Joel Ivany wraps 12-year chapter as Banff Centre’s opera visionary
The curtain has closed on a defining era for opera at the Banff Centre. With the final weekend of its 2025 summer program on July 26 and 27, Joel Ivany ended his remarkable 12-year run as artistic director of opera.
“Joel really challenged and shaped what opera could be during his time at Banff Centre,” said Chris Lorway, the centre’s president and CEO. “So many of his projects have broken down the fourth wall, taking opera away from the stage and, in doing so, finding new ways to connect with audiences. A great example of this is the opera pub series held each summer at Banff’s Royal Canadian Legion – one of the most anticipated annual events on the arts calendar for Banff residents.”
This summer’s program featured a showcase of music and opera by Canadian-American composer Karim Al-Zand, alongside a full production of Poul Ruders’s The Handmaid’s Tale in a new arrangement for chamber orchestra.
Reflecting on his tenure, Ivany borrowed a line from a familiar song: “Every new beginning comes from another beginning’s end.”
“My time at Banff ranks among my most cherished artistic memories,” he said. “We began with just nine participants in our first year, and by 2025, we had grown to over 70. Today, Banff Centre opera alumni are singing, playing and creating art in major cities and houses around the world. It’s been an honour to celebrate music by Al-Zand, Britten, Cusson, Gluck, Kouyoumdjian, Lizée, Mozart, Prestini, Ruders, Vivier and many others.
“I’m most proud of how we helped define what opera can be – here in Alberta, across Canada and internationally. With the mountains as a daily backdrop, the environment was as inspiring as it was nourishing. And truly, there’s nothing quite like an opera pub at the Legion!”