Emotion through story and sound
After a recent performance of The Little Prince, Brenna Corner was approached by a woman from the audience. “She wasn’t quite crying,” Brenna recalls, “but she was clearly very affected. She said to me, ‘I just needed to feel something, and I feel so much better now.'”
Deeply moved by the experience, the woman returned to buy tickets for the remaining two shows.
For Brenna, who is in her first full season as Artistic Director of Pacific Opera, it was a powerful affirmation of why nurturing artistry through opera is so important. “It means everything to be part of a place that people trust. They come here and they feel safe. Safe to experience, and safe to feel.”
That simple, vulnerable exchange captures something larger about Pacific Opera’s role in the community. Renowned for its world-class productions and imaginative storytelling, the company is equally committed to building spaces of empathy, connection, and care.
Beyond the stage, Pacific Opera invests in young artists, uplifts underrepresented voices, and finds ways to include the community through education and outreach.
Here, opera is more than a performance — it’s a place where people come to feel seen, moved, and whole again.
Gender equity in the arts
The arts industry has long been a challenging space for gender equity. Women, particularly in leadership, have historically been underrepresented.
According to the 2024 Vital Signs survey, 54% of men and only 42% of women rated equity, diversity, and inclusion in Greater Victoria above a B. With support from the Victoria Foundation’s gender equity initiatives, Pacific Opera is taking meaningful steps to support women pursuing careers in opera.
“There is a program called Women in Musical Leadership that started a few years ago. Basically, it’s two cohorts of female-identifying conductors that are introduced to the program every year and they get to shadow a production or a conductor, or even conduct a show or performances,” explained principal coach Kimberley-Ann (Kim) Bartczak.
In May 2024, the Victoria Foundation provided Pacific Opera with $40,000 in funding through the Communities for Gender Equality program to support this multi-year project. Communities for Gender Equality is supported by a collaboration between Community Foundations of Canada and the Equality Fund, with support from the Government of Canada.
Students gain hands-on exposure by participating in productions.For many young women, this is an invaluable stepping stone to professional careers in the industry.
Pacific Opera inspiring across generations
Kim, who also leads the Victoria Children’s Choir, sees how early exposure to opera can spark a lifelong love of the artform. After a recent production that included the choir’s older cohort, the students gathered for a debrief. Without hesitation, they began asking what the next opera would be and how soon they could get involved again. “These are 13-year-olds,” Kim laughed, “the generation glued to their phones, and here they are, totally invested.”
Through pop-up performances in public spaces, concerts in assisted living homes for seniors, and collaborations with local schools, Pacific Opera ensures that the power of music engages people of all ages and backgrounds.
“We don’t just perform on stage, we bring opera to where people are,” said Kim. “We’ve sung in the streets, on kayaks, you name it. It’s about making opera an everyday part of life in Victoria.”
Giuseppe (Joey) Pietraroia, principal conductor, explained that the focus has always been to take audiences on a journey, and he’s witnessed firsthand how the organization has grown into a place where audiences trust that what they will feel, hear, and see will be deeply immersive.
One of Joey’s favourite things about the world of opera is that people never forget their experience. “Victoria is such a close-knit community and it’s always nice to meet people when you’re not at a function,” he said. “It might be in a grocery store lineup and someone will say, ‘I saw that production, I really enjoyed it, and I love everything you do.'”
These moments, he said, happen often and are a testament to the fact that audiences are truly engaged.
Joey, Kim, and Brenna agreed that when the arts are more deeply supported and integrated into communities, they have the power to elevate wellbeing and how people experience and rate their quality of life.
In a world that often feels fragmented, Pacific Opera is demonstrating that the arts are essential to our collective wellbeing.