Royce Vavrek is a Canadian-born

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

-based

librettist A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major ...

, playwright, dance

scenarist A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, musical theatre writer and filmmaker known for his collaborations with composers

David T. Little David T. Little (born October 25, 1978) is a Grammy-nominated American composer, record producer, and drummer known for his operatic, orchestral, and chamber works, most notably his operas ''JFK,'' ''Soldier Songs'', and ''Dog Days'' which was na ...

Missy Mazzoli Missy Mazzoli (born October 27, 1980) is an American composer and pianist who has received critical acclaim for her chamber, orchestral and operatic work. In 2018 she became one of the first two women to receive a commission from the Metropolitan ...

, Mikael Karlsson,

Ricky Ian Gordon Ricky Ian Gordon (born May 15, 1956) is an American composer of art song, opera and musical theatre. Life Gordon was born in Oceanside, New York. He was raised by his mother, Eve, and father, Sam, and he grew up on Long Island with his three sist ...

, Paola Prestini and

Du Yun Du Yun (traditional Chinese: 杜韻, simplified Chinese: 杜韵) is a Chinese-born American composer, performer, musician and performance artist. She won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her opera ''Angel's Bone'', with libretto by Royce ...

, soprano

Lauren Worsham Lauren Tolbert Worsham (born April 4, 1982) is an American actress and singer known for her work in the opera and musical theatre. She received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in ''A Gentleman's Guide ...

, producers

Beth Morrison Beth Morrison is an American producer of contemporary opera. Morrison is known for her collaborations with many artists through her company Beth Morrison Projects includes composers David T. Little, Missy Mazzoli, Du Yun, Paola Prestini, Kamala Sa ...

and Lawrence Edelson, and conductors

Steven Osgood Steven Osgood is an American classical music conductor. He is known for his commitment to new operatic works, having conducted many world premieres including Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's ''Breaking the Waves'', David T. Little and Royce Vav ...

Julian Wachner use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...

and

Alan Pierson upright 1.20, Alan Emanuel Pierson Alan Emanuel Pierson (born May 12, 1974, Chicago, Illinois) is an American conductor and producer . His parents are Elaine Pierson and Edward S. Pierson, the latter an engineering professor at Purdue Universi ...

. He has been called "the indie Hofmannsthal", a "

Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of ''opera seria'' libretti. Early life Met ...

of the downtown opera scene", "an exemplary creator of operatic prose", and "one of the most celebrated and sought after librettists in the world". His opera ''

Angel's Bone ''Angel's Bone'' is an opera by composer Du Yun and librettist Royce Vavrek in one act that follows the plight of two angels discovered on earth who are forced into spiritual and sexual slavery at the hands of a financially troubled couple. The w ...

'' with composer

was awarded the 2017

Pulitzer Prize for Music The Pulitzer Prize for Music is one of seven Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually in Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first given in 1943. Joseph Pulitzer arranged for a music scholarship to be awarded each year, and this was eventually converted i ...

Life and work

Born in

Grande Prairie Grande Prairie is a city in Northern Alberta, northwestern Alberta, Canada, within the southern portion of an area known as Peace River Country. It is located at the intersection of Alberta Highway 43, Highway 43 (part of the CANAMEX Corridor) ...

, Alberta, Canada, Vavrek studied piano and musical composition in high school and also sang in a chorus, but was even more drawn to writing for theatre, writing some 17 plays at that time, and filmmaking.So Many Juicy, Amazing Words: A Conversation with Royce Vavrek
by Frank J. Oteri, ''

NewMusicBox ''NewMusicBox'' is an e-zine launched by the American Music Center on May 1, 1999. The magazine includes interviews and articles concerning American contemporary music, composers, improvisers, and musicians. A few interviews include renown ...

