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Tom Diamond

Performance

Tom Diamond is well known to Tapestry Opera audiences as he was the Resident Director/Dramaturg for a decade. During his tenure Mr. Diamond developed and directed the premiere of Chan Ka Nin’s IRON ROAD which won the Dora Award for Outstanding Musical. He was also on the creative team behind the national tour of Theresa Tova’s STILL THE NIGHT, several seasons of OPERA TO GO, and the premiere of Omar Daniel’s THE SHADOW. In 2018 he returned to direct the critically acclaimed world premiere of OKSANA G which was nominated for 7 Dora Awards.

Following an early career as an actor and theatre director, Mr. Diamond began his operatic work as a member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio and went on to direct nine productions for them including the Dora-winning GUILIO CESARE (starring Ewa Podles) and Canadian premieres of Cavalli’s LA CALLISTO and GIASONE, Gazzaniga’s DON GIOVANNI and Sartorio’s GIULIO CESARE IN EGGITO. 

He has directed from coast-to-coast in Canada including seven productions for Pacific Opera Victoria and productions for Opera on the Avalon in Newfoundland, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver Operas. 

In the United States he spent three seasons with Sarasota Opera and has also directed for Opera Carolina, San Francisco Opera, Utah Opera and three Handel operas for Indiana University.

Career highlights include directing the world premiere of Timothy Sullivan’s FLORENCE THE LADY WITH THE LAMP for the Elora Festival (Chalmers Award). His 1999 off-Broadway production of SQUONK was a smash hit and transferred to Broadway where it won the American Theatre Wing’s Hewes Award. 

Mr. Diamond is Canada’s most sought-after operatic acting coach. He is the Senior Acting Coach for the COC Ensemble Studio and is on staff at the Glen Gould School of the Royal Conservatory. He teaches regularly at Montreal’s Atelier Lyrique. He has also directed and coached at many Universities, Conservatories and Young Artist Programmes including; Merola, the Eastman School of Music, the New England Conservatory, McGill, the University of Toronto, Western University and in summer programmes for The Centre for Opera Studies in Italy, COAA, Queen of Puddings and 20+ seasons in Saint Andrews By The Sea, New Brunswick, with Wendy Nielsen.

His production of I DREAM, an R&B opera about the last days of the life of Martin Luther King for Opera Carolina, was put on hold due to Covid 19 and is now scheduled for premiere in the Fall of 2021.

Mr. Diamond is perhaps most often recognized for his participation in the Gemini Award-winning television series BATHROOM DIVAS.