer, she has been described as “an outstanding musical talent” (Jerusalem Post), “remarkably polished” (Globe and Mail) and “dazzling with her delicate and intense command of the harp” (Musical Toronto).
Travis Harrison
Double Bass
Travis Harrison is professor of Double Bass at the University of Ottawa who performs regularly in chamber, soloist, and orchestra roles. Notable engagements have been as Guest Principal Bass of both the National Arts Centre and Canadian Opera Company Orchestras; Ottawa’s Chamberfest, Saskatoon’s Ritornello Festival, Owen Sound’s Sweetwater Festival, and festivals across Europe; as a champion of contemporary music with Array Music and Soundstreams; and as bassist-in-residence at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance and the Banff Centre.
Creative, DESIGN & Production Team
郝邦 宇Steven Hao
Assistant Director
郝邦宇 Steven Hao is a Toronto-based director, actor, and writer passionate about creating work that breaks the boundary of what theatre can be. Born and raised in China, Steven is very open about how his upbringing and cultural influence have often impacted how he tells stories and leads his process.
Naomi Woo
Associate Conductor, Women in Musical Leadership Program
Naomi Woo, named by CBC in 2019 as a “Top 30 Classical Musicians under 30”, is the Assistant Conductor of Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the first-ever Music Director of Sistema Winnipeg.
Echo Zhou 周芷會
Lighting Designer
Echo is an award-nominated Chinese immigrant, Tkaronto-based scenographer working in live performance. She has designed for Tarragon Theatre, Studio 180, Buddies in the Bad Times, Theatre Passe Muraille, Thousand Island Playhouse, Frog in Hand, The Theatre Centre, SummerWorks Festival, The Next Stage Festival, etc. Her design works have also been presented in Japan and China. Echo was one of Why Not Theatre’s ThisGen Fellowship cohorts in 2020.
Lawrence Cherney
Soundstreams’ Artistic Director
Lawrence Cherney’s first professional engagement was as oboist under the baton of Igor Stravinsky in the CBC Symphony. At the forefront of Canadian music for over 40 years, he is often referred to as Canada’s “Ambassador of New Music”.
Jackie Chau
Set & Costume Designer
Jackie has worked as a set and costume designer for over 200 productions, and her work can be seen across Canada and internationally. In addition, she is a production designer and art director for film and television.
Charissa Wilcox
Production Manager
Charissa spent the last couple decades working at the Iconic Queer Canadian Art Organization, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (BIBT) as the Head of Production.
Myra A. Malley
Stage Manager
Myra is a career stage manager for both opera and drama. Theatre companies worked with include the Foster Festival, Grand Theatre, Citadel Theatre, Watermark Theatre and both the Stratford and Shaw Festivals; Opera companies include Toronto Operetta Theatre, Opera Hamilton, Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera, Edmonton Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Opera Lyra and The Banff Centre.
Rachel More
Assistant Stage Manager
Rachel More is an artist living and working in Hamilton, Ontario. Past credits include Die Fledermaus (TOT), Sound of Music (Brott Music Festival), Ordinary Days (Hamilton Theatre Project), Mary’s Wedding (Rooks Theatre). Rachel loves opera and musical theatre and is excited to be making her debut with Tapestry.
David Hoekstra
Head of Props
David is an acquisitive props master and builder for hire whose work has been seen in almost every theatre throughout Toronto over the last 30 years. David has also been the props master for George Brown College Theatre School since 1997.
Ellie Koffman
Head of Wardrobe
Ellie is a Toronto-based Costume Designer and Wardrobe Manager. Ellie currently serves as a Head of Wardrobe at Soulpepper Theatre Company.
Hyejin Kwon
Répétiteur
Korean-Canadian pianist Hyejin Kwon moved to Toronto in 2012. A graduate of Peabody Conservatory of Music, University of Toronto Opera, and COC ensemble studio, she has worked as a music staff with Canadian Opera Company, Against the Grain Theatre, Canadian Children’s Opera Company, and Lyric Opera of Baltimore to name a few. She is also currently working on her DMA in collaborative piano at University of Toronto.
Stéphane Mayer
Répétiteur 2
Pianist and composer Stéphane Mayer has quickly been establishing himself as one of Canada’s premier up-and-coming artists. A recent graduate of the COC ensemble, Stéphane has served as a rehearsal pianist and member of the music staff for Norma, The Magic Flute, Louis Riel, Arabella, The Abduction from the Seraglio, Anna Bolena, Eugene Onegin, Cosi fan Tutte, La Boheme and Otello at the Canadian Opera Company.
Patrick Iun
Surtitlist
Patrick Iun is a multidisciplinary artist and musician based in Toronto, Ontario. A graduate of the Bachelor of Music program at the DAN School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University and the Music and Digital Media program at St. Lawrence College, he has been immersed in the arts all his life.
Behind the scenes
Past & Present
Soprano Alicia Ault (Xiao Lian) performs Past & Present from Dragon’s Tale. This piece shares Xiao Lian’s struggle to either “embrace new life and be free and selfish” or “embrace the past and be stuck in a dream”
Thank you to our Sponsors & Supporters
Dragon’s Tale is supported by George and Kathy Kawasaki.
We gratefully acknowledge our public and private supporters.
Program
Government
Foundations
Luminato Festival Toronto Supporters
Community Sponsor
Cultural Media Sponsor
Fête Chinoise is a cultural platform that aims to empower individuals to deepen the connection between identity and Chinese culture. Through a curated lens and critical thinking, they present meaningful stories, artful experiences, and inspiring products and editorial content. Their mission is to move culture forward, through compelling editorial and design work surrounding the arts, tradition, lifestyle and community which are areas in the Chinese-Canadian community that suffer from the lack of representation and high-quality presentation.