'', published: January 1, 2016. But following an undergraduate degree in filmmaking from

Concordia University Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...

and a master's from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

in musical theater writing, he enrolled in the American Lyric Theater's Composer Librettist Development Program which established his career as an opera librettist. His work has been commissioned by the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

Opera Philadelphia Opera Philadelphia is an American opera company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly known as the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the company is the only artistic company in Philadelphia that produces grand opera. The company produces o ...

Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is an American opera company located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1955 by German-born impresario Walter Herbert and three local Houstonians,Giesberg, Robert I., Carl Cunningham, and Alan Rich. ''Houston Grand Opera at ...

Washington National Opera Washington National Opera (WNO) is an American opera company in Washington, D.C. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Performance ...

Norwegian National Opera The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet () is a Norwegian opera company and ballet company. The first fully professional company each for opera and ballet in Norway and the only such professional organisation in the country, it is currently resi ...

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) is an American summer opera festival held in St. Louis, Missouri. Typically four operas, all sung in English, are presented each season, which runs from late May to late June. Performances are accompanied by the ...

Glimmerglass Opera The Glimmerglass Festival (formerly known as Glimmerglass Opera) is an American opera company. Founded in 1975 by Peter Macris, the Glimmerglass Festival presents an annual season of operas at the Alice Busch Opera Theater on Otsego Lake nort ...

Tapestry Opera Tapestry Opera is a Canadian opera company located in Toronto, Ontario. According to its website, it is "the only Canadian company solely dedicated to the creation and performance of original Canadian opera". To date, the company has produced 18 ...

Fort Worth Opera Fort Worth Opera is the oldest continually-performing opera company in the state of Texas and among the oldest in the United States, according to the company. While originally presenting operas one at a time over a fall/winter season, it changed ...

Opera Omaha Opera Omaha is a major regional opera company in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1958, the professional company is widely known for the International Fall Festival events it held in the 1980s and 1990s, which garnered international attention and served ...

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...

Brooklyn Philharmonic There have been several organisations referred to as the Brooklyn Philharmonic. The most recent one was the now-defunct Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, an American orchestra based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, in existence f ...

The Kitchen A kitchen is a room used for the preparation of food. Kitchen, or The Kitchen, may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Kitchen'' (1966 film), an American film * ''Kitchen'' (1997 film), a Hong Kong film * ''The Kitchen'' (1961 film ...

Alarm Will Sound Alarm Will Sound is a 20-member chamber orchestra that focuses on recordings and performances of contemporary classical music. Its performances have been described as "equal parts exuberance, nonchalance, and virtuosity" by the ''Financial Times ...

Opera America __NOTOC__ Opera America (stylized as OPERA America) is a New York–based service organization promoting the creation, presentation, and enjoyment of opera in the United States. Almost all professional opera company, opera companies and some semi-pr ...

, American Lyric Theater,

Beth Morrison Projects Beth Morrison is an American producer of contemporary opera. Morrison is known for her collaborations with many artists through her company Beth Morrison Projects includes composers David T. Little, Missy Mazzoli, Du Yun, Paola Prestini, Kamala S ...

, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, among others. His recent commissions include operas for the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera () is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the centre of Sweden's capital, Stockholm, in the borough of Norrmalm (borough), Norrmalm, on the eastern si ...

La Monnaie The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (, ; , ; both translating as the "Royal Theatre of the Mint") is an opera house in central Brussels, Belgium. The National Opera of Belgium, a federal institution, takes the name of this theatre in which it is ho ...

The Icelandic Opera The Icelandic Opera (''Íslenska óperan'') is an opera company based in Reykjavík that produces operas and concerts. Its productions emphasize Icelandic artists, but regularly involve foreign artists as well. The company performs between October ...

, and the

Prototype Festival Prototype Festival is an annual, weeklong contemporary opera and musical theater festival held in New York City. Program Prototype Festival is an annual, weeklong festival of contemporary opera and musical theater. The festival encourages n ...

