Rising stars take the stage as Opera West honours Old Auditorium’s centenary, May 30
Finale of the storied UBC venue’s 100th-anniversary celebrations features celebrated soprano Simone Osborne and bass-baritone Gordon Bintner
(Left to right) Simone Osborne (Gaetz Photography photo) and Gordon Bintner
Opera West Society and UBC Opera present the grand finale of the Old Auditorium’s 100th-anniversary celebrations on May 30 at 2 pm
THE UNIVERSITY OF British Columbia’s Old Auditorium turns 101 later this year, but centenary celebrations continue. They’ll be wrapping up at the end of this month with an event that honours the storied building’s past as well as its continued importance in shaping new generations of emerging artists.
Known affectionately as the Old Aud, the venue first opened on October 14, 1925. Designed in Collegiate Gothic style, the 522-seat theatre—with its 50-seat orchestra pit—has hosted an impressive range of performers, speakers, and public figures over the past century, including U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, singer and activist Paul Robeson, poet Dylan Thomas, and celebrated UBC alumni such as Judith Forst and Ben Heppner.
The Old Aud has also long served as the home of UBC Opera productions, staging works including Manon, Hansel and Gretel, Tosca, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and The Cunning Little Vixen. By the 1990s, however, the building had fallen into serious disrepair and was slated for demolition.
“Opera students and I had been rehearsing and performing there, and it was in very bad condition—but we loved it!” UBC Opera director Nancy Hermiston told the University of British Columbia Magazine. “We tried to protest and tried to convince people not to tear this beautiful old theatre down with its rich history.”
Ultimately, the building was saved, with former UBC president Martha Piper halting demolition plans and successor Stephen Toope securing funding for a major restoration project that revitalized the theatre for future generations.
UBC’s Old Auditorium after its 2010 renovation (left, Brian Hawkes photo) and UBC Opera’s 2013 production of The Tales of Hoffmann (Tim Matheson photo).
Opera West Society and UBC Opera will honour that legacy on May 30 when they jointly present the finale of the Old Auditorium’s 100th-anniversary festivities. The afternoon concert will feature Canadian soprano Simone Osborne, bass-baritone Gordon Bintner, conductor Gordon Gerrard, and members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.
Beyond commemorating the history of the venue itself, the event also highlights the role organizations such as Opera West Society continue to play in supporting emerging artists and strengthening opera’s future in Canada. For UBC Opera students, the opportunity to work alongside established performers offers both mentorship and a direct connection to the professional world—continuing a tradition that has shaped the Old Aud for a century.
The event also offers a not-to-be-missed chance to catch a couple of the international opera world’s bona fide rising stars in a relatively intimate setting. Osborne has been hailed as “a joy to hear” (Los Angeles Times) with “a sweet and clear sound, sensitive phrasing and gleaming sustained high notes” (New York Times), while Bintner has won acclaim for his “beautiful, warm baritone and commanding stage presence” (Opera Magazine). 
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