Irving Guttman (October 27, 1928, Chatham, Ontario - December 7, 2014,

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...

) was a Canadian stage director who had a profound impact on the field of

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

within his own country. Described by ''

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available f ...

'' as "the father of opera in Western Canada", he co-founded the Edmonton Opera, the Regina Opera Company and the Manitoba Opera; the latter of which he served as artistic director from 1977–1998. Guttman was a shrewd judge of talent and helped nurture the careers of several young Canadian singers, including Tracy Dahl, Maureen Forrester,

Judith Forst Judith Doris Forst (''née'' Lumb) (born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian mezzo-soprano. Born in New Westminster, British Columbia, she received a Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia in 1964. She is the sister-in-law of ...

, and

Ben Heppner Thomas Bernard Heppner (born January 14, 1956) is a Canadian tenor and broadcaster, now retired from singing, who specialized in opera and other classical works for voice. Early life and career Heppner, of Mennonite descent, was born in Mur ...

. He also was able to draw several highly acclaimed artists to Canada for their initial appearances; first attracting international attention in 1963 when he mounted a production of

Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Gi ...

's ''

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'' at the Vancouver Opera starring

Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s. She possessed ...

and Marilyn Horne. Other artists whose Canadian debuts he orchestrated included

José Carreras Josep Maria Carreras Coll (; born 5 December 1946), better known as José Carreras (, ), is a Spanish operatic tenor who is particularly known for his performances in the operas of Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini. Born in Barcelona, he made his de ...

, Plácido Domingo, Samuel Ramey, and Beverly Sills. A graduate of the Strathcona Academy in Montréal (1941–1946) and The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto (1947–1952), Guttman was awarded Honorary Doctor of Letters from the

University of Winnipeg The University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg, UW) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, that offers undergraduate faculties of art, business and economics, education, science and kinesiology and applied health as well as gr ...

(1995) and the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

(2009). His other awards and honors include the Canadian Centennial Medal (1967), being made a Member of the Order of Canada (1988), the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (1992), the "Rubie" Opera Builder Award from

Opera Canada ''Opera Canada'' is a quarterly music magazine published by Opera Canada Publications. It is the oldest continuously published arts magazine in Canada. It is an independent magazine separate from the Canadian Opera Association. Along with Opera ...

(2001), the

Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'or de la Reine Elizabeth II) or the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

(2002), and being made a Member of the Order of British Columbia (2002). He has also been inducted into the Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame (1988), the Vancouver Hall of Fame (1994), the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame (1994), and the Canadian Opera Hall of Fame (1995).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guttman, Irving 1928 births 2014 deaths Canadian opera directors Members of the Order of British Columbia Members of the Order of Canada The Royal Conservatory of Music alumni