CultureTalk: Radical Storytelling Ushers in a New Era of Opera with Calgary Opera’s Sue Elliott

How can one of the world's oldest art forms become urgently relevant to contemporary audiences? Join us for a powerful conversation with Sue Elliott, General Director and CEO of Calgary Opera, who is revolutionising how opera engages with communities by telling stories that matter. Drawing from nearly two decades of groundbreaking work at Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, and now Calgary Opera, Sue shares how documentary-style approaches to opera programming can transform perceptions, build deep community connections, and make opera feel essential rather than elitist. From collecting stories from hundreds of refugees to creating immersive theatrical experiences around Japanese-American incarceration, Sue demonstrates the transformative power of "artistic humility" combined with bold creative vision. Key topics covered: 🎭 Why documentary and journalistic approaches work for opera 🌍 Engaging 234,000 people through The Refuge project 🎵 Creating the world's first mariachi opera 🏛️ Moving beyond demographic segmentation to curiosity-based audience development 🤝 Building sustainable audiences through community programming 💡 The affinity model: seven ways people connect with opera ⚡ Why technology must be as easy as buying a book on Amazon Featuring Sue Elliott General Director and CEO, Calgary Opera https://www.calgaryopera.com Want more CultureTalk? Listen on your favourite platform: 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488 🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month. Learn more about CultureSuite at: https://www.culturesuite.co/