Royce Vavrek is a Canada-born, Brooklyn-based librettist and lyricist who has been called “the indie Hofmannsthal” (The New Yorker) a “Metastasio of the downtown opera scene” (The Washington Post), “an exemplary creator of operatic prose” (The New York Times), and “one of the most celebrated and sought after librettists in the world” (CBC Radio). His opera “Angel’s Bone” with composer Du Yun was awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Music.

With composer Missy Mazzoli he wrote “Song from the Uproar,” premiered by Beth Morrison Projects in 2012, and subsequently seen in multiple presentations around the country. Their second opera, an adaptation of Lars von Trier’s “Breaking the Waves,” premiered at Opera Philadelphia, co-commissioned by Beth Morrison Projects, and directed by James Darrah to critical acclaim in September of 2016. The work won the 2017 Music Critics Association of North America award for Best New Opera and was nominated for Best World Premiere at the 2017 International Opera Awards. A new production premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival in the summer of 2019, produced by Scottish Opera and Opera Ventures, helmed by Tony Award-winning director Tom Morris and earned star Sydney Mancasola a coveted Herald Angel Award for her performance. Their next opera, an adaptation of Karen Russell’s short story “Proving Up,” was commissioned and presented by Washington National Opera, Opera Omaha and The Miller Theatre in 2018, was a finalist for the MCANA Best New Opera Award of that year. They are currently developing a grand opera for Opera Philadelphia and the Norwegian National Opera based on an original story by two-time Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Jordan Tannahill, as well as an adaptation of George Saunders’ Booker Prize-winning novel “Lincoln in the Bardo” for The Metropolitan Opera.

Teaming up with Swedish composer Mikael Karlsson, Royce wrote the story and text for two dance projects, “Crypto,” choreographed by Guillaume Côté for Côté Dance and “Evidence of It All,” choreographed by Drew Jacoby for SFDanceworks, featuring narration by the Academy Award-nominated actress Rosamund Pike. They are currently developing two grand operas: an adaptation of Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia” to premiere at the Royal Swedish Opera in 2023, and “Fanny and Alexander,” working alongside creative partner Ingmar Bergman, Jr. to musicalize his late father’s classic film for La Monnaie de Munt in 2024, in a production to be directed by Ivo van Hove. Both operas are to feature renowned mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, for whom Mikael and Royce wrote the song cycle “So We Will Vanish,” premiered by the Swedish Chamber Orchestra in 2021 to critical acclaim.

His collaboration with composer David T. Little led Heidi Waleson of the Wall Street Journal to proclaim them “one of the most exciting composer-librettist teams working in opera today.” In April of 2016 they premiered their first grand opera, “JFK,” at Fort Worth Opera, a co-commission with American Lyric Theater and Opéra de Montréal that was called “ravishing” (Opera News), earning a ten-star review in Opera Now Magazine. This followed the success of their first opera, “Dog Days,” which received its world premiere in September of 2012 at Peak Performances @ Montclair, in a production co-produced by Beth Morrison Projects and directed by American maverick Robert Woodruff. The work was celebrated as the Classical Music Event of the year by Time Out New York and a standout opera of recent decades by The New York Times. They are currently developing an original work for the Metropolitan Opera through the Met/LCT commissioning program.

Royce has also worked extensively with composer Paola Prestini, first on the song cycle "Yoani," inspired by the blog posts of Yoani Sanchez, and then on "The Hubble Cantata," a virtual reality oratorio produced by VisionIntoArt/National Sawdust in association with Beth Morrison Projects. They recently presented the workshop premiere of “Silent Light,” an opera based on the Cannes Jury Prize-winning film by Carlos Reygadas at the Banff Centre for Creativity, a collaboration with the director Thaddeus Strassberger, and are currently working on a new opera inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea.” They are also developing "Film Stills," a project for mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti that dramatizes four of Cindy Sherman's iconic photographs through musical monologues composed by Paola, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly and Ellen Reid, and directed by R.B. Schlather. Royce and Paola's collaboration can be further heard on the AIDS Quilt Songbook: Sing for Hope recording, where their song "Union," as sung by Isabel Leonard, is featured.

