Opera Muskoka is on the receiving end of a cash prize. The organization, which began as the Muskoka Opera Festival in 2009, was given the Partners in Excellence award by Opera Volunteers International. The award comes with a $1,000 prize, which will go towards funding a marketing workshop before this year’s festival. The workshop is happening in Port Carling later this month.
OVI is a non-profit which advocates for volunteerism in opera, and it also honoured Opera Muskoka’s 2017 production of La Boheme as a Project of Special Merit. The opera was produced by Bracebridge resident Daevyd Pepper, who was completing his master’s degree in Opera Performance at the University of Toronto. He also sang the role of Rodolfo.
The awards will be handed out in June during the Opera America/Opera Volunteers International conference in St. Louis.
Aside from the performers, Opera Muskoka is a volunteer-run event. This year’s festival runs from August 21st to 24th, and the featured opera is Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte.