Essential Opera is a Toronto-based company which presents, well, opera’s bare essentials: great artists, great music, and great storytelling. Sopranos, Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors Maureen Batt and Erin Bardua chat about how their lean and portable approach to opera makes it a closer, even cheaper, experience for audiences.

Essential Opera’s new seasons starts October 8th in Halifax, with a presentation of Elisha Denburg’s Regina at the Gilsig Series in Jewish Arts & Culture at Dalhousie University. Regina reprises along with Monica Pearce’s Etiquette in Ottawa on October 16-18, in conjunction with Opera Lyra Ottawa. For details and ticket information, follow the box office links below.