Essential Opera

Collage of photos, scattered on an olive green surface L-R, top-bottom: Dorothy Parker, Helen Creighton, Monica Pearce, Nancy Astor Emily Post And finally our album art, a shelf of seemingly unrelated objects bouncing all higgledy-piggledy: microphone, bike bell, martini, engagement ring, cake on a stand.

This International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting some of the women on our album Some of my Stories: The Operas of Monica Pearce

Album art by Kirsten Stackhouse

#IWD #IWD2026 #WomenInOpera #opera #newmusic #WomenInMusic #ClassicalSky

We're 15!! Check out our cover art for our debut album!

Check out our latest newsletter eepurl.com/jAlCaI

Thank you to those of you who have been along for the whole ride so far. And, welcome, if you’ve joined us more recently! We’re glad you’re here.

Album cover art. White text at the top reads Essential Opera and at the bottom reads: Some of my Stories The Operas of Monica Pearce. In the middle are objects from the operas: an old taupe radio microphone, a gold bike bell, a blue-grey martini glass with olives in liquid, a gold diamond ring in an open taupe ring box, and a slice of maybe vanilla cake on a coral cake stand with some extraneous crumbs. The objects appear to be chaotically falling off an uneven shelf. There is also a half moon that is off kilter in the centre background. There is also a grainy texture throughout.

Cover art by Kirsten Stackhouse

Some of My Stories: The Operas of Monica Pearce Listen to content by Essential Opera.

On a snowy Toronto evening in February 15 (!) years ago today, we had our first show: Le Nozze di Figaro!

To celebrate, we’re sharing the cover art and to pre-save link for our debut album: leaf-music.lnk.to/lm279

The album is out April 17!

@erinsopran.bsky.social @maureenbattsoprano.bsky.social

December [Complete EP], by Essential Opera 5 track album

You, $10, 20min, and the sweetest little queer film you can imagine, with a pinch of relatable holiday problems and a happily-ever-after.

This bonus deal might stay up till sometime in the morning, but after that it's gone! #opera #classicalmusic

essentialopera.bandcamp.com/album/decemb...

Last chance!

December [Complete EP], by Essential Opera 5 track album

BONUS CONTENT!

This month only, you can watch our adorable queer 🏳️‍⚧️ 🏳️‍🌈 holiday 🎄rom-com 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 film 🍿 when you buy the EP: essentialopera.bandcamp.com/album/decemb...

As heard on CBC Music!

#opera #classical #musicaltheater #newmusic

December Listen to content by Essential Opera.

Happy World Opera Day!
On December 5, 2025, we’re releasing the EP of “December” by Monica Pearce on Leaf Music!

PRE-SAVE LINK: leaf-music.lnk.to/lm2049

A one-act portrayal of love and belonging amid travel angst and the turbulence of holidays + family. ✨🌈🏡
#WorldOperaDay #CanadianOpera

Well, I meant to link the insta post, which includes more photos and some audio and leads to people's presences there:

www.instagram.com/reel/DLlQAkT...

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.

Rehearsal pics for recording Canadian-American PEI-born composer Monica Pearce's "April" over the last several days! Gorgeous multilayered short opera.

Foundational text

What’s your sign?

What is common knowledge in your field* but shocks outsiders?

Opera is just music theatre - you don't need to know the plot in advance or factoids about the composer to enjoy it.

*Surprising numbers of opera artists and producers are so used to this line of thought they assume it's true!

What is common knowledge in your field but shocks outsiders?

Musicians are actually human beings and deserve to be paid for our work

This is wild?! Post your music!

So thrilled to be working on this project!

Cc: @maureenbattsoprano.bsky.social @erinsopran.bsky.social @sinistralscribe.bsky.social @skycameron.bsky.social @annikawilliams.bsky.social @emmayee.bsky.social

Over the coming months we’ll be:
🎭 Learning from the experiences of artists & arts workers
💡 Exploring innovations & best practices to create more inclusive spaces
🧑‍🔬 Collaborating with subject matter experts
📋 Debuting new resources to support our community with tools for advocacy & accessibility

Stay tuned for updates - and make sure you're connected with @essentialopera.bsky.social and @operamariposa.bsky.social via newsletter and socials if you aren't already!

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

#MakingOperaAccessible #BringingTheArtsToLife #OperaInCanada

Big news👇👇👇

This is so good. Poor Carl.

As he barreled out of the bathroom, he was chanting “No, no, no, no, no!” and when his pants fell down (because he never really got them up all the way as he jumped up from the toilet) he bellyflopped onto the linoleum floor and his hands made a loud squeak sound on the linoleum

This brief description really doesn't do it justice. There is music very similar to his entrance music at the end of the overture and while he was taking a shit he heard it over the PA and we could hear him banging around in the stall trying to get out of the bathroom to make it to the stage

Truly the most essential of art forms (read whole story or risk chuckling when you could have cackled)

Even opera is allowed a gas leak season I guess

My journal will have fresh decorations soon.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

2024 Round-up and Essential Opera re-releases "December" by Monica Pearce Stream until December 31!

Lots of new peeps coming over to BlueSky. If you’re interested in what we’re up to or who we are, check out our 2024 round-up here: eepurl.com/i6Isew

Coming soon