In 2014 Royce premiered “27,” his first collaboration with composer Ricky Ian Gordon, at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Created for renowned mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, the work brought to life Gertrude Stein’s famous salon at 27 rue de Fleurus in Paris. Mark Ray Rinaldi of the Denver Post wrote that the opera “tells a great American story, about Gertrude Stein, as well as opera in the 21st century.” The opera was subsequently presented by Pittsburgh Opera, MasterVoices at New York City Center, Michigan Opera Theater, Opéra de Montréal and Opera Las Vegas. In 2017 their adaptation of Gail Rock’s Christmas classic “The House Without a Christmas Tree” for Houston Grand Opera was premiered to critical acclaim.

Other recent and upcoming projects include “Strip Mall” with Matt Marks for the Los Angeles Philharmonic; “Epistle Mass” with Julian Wachner for Trinity Wall Street, “Midwestern Gothic” with Josh Schmidt for Signature Theatre, Virginia; “Naamah’s Ark” with Marisa Michelson for MasterVoices; “O Columbia” with Gregory Spears for HGOco; “Knoxville: Summer of 2015” with Ellen Reid for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and National Sawdust; “The Wild Beast of the Bungalow” with Rachel Peters for Oberlin Conservatory; “Jacqueline” with Luna Pearl Woolf for Tapestry New Opera; “Adoration” (based on the film by Atom Egoyan) with Mary Kouyoumdjian for Beth Morrison Projects; “The Cremation of Sam McGee” with Matthew Ricketts, supported by a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts; and “Agnes” with Daníel Bjarnason for the Icelandic Opera.

Royce is co-Artistic Director of The Coterie, an opera-theater company founded with Tony-nominee Lauren Worsham. He holds a BFA in Filmmaking and Creative Writing from Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema in Montreal and an MFA from the Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at New York University. He is an alum of American Lyric Theater’s Composer Librettist Development Program.

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 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.

Spencer has participated in a number of prestigious training programs in Canada and Europe including the Opera in the 21st Century program at the Banff Centre, St. Andrew's Opera Workshop, Berlin Opera Academy, and Opera NUOVA.

Spencer completed his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta and a Diploma in Operatic Performance (Répétiteur) at the University of Toronto.

Spencer is based in Toronto, Canada.

Praised by The Globe and Mail for “...his silky, emotional presence on stage – both vocally and dramatically...”, Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon has established himself as one of Canada’s most versatile singing artists. In 2017 he received a Dora Award for his acclaimed portrayal of Paul in Tapestry Opera/Scottish Opera’s Rocking Horse Winner. Asitha is sought after for performances spanning from Baroque to experimental repertoire.

This season, Asitha is the tenor soloist in Messiah (Grand Philharmonic Choir, Chorus Niagara) and continues to expand his reputation as an impressive interpreter of Bach’s Evangelists, with guest performances with Amadeus Choir (Christmas Oratorio) and Regina Symphony (St. John Passion), as well as Cantatas with Toronto Bach Festival in 2026.

Asitha recently shared the stage with pianist Steven Philcox in “Belonging”, a solo recital for Women’s Musical Club of Toronto featuring works by Cusson, Vaughan Williams, Loren and Muhly, and looks forward to singing Britten’s St. Nicolas Cantata with Pax Christi Chorale.

Asitha has performed principal roles with Pacific Opera Victoria, Canadian Opera Company, Edmonton Opera, Opera de Montréal and Opera Lafayette. Recent highlights include Bill (Flight) with Vancouver Opera, Peter Quint (Turn of the Screw) with Opera 5, and Devon in Missing: In Concert with Toronto Summer Music Festival.

In 2026, Asitha returns to Pacific Opera Victoria as Spoletto in Tosca.

