Album launch and 15th anniversary party in Halifax! May 29, 7-10pm The Carleton, Halifax, NS FREE! RSVP: www.ticketscene.ca/events/60886/ CC: @maureenbattsoprano.bsky.social @erinsopran.bsky.social

Our album is available on Bandcamp just in time for Bandcamp Friday! essentialopera.bandcamp.com/album/some-o...

Our new album, "Some of My Stories: The Operas of Monica Pearce," is out now! 🎭 Five one-act operas that blend wit and warmth with incisive character writing, spanning Maritime folklore, wedding-day chaos, inner reckoning, social ritual, and the pressures of the holidays. 🎧 leaf-music.lnk.to/lm279

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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👇👇👇

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.

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!

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!

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!

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

I think most of this should also apply to opera. YOU'RE WELCOME.

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!!

#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

Honourable mention for the mighty oboe

Opera is best when it is unserious

take me to the parallel universe where the answer to this crossword clue is Erlkönig

WHOLESOME

Thank goodness

Not up NEXT but up soon - we'll be at the East Coast Music Awards in Charlottetown! Showcase info here: www.ecma.com/ecma-2024/20...

😤

I started off in music lessons as a kid, loved classical music instantly. Loved theatre and musical theatre shortly after. Opera is just the logical conclusion. How can I be doing the MOST at all times? 😅 ~E

Ok I've been thinking for 8 minutes and the best I can say is for me it's like that "this is what peak performance looks like, you may not like it" etc. meme but 100% unironic and true. Peak voices, peak instrumentation options, peak evocation of emotion, peak everything. ~E

Behind the scenes video? Behind the scenes video! The making of Monica Pearce's "Etiquette" opera film: youtu.be/ZBOUe7yCXak?...

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

Cravenly reposting this - for folks new to the idea of grassroots indie opera, here's one way we make it happen. Still ongoing for the moment - call it a bluesky exclusive :D

Brb just explaining to @maureenbattsoprano.bsky.social why there are gonna be notifications with the word murder in them all over her phone

Well,

Uh-

You need a laugh. Here's a direct link to our BLOOPER REEL. Cat descants! The highest pitches a contralto can achieve! (They have to be cry-laughing.) Annoyed tenor face! And more! youtu.be/guBX9lqxdNA?... #opera

Me irl

My songs on offer: My Funny Valentine Come Again, Sweet Love (which is about EXACTLY what you think it's about) She Moved Through the Fair (for which I spray-painted my ukulele)

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!