News

Save the date album launch and 15th anniversary party Friday, May 29 The Carleton, Halifax, NS. 3 photos including album cover art for Some of My Stories: The Operas of Monica Pearce, a headshot of Erin Bardua and Maureen in sequinned dresses, looking at each other laughing, and a headshot of Monica Pearce. Colours are olive green, tan, peach, and cream.

Essential Opera’s Debut Album Launch Party

To celebrate our debut album and turning 15, we’re having a party on Friday, May 29 @ The Carleton...
on April 14, 2026

Five Formosa Songs World Premiere

Join us for the world première of a new song cycle by Chia Yin Wu with poetry by Chen...
on December 21, 2025
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