Joel Ivany is a bold force in Canadian opera, known for reimagining tradition and crafting original stories for the stage.  He serves as Artistic Director at Edmonton Opera, recently completed 12 seasons as Artistic Director of Opera at Banff Centre, and is the visionary founder of Toronto’s Against the Grain Theatre.

His directing credits span the globe, with standout productions including Macbeth (Minnesota Opera), Carmen (Vancouver Opera), Orphée+ (Edmonton Opera), Gavin Bryar’s Marilyn Forever (Adelaide Festival, Australia), and a revival of The Marriage of Figaro for the Norwegian National Opera.

A dynamic librettist, Joel has penned seven (and counting) original librettos, collaborating with the Canadian Opera Company and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, among others. His recent mainstage directing credits include Die Walküre and Die Fledermaus at Edmonton Opera and a touring production of Tosca at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. 

Other acclaimed work includes Hänsel und Gretel and Carmen (Canadian Opera Company), Mozart’s Requiem and The Seven Deadly Sins (Toronto Symphony Orchestra), Brundibár (Canadian Children’s Opera Company), Dead Man Walking (Vancouver Opera), and Claude Vivier’s Kopernikus (Against the Grain and Banff Centre). Joel is a proud graduate of the University of Toronto’s Opera School and holds a place on the Alumni Wall of Fame at Western University, where his journey in music first took flight.