Joel Ivany — Bridging Tradition and Innovation in Opera

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Elizabeth Bowman sits down with Joel Ivany, the visionary Artistic Director of Edmonton Opera and Director of Opera at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Joel shares his passion for community outreach and engagement, focusing on how opera can continue to resonate with new audiences.They explore the evolving landscape of audience retention, emphasizing how surveys and feedback can help transform casual attendees into lifelong opera enthusiasts. Could Augmented Reality play a role in making opera more accessible? Joel and Elizabeth imagine iconic opera scenes brought to life in unexpected places—picture experiencing a live aria in a remote village, all through AR.The conversation also delves into the balance between opera’s rich, centuries-old traditions and the technological innovations that could shape its future. Moments of rest and reflection, Joel believes, can spark groundbreaking ideas that challenge the way we experience and connect with art.Mentioned in this podcast: Opera Canada's The Opera Glasses Podcast can be listened to here https://operaglasses.buzzsprout.com/The Augmented Reality Example talked about was made by Darabase https://www.linkedin.com/posts/darabase_ar-spatialweb-outofhome-activity-7276916102150991872-9ykoAll episodes are also available in video form on our YouTube and Spotify Channels. All episodes are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman. Don’t forget to subscribe, share the love, and leave us a review to show your support—it means a lot to us!Don't hesitate to reach out to us with guest ideas, information you'd like covered, or any ideas you might have—the hope is for this to be a continuous resource and dialogue with our listeners.Visit TheSceneRoom.com for more information.