Canadian mezzo soprano Hillary Tufford is a versatile and engaging performer, a Graduate of Western University (M.Mus. Voice Performance) and Alumna of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program at Vancouver Opera. Hillary was “warm and fun as Hermia” in Vancouver Opera’s production of Britten’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream and sang Flora in Brott Opera’s La Traviata. In 2024, Hillary debuted as Carmen with Toronto City Opera.

At Highlands Opera Studio’s production of Eugene Onegin, Opera Canada’s Dawn Martens wrote “Hillary Tufford was an engaging Olga, perfectly embodying the flirtatious innocence of the character, while also showcasing a rich, velvety tone”.

On the concert stage, has performed as a soloist in Messiah with the Elmer Iseler Singers and Hamilton Philharmonic, in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Kingston Symphony and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with Vancouver Bach Choir.

This season, Hillary participated in Banff Centre’s Interplay program in a staged version of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, as well as scenes from contemporary operas. In October, Hillary is Cherubino in an international cast of Le nozze di Figaro with Daegu Opera House in Korea, sings Messiah with St. James Cathedral, Toronto and joins the cast as Mrs. Demers in City Workers in Love (Cavanagh/Wiesensel) in London, Ontario.

Jessica Osber Photography

Maeve Palmer is a Dora Award-winning soprano known for her versatility and dynamic range, described by Opera Canada as a “triple-threat … coloratura.” She has performed with distinguished organizations such as Tapestry Opera, New Music Concerts, Continuum Contemporary Music, Opera Atelier, Off-Centre Music, Chorus Niagara, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Orpheus Choir of Toronto, and on tour with the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition.

Maeve recently made several debuts, including the title role in Toronto Operetta Theatre’s production of Kalman’s The Czardas Princess, as Valencienne in The Merry Widow with Highlands Opera, and soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah, and Beethoven 9. Recent performances also include Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale (Ruders/arr. Schlossberg) at the Banff Centre, Adele in Die Fledermaus with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra on New Year’s Day, and soprano soloist in Bach’s Mass in B Minor with Chorus Niagara.

Maeve has been at the forefront of contemporary music, presenting the Canadian premiere of Samuel Andreyev’s cantata Iridescent Notation with New Music Concerts, and Luigi Nono’s La Fabbrica Illuminata at Koerner Hall (Toronto). Other notable contemporary performances include Mysteries of the Macabre (Ligeti) and the Canadian premiere of Dove’s Mansfield Park as Mary Crawford; both at the University of Toronto. She has been involved in numerous world premieres, including Nicole Lizée’s opera R.U.R. A Torrent of Light and Malfunctionlieder for soprano, piano, and degraded video, Alice Ping Yee Ho’s Four Seasons Ballad and Three Songs of the Tang Dynasty, Robert Taylor’s Opticks, and Tyler Versluis’s Five Poems, for soprano, cello, and harp.

In addition to her contemporary and early music work, Maeve has excelled in classic roles, including Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro (UofT Opera), Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos (Highlands Opera Studio), Sandrina and Serpetta in La Finta Giardiniera, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, and Greta Fiorentino in Street Scene. Her oratorio performances include soprano solos in Bach’s Matthäus Passion,Honegger’s King David, and Britten’s Hymn to St. Cecilia.

Maeve’s voice is featured in the Hollywood film The Space Between Us (2017), starring Asa Butterfield, Gary Oldman, and Britt Robertson, and in the TV series Aftermath (2016).

Maeve won the 2021 Jim and Charlotte Norcop Prize in Song from the University of Toronto and was the second prize winner of the 2017 Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition. She was also a finalist in the 2020 Vancouver Opera Competition. Maeve holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance & Pedagogy from the University of Toronto, where she was a Junior Fellow at Massey College. She is also an alumna of the Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency Program at the Glenn Gould School, and the Sidgwick Scholar Program with the Orpheus Choir of Toronto (2015–18). She studied with Jill Kelman, Mary Morrison, O.C., and Professor Lorna MacDonald, the Lois Marshall Chair in Voice at the University of Toronto.

Gaetz Photography