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essentialopera.bsky.social
Essential Opera
@essentialopera.bsky.social
820 followers 130 following 46 posts
Indie opera run by maureenbattsoprano@bsky.social & erinsopran@bsky.social

Making new opera, old opera

A bit about us: 2024 round-up: http://eepurl.com/i6Isew

Stay tuned for 15th anniversary updates including a debut album and a new, Canadian opera!
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essentialopera.bsky.social
Rehearsal pics for recording Canadian-American PEI-born composer Monica Pearce's "April" over the last several days! Gorgeous multilayered short opera.
Screenshot of an instagram collaborative post. 7 people rehearsing in a large room with heinous flourescent light. It's a mix of genders, masks/not masks, paper and electronic scores. If you look carefully you can see three singers, a violinist, a clarinetist, a pianist, a conductor. Invisible: flawless air quality, CO2 around 455-485 ppm for several hours! Screenshot from instagram collaborative post. Text reads "Monica joins us for notes!" It's the same bad-lighting great-air-quality rehearsal room, but now you can see a phone on a tripod, and you can just barely make out the composer herself on a video call.
July 3, 2025 at 7:10 PM
essentialopera.bsky.social
Stickers? STICKERS!

Making these was a very silly process and helped alleviate various types of horrors for a while. We'll have them with us at the East Coast Music Awards in St. John's NL this week!
Strip of circular stickers. Graphic design is our passion; there are many typefaces and layers of clip art here. Text reads: THE HORRORS* *caffeine and emails are worth it for Music Essential Opera Text is surrounded by a spattery background circle. "THE HORRORS" is in a B-horror-movie-poster type and "Music" is in a very fancy elegant script.
May 7, 2025 at 1:55 AM
essentialopera.bsky.social
We're heading to the Rock this week for the East Coast Music Awards & conference. Hit us up for stickers.

Showcase 3pm Saturday May 10 at Memorial!
Collage on backgrounds of coral, pink, lilac, blue, and beige. Text: Heading to the rock this week for the ECMAs! Who's going to be there??! 2025 ECMA Classical Showcase co-presented by Canadian Music Centre and Debut Atlantic May 10, 2025 Performances by Ben Diamond Blackwood India Gailey Essential Opera Jennifer King Logos from Debut Atlantic, ECMA, CMC DF Cook Recital Hall, Memorial University Doors open 2:30 Free Event There are a few translucent Instagram handles near names of people and organizations. Photo of Erin and Maureen, co-founders of Essential Opera, posed like frenemies in a sitcom, wearing sequined dresses. Erin (L) is a white woman in black with brown hair and glasses, Maureen (R) is a white woman in gold with red hair.
May 7, 2025 at 1:49 AM
essentialopera.bsky.social

Save-the-date!
In Her Hands: The Tragedy of Lady Macbeth
A brand-new opera
By Fiona M. Ryan
Workshop production
Sunday, September 22, 7:30pm
Motyer-Fancy Theatre in Sackville, NB

Cast and creative team announcements and ticket link coming soon!!
Image with swirly red watercolour-like graphic with white background. Text reads: In Her Hands The Tragedy of Lady Macbeth. A brand-new opera by Fiona M. Ryan. Workshop production. Sunday, September 22, 7:30p.m., Motyer-Fancy Theatre, Sackville, NB, $25/$20/PWYC
August 24, 2024 at 12:42 PM
essentialopera.bsky.social
#AUDITIONCALL

Essential Opera is casting for a workshop performance of a new opera by Fiona Ryan, “In Her Hands: The Tragedy of Lady Macbeth”.

Submit by/before: July 15

Essentialopera.com for details: roles, submission suggestions, company & accessibility info

#NewMusic #CanadianOpera #Auditions
Square image with the following text in brown: Essential opera audition call “In Her Hands”. The following text in orange: submit by July 15 @essential_opera essentialopera.com essentialopera@gmail.com Essential Opera logo in top centre. And rainbow stripes on the left including black, brown, pale blue, white, pale pink
June 27, 2024 at 2:00 AM
essentialopera.bsky.social
We're on at the JUNOfest classical showcase tomorrow!
Halifax, St Matthew's United on Barrington. 1pm, $10 cash at the door.