. Vavrek's filmmaking credits include ''From Sky and Soil'', which was created as part of the Corus Young Filmmakers Initiative for broadcast on the

W Network W Network (often shortened to W) is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts general entertainment programming oriented towards a female audience. W Network was ...

, through a prize administered by the Canadian Film and Television Production Association. Vavrek is gay.

Artistic influences and comparisons

Vavrek has suggested that his work is heavily influenced by cinematic auteurs including

Neil LaBute Neil N. LaBute (born March 19, 1963) is an American playwright, film director, and screenwriter. He is best known for a play that he wrote and later adapted for film, ''In the Company of Men'' (1997), which won awards from the Sundance Film Fest ...

Lars von Trier Lars von Trier (né Trier; born 30 April 1956) is a Danish film director and screenwriter. Beginning in the late-1960s as a child actor working on Danish television series ''Secret Summer'', von Trier's career has spanned more than five decad ...

Catherine Breillat Catherine Breillat (; born 13 July 1948) is a French filmmaker, novelist and professor of auteur cinema at the European Graduate School. Life and career Breillat was born in Bressuire, Deux-Sèvres, but grew up in Niort. She decided to becom ...

Wong Kar-Wai Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure o ...

Mike Leigh Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English screenwriter, producer, director and former actor with a film, theatre, and television career spanning more than 60 years. His accolades include prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin In ...

Larry Clark Lawrence Donald Clark (born January 19, 1943) is an American film director, photographer, writer and film producer who is best known for his controversial teen film '' Kids'' (1995) and his photography book ''Tulsa'' (1971). His work focuses pri ...

, playwrights

Martin McDonagh Martin Faranan McDonagh ( ; born 26 March 1970) is a British-Irish playwright and filmmaker. He is known for his Absurdism, absurdist Black comedy, dark humour which often challenges the modern theatre aesthetic. He has won List of awards and no ...

and

Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, ...

, novelists

Richard Ford Richard Ford (born February 16, 1944) is an American novelist and short story author, and writer of a series of novels featuring the character Frank Bascombe. Ford's first collection of short stories, ''Rock Springs (short stories), Rock Springs ...

Miriam Toews Miriam Toews (; born 1964) is a Canadian writer and author of nine books, including '' A Complicated Kindness'' (2004), '' All My Puny Sorrows'' (2014), and '' Women Talking'' (2018). She has won a number of literary prizes including the Governo ...

and

Larry McMurtry Larry Jeff McMurtry (June 3, 1936March 25, 2021) was an American novelist, essayist, and screenwriter whose work was predominantly set in either the Old West or contemporary Texas.

and Canadian singer-songwriter

Kathleen Edwards Kathleen Margaret Edwards (born July 11, 1978
) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Her 2002 debut album, ''

. His libretti have been compared to the work of

Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( ; ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sma ...

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credi ...

and

Edward Albee Edward Franklin Albee III ( ; March 12, 1928 – September 16, 2016) was an American playwright known for works such as ''The Zoo Story'' (1958), ''The Sandbox (play), The Sandbox'' (1959), ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), ''A Delicat ...

Opera libretti

* '' Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera'' (2010, David T. Little composer) * '' Song from the Uproar: The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt'' (2012, Missy Mazzoli composer, co-librettist) * ''

Dog Days The dog days or are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the "Dog Star"), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, ...

'' (2012, David T. Little composer) * '' 27'' (2014, Ricky Ian Gordon composer) * ''Maren of Vardø: Satan's Bride'' (2015, Jeff Myers composer) * '' O Columbia'' (2015,

Gregory Spears Gregory Spears is an American composer of instrumental and operatic works that blend aspects of romanticism, minimalism, and early music. Among his best known works are the operas '' Fellow Travelers'' and ''Paul's Case'', as well as his Requiem ...

composer) * ''

'' (2016,

composer) * ''

JFK John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until Assassination of John F. Kennedy, his assassination in 1963. He was the first Catholic Chur ...

'' (2016,

composer) * ''

Breaking the Waves ''Breaking the Waves'' is a 1996 psychological romantic melodrama film directed and co-written by Lars von Trier and starring Emily Watson in her feature film acting debut, and with Stellan Skarsgård, a frequent collaborator with von Trier. ...

'' (2016, Missy Mazzoli composer) * '' The House Without a Christmas Tree'' (2017,

composer) * ''Proving Up'' (2018,

composer) * ''

Silent Light ''Silent Light'' (Plautdietsch: ''Stellet Licht'') is a 2007 film written and directed by Carlos Reygadas. Filmed in a Mennonite colony close to Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua State, Northern Mexico, ''Silent Light'' tells the story of a Mennonite marrie ...

'' (2019, Paola Prestini composer) * ''The Wild Beast of the Bungalow'' (2020, Rachel Peters composer) * ''Jacqueline'' (2020,

Luna Pearl Woolf Luna Pearl Woolf is a Canadian-American composer, producer, and dramaturg. Her oeuvre includes opera, chamber music, orchestra, and choral compositions including works for dramatic chamber music, silent film scores, and musical story-telling. Her ...

composer) * ''The Puppy Episode'' (2021, Matthew Recio composer) * '' The Listeners'' (2022, Missy Mazzoli composer) * ''The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage'' (2023,

Elena Ruehr Elena Ruehr (born 1963) is an American musician, music educator and composer. Life and career Elena Ruehr was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan as the daughter of a mathematician and an English professor. She grew up in Houghton, Michigan and began pian ...

composer) * ''Melancholia'' (2023, Mikael Karlsson composer) * ''

The Old Man and the Sea ''The Old Man and the Sea'' is a 1952 novella by the American author Ernest Hemingway. Written between December 1950 and February 1951, it was the last major fictional work Hemingway published during his lifetime. It tells the story of Santiag ...

'' (2023, Paola Prestini composer) * ''Adoration'' (2024, Mary Kouyoumdjian composer) * ''

Fanny and Alexander ''Fanny and Alexander'' () is a 1982 Historical drama, period drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. The plot focuses on two siblings and their large family in Uppsala, Sweden during the first decade of the twentieth century. Follow ...

'' (2024, Mikael Karlsson composer) * '' Indians on Vacation'' (TBA, Ian Cusson composer) * ''

Lincoln in the Bardo ''Lincoln in the Bardo'' is a 2017 experimental novel by American writer George Saunders. It is Saunders's first novel and was a ''New York Times'' bestseller. The novel takes place during and after the death of Abraham Lincoln's son Willie L ...

'' (TBA, Missy Mazzoli composer)

Dance scenarios

* ''Crypto'' (2019, Guillaume Coté choreographer, Mikael Karlsson composer) * ''Evidence of it All'' (2021, Drew Jacoby choreographer, Mikael Karlsson composer,

Rosamund Pike Rosamund Mary Ellen Pike (born 1979) is an English actress and producer. Known for psychological thrillers and dramas, she is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Rosamund Pike, numerous accolades, including a Primetime Em ...

narrator)

Musical theater book and lyrics

* '' Midwestern Gothic'' (2017,

Joshua Schmidt Joshua Schmidt is an American composer, lyricist, bookwriter and theatrical sound designer. He is known for the musicals ''Adding Machine'', ''A Minister's Wife'', '' Midwestern Gothic'', and musical film ''The End''. Musical theatre * ''Adding Ma ...

composer, co-lyricist)

Oratorios, cantatas, and song cycles

* ''Am I Born'' (2012,

composer) * ''Stoned Prince'' (2013,

Hannah Lash Han Lash (born 1981) is an American composer of concert music who has taught at Yale School of Music, Mannes School of Music, and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Biography Han Lash was born in Alfred, New York, USA on November ...

