Inside Opera | Hansel & Gretel

Friday
Aug 21, 2026 5:51am

Venue Baumann Centre

Join us for Inside Opera, an engaging hour-long series hosted by Robert Holliston, exploring the stories, music, characters, and creative ideas behind some of opera’s most fascinating works.

With his signature warmth, wit, and deep knowledge of the art form, Robert offers an entertaining introduction to each opera, whether it’s an old favourite or one you’re encountering for the first time. You don’t need to be attending Pacific Opera Victoria’s productions to enjoy Inside Opera, although you may leave wanting to! Whether you’re a longtime opera lover or simply curious about what makes opera tick, Inside Opera is a welcoming way to listen, learn, ask questions, and share an hour with fellow music lovers.

Space is limited, so advance registration through Eventbrite is encouraged. Visit each event page for details about the featured opera.

Verdi’s Il trovatore blazes with passion, vengeance, and the unstoppable force of fate. At its heart is a search for identity, as each character struggles to confront who they truly are, and the secrets that define them. As past secrets collide with present rivalries, Verdi’s electrifying music drives the drama forward with soaring arias, stirring choruses, and unrelenting intensity. Known by opera lovers and newcomers alike through music gems like Act II’s “Anvil Chorus”, Il trovatore is a true grand opera, full of political intrigue, mistaken identity, love, revenge, obsession, and onstage battles!

– Brenna Corner

In the shadow of 15th Century Spain, political machinations, true love, revenge, and obsession come full force. Enter a world where past and present are bound by fire and memory. In Il trovatore, a long-buried tragedy sets the stage for a deadly conflict between two men who do not know how deeply their lives are intertwined. Manrico, a troubadour and rebel, is fiercely devoted to Azucena, the woman who raised him. Opposing him is Count di Luna, a powerful nobleman driven by jealousy and an unrelenting desire for vengeance. Between them stands Leonora, whose love for Manrico draws her into a world of danger, sacrifice, and impossible choices. What unfolds is a story of devotion and destruction, where love offers fleeting hope against the weight of fate, and where the truth, when it finally emerges, changes everything.

A co-production with Vancouver Opera.

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