Editing Manitoba Opera (section)

== History ==
Manitoba Opera was founded in 1969 and incorporated in 1970, with its first production being a concert version of [[Giuseppe Verdi]]'s ''[[Il Trovatore]]'' in 1972.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|last1=Moore|first1=Christopher|title=Manitoba Opera Association|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/manitoba-opera-association-emc/|website=The Canadian Encyclopedia|publisher=Historica Canada|accessdate=26 January 2017|location=Toronto}}</ref> The Opera's first fully-staged production was in March 1973 with ''[[Madama Butterfly]]''.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=The Company |url=https://mbopera.ca/about/the-company/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Manitoba Opera |language=en-US}}</ref>

From the 1970s through 1998, the Opera led by the artistic direction of [[Irving Guttman]], known as the "father of opera in Western Canada."<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> Guttman would be instrumental in the development of many young Canadian singers, including Winnipeg native [[Tracy Dahl]] (soprano) and [[Winkler, Manitoba|Winkler]]'s Phillip Ens (bass). Both have gone on to international careers.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Moore|first1=Christopher|title=Manitoba Opera Association|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/manitoba-opera-association-emc/|website=The Canadian Encyclopedia|publisher=Historica Canada|accessdate=26 January 2017|location=Toronto}}</ref>

In November 2007, the company staged its first full-length original production, ''[[Transit of Venus (play)|Transit of Venus]]'', composed by [[Victor Davies]], with a libretto by [[Maureen Hunter]], based on her stage play of the same name.<ref name=":2" />

Larry Desrochers has been the General Director since November 2000.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Manitoba Opera has announced.|journal=Opera Canada|date=2012|issue=Winter|page=7}}</ref>