News

Headshot of Maureen in a black ruffled dress with gold collar. Text reads Dec 07 Déc and the Sensory Accessible Concerts logo is in the bottom right corner.

Sensory-Accessible Concert December 7 @ 2pm

Sensory-Accessible Concert with Cecilia Concerts Sunday, December 7 @ 2pm Paul O’Regan Hall Halifax Public Library 5440 Spring Garden...
on December 2, 2025
Photo of co-artistic directors, Maureen Batt and Erin Bardua, two white women, smiling. Maureen has medium-long red hair and is wearing a white blazer with black piping and a textured blue shirt underneath. Erin has short dark brown hair and is wearing a black and pink print wrap dress. Both are looking at the camera. Text around the perimeter of the photo reads: Performer. Junofest presented by CBC Music, Saturday March 23, Essential Opera. There is a transparent aqua layer on the bottom half of the photo.

Essential Opera performs at JUNOfest

  Classical Showcase at JUNOfest Saturday, March 23, 1pm St. Matthew’s United Church Barrington St., Halifax, NS Tickets $10...
on March 13, 2024
Cover art for Etiquette - dark background with white text that reads Essential Opera Etiquette by Monica Pearce Pearce with libretto by John Terauds. Text at the bottom reads: Erin Bardua, Maureen Batt, Lucy Hayes Davis, Brad Reid, Tara Scott. In the centre of the photo is an old black typewriter on a desk with a book and some scattered papers and items. On the left and right are golden brown images of 1920s figures in dressy clothes.

New EP – Etiquette

Essential Opera and Leaf Music Present Etiquette (Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Composer Monica Pearce’s one-act opera Etiquette is being released by...
on November 1, 2023

Finding repertoire beyond the canon

Hi folks, I often get asked about choosing and finding repertoire that’s outside of the Western European classical canon,...
on August 24, 2023

Lighthouse is 2!

Lighthouse dropped 2 years ago! On August 6, 2021 Lighthouse dropped. We are so grateful to everyone who has...
on August 10, 2023

ECMAs

It’s the 35th ECMAs!!!    Grej is nominated for Classical Composer of the Year for Lighthouse again this year...
on May 4, 2023