Association for Opera in Canada

Congratulations to this Dora Award nominees. We are thrilled to see opera in Toronto thriving!!

TAPA Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts

The Association for Opera in Canada and Orchestras Canada are pleased to announce the first session of Conference365, a new year-round virtual series designed to continue the conversations and connections sparked during our first joint O₂ Conference in Edmonton.



Join us for Amuksism. You Really Have to Listen., a powerful documentary screening and live discussion with Dr. Dylan Robinson exploring the appropriation of Indigenous music, law, and ceremony into Western classical music traditions. The documentary will be presented in English with French subtitles!

The Association for Opera in Canada shares in the grief and shock at the sudden passing of Cris Derksen, an extraordinary Cree cellist, composer, innovator, and advocate whose artistry transformed the landscape of Canadian classical music.

A Juno-nominated artist from North Tallcree Reserve in Treaty 8 territory, their work resonated on stages across Canada and around the world.
Cris was a tireless champion for equity and representation in the arts. Through founding the Indigenous Classical Gathering at Banff Centre, serving as Artistic Advisor to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and chairing the Equity Committee for Orchestras Canada, Cris opened doors for Indigenous and BIPOC artists and helped shape a more inclusive future for classical music in Canada.

The Association for Opera in Canada recognizes and honours Cris Derksen’s profound contribution to Canadian classical music and to the cultural life of this country. Their creativity, leadership, generosity, and vision will continue to inspire artists and audiences for generations to come.
We extend our deepest condolences to Cris’s family, loved ones, collaborators, and the many communities touched by their music and spirit.