Vera Causa Opera, a young company from the Region of Waterloo in Ontario, is closing its season with new Canadian work. In June 2018 it will premiere two new operas at its first Canadian Opera Fest.
The program is a double bill, and both pieces come from women composers. The first is Padajuća Zvijezda, or The Fallen Star, by Julijana Hajdinjak. It is sung in Croatian and English. The plot comes from a short story by the composer’s sister, Danijela. It follows two lovers in a celestial kingdom where love is outlawed. Anyone caught is punished with banishment to Earth.
The second piece is The Covenant by Dylann Miller. Performances are planned in Waterloo and Cambridge, and the Waterloo shows take place at Knox Presbyterian Church.
The festival fits the company’s broader aim. Artistic director Dylan Langan founded Vera Causa Opera in 2015 because he saw too few chances for local students to get involved in opera. Since then the company has staged Don Pasquale, Little Red Riding Hood and The Italian Girl in Algiers. It runs a full orchestra and mentorship programs for young performers, while children and students attend for free.
Langan has said he wants opera to balance all the art forms, from singing and acting to dance and visual art. He measures success by how included audiences and performers feel.
