From May 17 to 31, 2023, the Canada Research Chair in Opera Creation organized an interdisciplinary opera research-creation seminar at Orford Musique. Directed by Ana Sokolović, this seminar brought together an interdisciplinary team of coaches and professors (Ana Sokolović, Jean-Michaël Lavoie, Robin Wheeler, choreographer Sarah Bild, director and puppeteer Martin Genest and musicologist Zoey Cochran), as well as guest speakers from a wide range of disciplines, who inspired the research-creation process. The first three days also welcomed the five winners of the 2018 Killam Prize, who have decided to join forces in creating cross-sectoral encounters on the theme of rhythm.
During this intensive seminar, composers, librettists, musicologists (as dramaturges), singers and instrumentalists were immersed in research-creation and guided by world-renowned researchers with the aim of realizing an interdisciplinary work. With resources and time at their disposal, integral elements of the opera were deconstructed and reimagined for the purposes of interdisciplinarity, through improvisation, co-creation and research-creation. The aim of this exceptional seminar was to stimulate students' collective thinking and imagination to create innovative operas rooted in the contemporary era.