composer) * ''Naamah's Ark'' (2016, Marisa Michelson composer) * ''The Hubble Cantata'' (2016, Paola Prestini composer) * ''Epistle Mass'' (2018,

composer) * ''So We Will Vanish'' (2021, Mikael Karlsson composer)

Selected songs and concert works

* ''Hybrid Dreams (Bunny Pony)'' (2007, Julia Meinwald, composer) * ''Elena'' (2009, Matt Marks, composer) * ''Red-Thread Smirk'' (2010, Matt Marks, composer) * ''I X' (2011, Matt Marks, composer) * ''A Song for Wade (This is Not That Song)'' (2011, Matt Marks, composer) * ''1882 Songs'' (2011, Mark Baechle, composer) * ''Last Nightfall'' (2011, David T. Little, composer) * ''Canvas'' (2012, Matt Mehlan, composer) * ''archaeology'' (2012, David T. Little, composer) * ''Bluetooth Islands'' (2012, Matt Marks, composer) * ''A Mural'' (2012, Aaron Gervais, composer) * ''Alien Summers'' (2012, Aaron Roche, composer) * ''Monkey Cowboys'' (2012, Rachel Peters, composer) * ''Violations'' (2013,

, composer) * ''Strip Mall'' (2013, Matt Marks, composer) * ''Penance'' (2013, Mikael Karlsson, composer) * ''The Librettist as a Boy'' (2013, Marie Incontrera, composer) * ''Brother'' (2013, Jude Vaclavik, composer) * ''E----'' (2014, Jeff Myers, composer) * ''Union'' (2014, Paola Prestini, composer) * ''Knoxville: Summer of 2015'' (2015, Ellen Reid, composer; a musical sequel to

Samuel Barber Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor (music), conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the mid-20th century. Principally influenced ...

's '' Knoxville: Summer of 1915'')

Films

* ''Sacrifice'' (2003) * ''Good Woman'' (2004) * ''From Sky and Soil'' (2005) * ''I Will Not Be Sad Anymore'' (2005) * ''

Pig and Bear ''Pig and Bear'' is an experimental short film by Royce Vavrek, internationally screened throughout North America in 2008. Created while Vavrek was attending the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University (Montreal), Concordia Univers ...

'' (2008)

Awards and nominations

The Coterie

With soprano

, Vavrek is the co-founder and co-artistic director of downtown opera-theater company The Coterie. Through a series of concerts that often function as incubators for larger projects, the company has presented world premieres by many young operatic and musical theater composers including Rachel Peters, Jeff Myers,

Kyle Jarrow Kyle Jarrow (born October 7, 1979) is a Los Angeles–based writer and rock musician. Career Writing Jarrow's writing career began in theater, winning an Obie Award with director Alex Timbers in 2004 for '' A Very Merry Unauthorized Children' ...

, Paola Prestini, Cristian Amigo, Matt Marks, Mark Baechle, Christine Donkin, Joshua Schmidt, Julia Meinwald and Andrew Gerle. In December 2012, the company will premiere new works by Aaron Roche, Mel Marvin, Zach Redler, Aaron Gervais and Conrad Winslow alongside new projects from many returning contributors. Among the many performers to lend their talents to the company are

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

-winner Chuck Cooper, Tony nominee

Barbara Walsh Barbara Walsh (born June 3, 1955) is an American musical theatre actress who has appeared in several prominent Broadway productions. Walsh is known for her Drama Desk Award and Tony Award nominated role as Trina in the original Broadway productio ...

, actress-singers Theresa McCarthy and Morgan James and actor-singers Greg Hildreth and Zachary James.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vavrek, Royce 21st-century Canadian dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people 21st-century Canadian male writers Canadian gay musicians Canadian gay writers Canadian LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights Canadian male dramatists and playwrights Canadian opera librettists Concordia University alumni Gay dramatists and playwrights Living people New York University alumni People from Grande Prairie Writers from Alberta Writers from Brooklyn Year of birth missing (living people)