You may recognize Royce as the librettist for AtG’s Indians on Vacation project with Edmonton Opera. As our new Artistic Director, Royce brings a wealth of experience, and a reputation as one of the most celebrated librettists in contemporary opera. A Canada-born, Brooklyn-based artist, Vavrek has been called “the indie Hofmannsthal” by The New Yorker and “an exemplary creator of operatic prose” by The New York Times. His work has been lauded for its innovative narratives, emotional depth, and ability to resonate with contemporary audiences. Royce’s career is distinguished by his groundbreaking collaborations with leading composers and his ability to craft compelling stories that challenge traditional operatic conventions. His work includes Angel’s Bone with composer Du Yun, which won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Royce has been commissioned by prestigious organizations including The Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Swedish Opera, Norwegian National Opera, La Monnaie de Munt, Opera Philadelphia, Beth Morrison Projects, Opéra de Montréal, and Houston Grand Opera.
With a BFA in Filmmaking and Creative Writing from Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema in Montreal, and an MFA from New York University’s Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program, Royce’s multidisciplinary background enables him to approach opera with a fresh perspective, infusing it with elements of film, theater, and contemporary culture. As Artistic Director, Royce is committed to leading AtG into a new chapter, where the company will continue to break boundaries and explore new narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.

Holding a B.Mus in Vocal Performance from Western University and an Advanced Certificate in Performance from the University of Toronto, Lauren Halász is a singer, content creator, digital marketing specialist, and director living and working in the Greater Toronto Area. Having worked with former AtG Digital Marketing Manager Daevyd Pepper, Lauren transitioned to their current position in May of 2023, taking the expertise they learned from Daevyd along with them. In addition to the work Lauren does for AtG, they also manage their own band, "Lo & the High Road", across social media platforms. Over the past few years, Lauren has grown these social media accounts to over 200k followers/subscribers combined. In pursuits other than marketing, Lauren is an active classical singer and folk singer/songwriter who performs frequently in Ontario and beyond. As a director, Lauren has brought a few operas to the silver screen, most notably Medusa's Children by OperaQ, which received a nomination for OPERA America's Digital Excellence in Opera awards under the Artistic Creation category.

Since graduating with a B.A. (Arts Management) from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University, Meredith has managed a range of performing arts organizations in both Australia and Canada. She was the Manager/Producer for Peggy Baker Dance Projects (2002-2024) and Volcano Theatre (2005-2021) in Toronto, and also worked with Nova Dance, CORPUS, Dusk Dances, Patch Theatre Company, and the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust (Andrew Noblet Marketing Fellow). She has sat on boards and advisory committees for the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (3 years as TAPA Board Chair), the Metcalf Foundation (Strategic Initiatives and Creative Strategy Incubator programs), and Centennial College’s Arts Management graduate certificate program. In 2014, she was awarded the Leonard HcMardy and John Harvey Award for Outstanding Leadership in Arts Administration. Meredith was a CUPE lecturer for the School of Performance at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2021, and 2012-14; and established the Producers’ Learning Network in Toronto in 2016. She currently works with Dawn Jani Birley's 1s1 Theatre and dance artist, Esie Mensah.