We're singing an opera live along with the movie we made of it?!

#junos #opera #newmusic
JUNOfest presented by CBCmusic An image of two white women. Maureen is on the left with red hair and a white blazer. Erin is on the right with dark hair and a black striped dress. Saturday March 23 ESSENTIAL OPERA
March 23, 2024 at 2:07 AM
essentialopera.bsky.social
A few selections from the etsy shop for our fundraiser essentialopera.etsy.com
So far songs have been sent to:
-lovers
-friends
-siblings
-pets
-political enemies
Who will you send a song to?
Screenshot of digital downloads available in Essential Opera's etsy store, such as: Flower Duet, Custom e-card, Custom video greeting, One and Only, Opera Overture Medley, F*ck You.
February 7, 2024 at 8:57 PM
essentialopera.bsky.social
Fundraiser we've got going on right now to workshop a super cool semi-improvisatory all-upper-voices feminist genderqueer Shakespeare opera by Fiona Ryan. Portion of proceeds also goes to The Youth Project for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in Nova Scotia. Send a song to a loved one or enemy or just share!
Essential Opera logo, a red stage curtain "Send someone a musical greeting! February Fundraiser from Groundhog Day to mid-February!" essentialopera.etsy.com Imagine is off-white with a fancy red border and there's a little groundhog wearing a top hat and holding a cane.
February 7, 2024 at 8:53 PM
essentialopera.bsky.social
We’re re-releasing your favourite queer holiday opera, December!

Stream on demand til Dec 31, 2023.

This is a fundraiser for an upcoming workshop of a new* opera by Fiona Ryan.

*also queer, also seasonal (just not this one)

Tix $15-35 or PWYC

BUY ONLINE: www.tickethalifax.com/events/14728...
Multi-coloured poster that reads Essential Opera presents December a new opera by Monica Pearce. Cast: Erin Bardua, Maureen Batt, Danielle Buonaiuto. Directed by Halley Davies. Conducted by Tara Scott. Www.essentialopera.com. Logos for SOCAN Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia. There’s a house in the middle with two figures in the walkway leading to the house. There are trees and reindeer in the background. And a rainbow is inside the letter M.
December 29, 2023 at 11:51 PM
essentialopera.bsky.social
Work with us! We have multiple positions through Venture for Canada for upcoming projects this fall.

Head to ventureforcanada.ca and select menu, then students, then intrapraneurship for more info.

Apply now! Start date for the next cohort is November 6.
Image Description: Two slides with a gradient yellow background and back text that reads: Work with Essential Opera venture for Canada. In the top right-hand corner is Essential Opera’s logo (red curtains on a white background with the text Essential Opera). Slide 1: Numbered rectangles have the following text: 1. Go to ventureforcanada.ca 2. Click menu > students > intrapreneurship 3. Fill out two short forms to express interest Slide 2: Numbered rectangles have the following text: 1. Apply today 2. Start date is November 6 3. $22/hr for 60 hours over 7 weeks In the bottom right-hand corner: ventureforcanada.ca Image Description: Two slides with a gradient yellow background and back text that reads: Work with Essential Opera venture for Canada. In the top right-hand corner is Essential Opera’s logo (red curtains on a white background with the text Essential Opera). Slide 1: Numbered rectangles have the following text: 1. Go to ventureforcanada.ca 2. Click menu > students > intrapreneurship 3. Fill out two short forms to express interest Slide 2: Numbered rectangles have the following text: 1. Apply today 2. Start date is November 6 3. $22/hr for 60 hours over 7 weeks In the bottom right-hand corner: ventureforcanada.ca
October 9, 2023 at 4:51 PM