Our People

Pacific Opera is governed by a committed board of directors who advance the company’s mission through budget approval, oversight, and risk management; work on board committees and task forces; support for fundraising and donor stewardship; and ambassadorship and advocacy efforts to promote the arts, develop community collaborations, and welcome patrons and the wider community into the world of opera.

• Margot McLaren Moore, President
• Jacques Lemay, Vice President
• René Peloquin, Secretary
• Evan Hazell, Treasurer
• Sara Hradecky
• Kristine Kosolofski
• Gary Moser
• Paul Plater
• Heather Raven
• Karan Riarh
• Sheridan Scott
• Grace Wong Sneddon
• Philip Steenkamp
• Isaac Thomas
• Reeta Tremblay

Board Advisors

• Carey Newman

Honorary Directors in Memoriam

Honorary Director status is granted to individuals who made extraordinary contributions to the Pacific Opera Victoria Society during their lifetime.

• David H. Flaherty
• George Heffelfinger
• Jane Heffelfinger O.B.C.
• Dr. Erika Kurth
• Frank May
• Michael F. Morres
• Maryla Waters

The Pacific Opera Victoria Foundation is a registered charitable society that exists to support Pacific Opera Victoria. The Foundation accepts current and planned gifts through bequests and estate giving or other types of future gifts to provide ongoing support for the programs and activities of POV and to develop endowment funds, reserve funds and other financial assets.

Foundation Trustees

• Gary Moser, Chair
• Dick Cavaye, Vice Chair
• Deneen Cunningham, Secretary-Treasurer
• Evan Hazell
• Barbara Hubbard
• Margot McLaren Moore
• Robert G. Milne
• Deborah Wolstenholme

• Ereca Hassell, Chief Operating Officer
• Sameer Shah, Director of Finance
• Nicole Malcolm, Director of Marketing and Communications
• Christina Patterson, Box Office Manager
• Tatiana Sytcheva, Senior Finance Officer
• Sandy Grayson, Box Office & Development Assistant
• Jayden Beaudoin, Box Office Assistant
• Chelsea Kutyn, Senior Development Officer
• Darlyn Villaflor, Development Officer
• P. “Arcade” Pallot, Communications Coordinator
• Abi Omotoso, Executive Associate
• Nicole Hannah, Venue & Events Coordinator
• Aylin Akyol, Events & Sponsorship Manager

• Christopher Sibbald, Director of Production and Artistic Administration
• Rebecca Hass, Director of Engagement and New Work
• Robert Holliston, Curator, Public Engagement
• Kimberley-Ann Bartczak, Principal Coach & Music Administrator
• Teresa Turgeon, Opera Titles

• Michael Slemon, Technical Director
• Mark Leigh, Associate Technical Director
• Monica Arthurs, Lead Carpenter
• Keith Allan, Head Carpenter
• Jeremy Herndl, Lead Scenic Artist
• Jennifer Hedge, Head Scenic Artist
• Kristen Sands, Head Properties
• Karina Kalvaitis, Lead Properties
• Sandra McLellan, Head Wardrobe
• Alice Hawes, Senior Cutter
• Jessica Pratt, Head Make-up Artist
• Cristina Woods, Head Hair and Wigs

The Victoria Symphony are key musical partners for Pacific Opera Victoria productions.

Victoria Symphony
Christian Kluxen, Music Director
Matthew White, CEO

Musicians of the VS

Violins

• Terence Tam, Concertmaster
• Kimberly Durflinger, Principal 2nd Violin
• Cory Balzer
• Müge Büyükçelen
• Michele Kwon
• Jeremy Potts
• Emily Salmon
• Julian Vitek

Violas

• Kenji Fusé, Principal
• Kay Cochran
• Mieka Michaux
• Jessica Pickersgill

Cello

• Brian Yoon, Principal
• Hannah Craig
• Joyce Ellwood
• Vinci Chen

Basses

• Malcolm Armstrong, Principal
• Darren Buhr
• Alex Olson

Flutes

• Arin Sarkissian, Principal
• Holly Venkitaswaran

Oboes

• Michelle Feng, Principal
• Russell Bajer

English Horn

• Russell Bajer

Clarinets

• David Boutin-Bourque, Principal
• Jennifer Christensen

Bassoons

• Jennifer Gunter, Principal
• Anne Marie Power

Horns

• Alana Despins, Principal
• Mike Oswald
• Sam McNally
• Dan Moses

Trumpets

• Ryan Cole, Principal
• David Michaux

Trombone

• Graham Middleton, Principal
• Riccardo Nazario del Castello

Bass Trombone

• Robert Fraser

Tuba

• Jay Uschold, Acting Principal

Timpani

• Jonas Koh, Principal

Percussion

• Jacob Valcheff, Principal

Harp

• Annabelle Stanley, Principal

Piano/Celeste

• Kimberley-Ann Bartczak

Orchestra Manager

• Eric Gallipo

Operations Manager

• Mark Sutherland

Librarians

• Misako Sotozaki, Principal Librarian

The orchestra under Timothy Vernon was superb – led with great finesse that never overshadowed the voices, and full of lovely touches, like a sopranino recorder solo as a bird, and a blistering harpsichord solo that brought the house down.

Melissa Ratcliff, Schmopera, review of Rinaldo, 2018

Never before had I realized how beautiful so much of the music is: to a degree the consequence of the transparency of the smaller orchestra and, of course, the musicianship of Maestro Vernon and his players… 

The strength of the orchestra made itself apparent immediately with the magical opening to the opera, that long E flat pedal presenting primordial beginnings, with rising horn arpeggios joining in—the rise of life from the void—then the sinuous strings representing the river Rhine, the opera’s Eden. It was thrilling to watch at the same time the world take form above the stage from a pinpoint of light to the round globe itself. Despite the lack of full Wagnerian weight, the sequence had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

Harvey De Roo, Vancouver Classical Music, review of Das Rheingold, 2014

The Pacific Opera Chorus comprises adults of all ages and includes community singers, aspiring professionals, and vocal students at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and the University of Victoria.

Over the last decade, with the support of a generous anonymous grant, Pacific Opera has offered a growing range of development opportunities for the Chorus. These include workshops on dance, movement, stage combat, and more, master classes by visiting artists, and other programs designed for members of the Chorus, as well as for other students of voice, and for practising artists working in the fields of music, theatre, stage design and direction.

Auditions for the Pacific Opera Chorus are held each year. Please check our Careers and Auditions page for future audition postings.

Soprano

• Madison Blackman
• Samantha Fullerton
• Chelsea Kutyn
• Nadia Lurie
• Cheryl Pocklington

Alto

• Margo Brody
• Heather Byford
• Rebekah Janzen
• Carol Pudwell
• Talietha Sangha

Tenor

• Tim Carter
• Graeme Linton
• Carter Martin
• Justin Swanson
• Steve Wadams

Baritone/Bass

• Steve Barker
• Naomi-Mitchell Bauer
• Louis Dillon
• Allen Reynolds
• Gerald Schieven

The Pacific Opera Chorus, too, shone bright. They looked fabulous in their roaring twenties flapper dresses and elegant suits, and sounded just as good. 

Robin Miller, Opera Canada, review of La traviata, 2019

With acting skills matched by their formidable vocal performance, the Chorus conveyed the pathos of the prisoners’ lot movingly.

• Shelby Hewitt
• Jeremy Roszmann
• Allison Ward