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Stephanie Applin
Sue Mortimer
Sue White
Susan Davies
Toronto Lithuanian Senior
Citizens Incorporated
Trixie Postoff
Ulrich Menzefricke
VILNIUS MANOR
Virginia Hatfield
Walter Stewart
William Terry
Wilma Spence
SOUNDSTREAMS DONORS
PREMIERE CIRCLE $5,000 +
Linda and Michael Hutcheon*
Lawrence and Donna Smith*
Kris Vikmanis and Denny Creighton
CREATOR CIRCLE $2,500 – $4,999
Lawrence and Linda Kelley Cherney
David Fallis and Alison Mackay
Katherine Smalley
Neil and Carolyn Turnbull
SOUND CIRCLE $1,000 – $2,499
Daniel Bernhard*
Paul Caston and Cathryn Gregor
Benjamin Dietschi and Caitlin Wood
Doris and Alvin Jantzi
Ellen Karp and William Johnston
Robert and Miriam Rottapel
Paul Schabas and Alison Girling
Alan Teder
Daniel Weinzweig and Nancy Nightingale*
FRIENDS CIRCLE $500 – $999
Kate Applin*
Margaret Genovese
Willem Hart
Richard Shallhorn
$100 – $499
Stephanie Applin
Richard Archbold
Morgana Asselin
Elizabeth Allslstine
John Beckwith and Kathleen McMorrow
Gordon Best
Edward Bierstone
David Buley
Coco Chen
Lloy Cook
Rebecca Cuddy
Omar Daniel
David de Launey
Paul Dutton
David Fisher
Martin Gerwin
Jane Glassco
Elaine Gold
Thomas Griffiths
Trevor Haldenby
William Hammond
James Harley
Glenn Hodgins
Derek Hopfner
Don Kendal
Carol Kirsch
Judy Loman
Michael Low
Stephanie MacLeod
Hans D Meyn
Louisa O’Reilly
Jacquelin Pegg
Ruth Pincoe
*monthly recurring donor
This list reflects donations from December 1, 2021, to May 30, 2023. Every effort has been made to ensure it is correct. Should you notice an error, please get in touch with Zoe Lin (416) 504-1282 ext. 104 or email zoel@soundstreams.ca
COMPANIES
Tapestry Opera
Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original Canadian opera. Tapestry is passionate about uniquely Canadian stories, told in innovative settings, unforgettably interpreted by world-class artists. Tapestry supports emerging artists, develops new audiences and brings Canadian opera to the world stage. Founded in 1979, Tapestry is the voice of original contemporary Canadian opera.
Michael Mori, Artistic and General Director
Jaime Martino, Executive Director
Stephanie Applin, Director of Advancement
Mélanie Dubois, Artistic Producer
Clay Jones, Marketing and Communications Manager
Dona Arbabzadeh, Box Office and Patron Services Associate
Sami Anguaya, Advancement Associate
Camille Rogers, Program Manager, Women in Musical Leadership
Zile Liepens, Graphic Designer
Dragon’s Tale artwork by Gracia Lam
Soundstreams
Founded in 1982, Soundstreams is one of the world’s leading contemporary music companies and the largest global presenter of new Canadian music. Founding Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney and Executive Director Beth Brown are committed to showcasing the work of Canadian and international composers on the world stage with the aim of creating a lasting legacy for Canadian music.
Soundstreams’ focus is innovative thematic and experiential programming through which the organization serves a broad community of music lovers. Annual activities include its Main Stage series, a free community outreach series TD Encounters and two professional development programs: New Voices Mentorship Program for aspiring curators; and RBC Bridges Showcase for early career composers. Soundstreams is embarking on an ambitious recording project of the choral music of the late R. Murray Schafer and has two productions touring in North America and Europe in the coming seasons.
Lawrence Cherney, Artistic Director
Beth Brown, Executive Director
Graham Cozzubbo, Manager of Artistic Planning
Michael Ding, Arts Administrator
Emma Fowler, Programs Manager
Zoe Lin, Manager of Advancement & Patron Engagement
Kayla Milmine, Administrative Coordinator
Kirk Thomson, Marketing & Audience Engagement Manager
Luminato Festival Toronto
Luminato Festival Toronto is a convenor and catalyst for big, bold contemporary works of art. Each June, Luminato kicks off the summer with a festival to welcome the world to Toronto, commissioning, producing, and presenting exceptional Canadian and international artists. Throughout the year Luminato works with artists from the diverse cultures and communities of the city region, supporting creative development and bringing their art to the world stage. We connect local voices with global conversations and ground our work in equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability. Most importantly, we believe in the power of art to start conversations and inspire audiences.
Celia Smith, CEO
Naomi Campbell, Artistic Director
Sonia Sakamoto-Jog, Festival Producer
Lani Milstein, Senior Producer
Adam Barrett, Producer/Programmer
Ally Lu, Production Coordinator
Amanda Low, Volunteer Manager
Cathy Gordon, Festival & Community Engagement Manager
Clayton Lee, Curatorial Associate
Bradley Langham, Ticketing Manager
Kelly Estomo, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Christine Harris, Senior Director, Marketing & Communications
Priyanka Ganguli, Marketing & Communications Manager
Cassandra Popescu, Digital Content Manager
Paulina Luciani, Digital Content Coordinator
Noor Gatih, Social Media Coordinator
Kelly Estomo, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Jessica Litwin, Chief Development Officer
Natasha Udovic, Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships
Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, Partnerships & Events Manager
Jackie Nguyen, Membership Manager