Vancouver Opera

Danlie Acebuque

Rabbit, Caterpillar, Frog

Baritone Danlie Rae Acebuque was the first recipient of the Alexandor Chorney Opera Scholarship at the University of Toronto in 2021. In 2022, he was the recipient of the Stuart Hamilton Memorial Award with Voicebox: Opera in Concert, and in 2023 he was one of the Encouragement Award recipients at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Oregon District), and Audiences Choice at the MET (Western Canada District).

Heidi Duncan

Alice

Last season, Heidi made her Vancouver Opera debut as Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen and covered the roles of Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) and Norina (Don Pasquale). Heidi is a graduate of the University of Toronto Opera School and recent alumni of the Brott Opera Young Artist Program. In Spring 2025, Heidi will return to the mainstage as Kate Pinkerton in VO’s production of Madama Butterfly.

Lyndon Ladeur

Pat the Gardener, Fish, Jack, Narrator

Lyndon Ladeur’s favourite performances include Fadinard in Il cappello di paglia di Firenze and Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore. Internationally, Lyndon debuted at the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in the UK, playing Marco in The Gondoliers, winning Best Male Vocalist. Lyndon completed his Masters of Opera at the University of Toronto in 2024. He studies with famed soprano Wendy Nielsen.

Simran Claire

Duchess, Dormouse, Queen of Hearts, Narrator

Last seen as Mercédès in Vancouver Opera’s Carmen, mezzo-soprano Simran Claire joins the company as a member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program. She has performed with companies including Calgary Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and the Glimmerglass Festival. Alongside performance, she creates original work; her “utterly moving” narrative recital film Dadima was featured by CBC Music and Opera Canada.

Brian Nesselroad

Percussionist

Comfortable in many different styles and genres, Brian Nesselroad has performed with singer/songwriters such as Adrian Glynn, classical ensembles like the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Chamber Choir, and has contributed to innovative new music programs with the Turning Point Ensemble, Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra, Nu:BC, Fringe Percussion, Driftwood Percussion and Vancouver New Music.

Luka Kawabata

Rabbit, Caterpillar, Frog Cover

Nikkei-Canadian artist, Luka Kawabata 川端ルカ is a producer, performer and language-enthusiast, based in Vancouver. He has collaborated with major companies across the full breadth of the continent, including being selected for the Beth Morrison Projects: Producer Academy. He can be seen next in Vancouver Opera's upcoming production of Madama Butterfly as Prince Yamadori and the Imperial Commissioner.

Tayte Mitchell

Director

Hailing from Vulcan, AB, stage director and tenor Tayte Mitchell most recently launched Ammolite Opera as its founding Artistic Director. He is an alumnus of the McPhee Artist Program with Calgary Opera, the Music Academy of the West, and the Wolf Trap Opera Studio. Tayte holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.

Derek Stanyer

Music Director & Répétiteur

Dr. Stanyer has worked as a pianist/coach with UBC Opera since 2019, and as an Adjunct Professor in 2023. He has recently performed both opera and art song with the Vancouver Fringe Festival, Vancouver Opera, Opera Unbound, COC, York Place Concerts, and many others. His doctoral research (and passion!) relates to the art songs of Nikolai Medtner, which are a largely ignored part of the art song repertoire.

Jamie Sweeney

Lighting & Set Designer

Jamie Sweeney is a Canadian, Vancouver-based theatre collaborator. She is a lighting designer, a production manager, a performer, a deviser, a creator, and an artist. She has a BFA in theatre production and design from Simon Fraser University. Some companies she has worked with include Ballet BC, Bard on the Beach, Vancouver Opera, Arts Club, Rice & Beans Theatre, vAct, and Neworld Theatre.

Theresa Tsang

Stage Manager

In her over 25 seasons with Vancouver Opera’s Stage Management Department, Theresa Tsang has worked on nearly 100 productions for VO. She also stage manages for Garsington Opera and Wexford Festival Opera, earning acclaim for The Turn of the Screw and Silent Night. A UBC graduate, she is lauded internationally and received recognition from the Stage Management Association in London.

Elsa Orme

Apprentice Stage Manager

Elsa Orme is a Vancouver-based Stage Manager and Designer. Select credits include Morag, You’re A Long Time Deid (Touchstone Theatre), The 39 Steps (The Grove Theatre), Queen of Carthage (re:Naissance Opera), Inheritances (Music On Main), Confluence (Raven Spirit Dance), and Flight of the Hummingbird (Vancouver Opera & Pacific Opera Victoria).

Leslie Dala

YA Programme Director

Conductor and pianist, Leslie Dala enjoys a multifaceted career spanning the genres of opera, symphonic music, choral and contemporary works. He recently conducted VO’s productions of Carmen and The Flying Dutchman; Bach’s St. John Passion and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Vancouver Bach Choir and Mozart’s Coronation Mass at Carnegie Hall.

Tina Chang

YA Principal Coach

Described as a “scintillating player,” pianist, and coach, Tina Chang is currently on the music staff at Vancouver Opera. She has been involved with Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland and soundSCAPE New Music Festival in Italy. Locally, she works with Chor Leoni and the Arts Club. She maintains her own private studio and has been on the adjunct faculty of both UBC and Dalhousie University.