+++
date = "2015-04-07T20:26:00-06:00"
discipline = "Founder & Artistic Director, Against the Grain Theatre"
lastmod = "2015-07-06T00:50:00-06:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1436165401904/image1.JPG.JPG"
publishDate = "2015-04-07T20:26:00-06:00"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/against-the-grain-theatre.md","scene/companies/canadian-opera-company.md","scene/companies/vancouver-opera.md","scene/companies/opera-nuova.md","scene/companies/the-banff-centre.md","scene/companies/indie-opera-to.md"]
slug = "joel-ivany"
title = "Joel Ivany"
website = "http://www.joelivany.com/index/welcome.html"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Twitter"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://twitter.com/joelivany"
+++

Stage Director Joel Ivany was a recent finalist and prize winner in the 6th European Opera Directing prize for his concept presentation of Bellini's _I Capuleti e i Montecchi_ alongside designers Camellia Koo and Jason Hand. His most recent projects include directing the World Premiere of Gavin Bryars' chamber opera [Marilyn Forever](http://www.joelivany.com/index/Marilyn_Forever.html "Marilyn_Forever.html")_,_ with the Aventa Ensemble in Victoria, directing a new production of [Les Contes D'Hoffmann](http://www.joelivany.com/index/contes_dhoffmann.html "contes_dhoffmann.html") with Edmonton Opera, directing _Macbeth_ for Minnesota Opera, directing _Carmen_ for Vancouver Opera and becoming the sessional artistic director of Opera at the Banff Centre.  

This past season he was nominated for Best Director at the Dora Mavor Moore Awards (_Figaro's Wedding_) and won the Dora Award for Outstanding New Opera for [Figaro's Wedding](http://www.againstthegraintheatre.com/shows/figaro "http://www.againstthegraintheatre.com/shows/figaro") (for which he wrote a new contemporary libretto and directed a new adaptation of _Le Nozze di Figaro_, for Against the Grain Theatre).

He has directed for Against the Grain Theatre, The Canadian Opera Company, Minnesota Opera, The Aventa Ensemble, The Canadian Children's Opera Company, The Centre for Opera Studies in Italy, The U of T Opera Division, Wilfrid Laurier University, Music Niagara, Opera Nuova, Western University, The Royal Conservatory of Music and The Banff Centre.  

<span class="style_2">He is the founder and artistic director of </span>[Against the Grain Theatre](http://www.againstthegraintheatre.com/ "http://www.againstthegraintheatre.com") (AtG), a Toronto based cutting-edge theatre collective producing intimate, innovative theatre. NOW Magazine said<span class="style_3">, "Against the Grain Theatre proves itself one of the city's most inventive young companies." He directed their first</span> production of [La Bohème](http://www.againstthegraintheatre.com/index/La_Boheme.html "http://www.againstthegraintheatre.com/index/La_Boheme.html") for which he wrote a new English libretto <span class="style_4">(</span>[undefined](http://www.againstthegraintheatre.com/ "http://www.againstthegraintheatre.com")<span class="style_4">), which has since been used by Opera Columbus in the United States and Cowtown Opera in Calgary. </span>Other writing credits include two one-act plays,_Variations on a Theme_ for the 3XNON Theatre Festival and _27 Weeks_ for The New Ideas Festival in Toronto.  

His past directing credits include such productions as: a touring production of [Hansel and Gretel](http://www.joelivany.com/index/UncleJohn.html "UncleJohn.html") for the Canadian Opera Company; [undefined at The Banff Centre](http://www.joelivany.com/index/cosi_fan_tutte.html "cosi_fan_tutte.html"), conducted by David Agler; [knotty together](http://www.joelivany.com/index/Carmen.html "Carmen.html"), a new work written and composed by Njo Kong Kie, performed in Dublin, Ireland; and Kander and Ebb's [Cabaret](http://www.joelivany.com/index/AtGs_Messiah.html "AtGs_Messiah.html")_._ With AtG: reviving his sold-out production of [La Bohème](http://www.joelivany.com/index/la_boheme-remount.html "la_boheme-remount.html")_,_ which Opera Canada critiqued, "Ivany's staging worked improbably well, giving the proceedings a _cinéma vérité_ feel and giving the audience a sense of involvement."; Kurt Weill's one act opera, [Die Sieben Todsünden](http://www.joelivany.com/index/the_7_deadly_sins.html "the_7_deadly_sins.html") and Britten's chilling [The Turn of the Screw](http://www.joelivany.com/index/turn_of_the_screw.html "turn_of_the_screw.html"), [AtG's Messiah](http://www.joelivany.com/index/AtGs_Messiah.html "AtGs_Messiah.html") and Debussy's [Pelléas et Mélisande](http://www.joelivany.com/index/pelleas_et_melisande.html "pelleas_et_melisande.html")_._ He was revival Director at Minnesota Opera for Thaddeus Strassberger's production of Verdi's _Nabucco_ and Associate Stage Director at Washington National Opera for the same production. His work with Strassberger includes Chabrier's _Le Roi Malgré Lui_ at both The Bard Summerscape Festival and The Wexford Opera Festival, Ireland. He also served as revival Director at the Norwegian National Opera for Strassberger's produciton of _Le Nozze di Figaro_. Various other assisting credits include _La Bohème_, at The Canadian Opera Company; _Rigoletto_, at the Norwegian National Opera and _La Forza del destino_ with Martin Duncan at Opera Holland Park in London, UK. He has assisted Robert Carsen on _Orfeo ed Euridice_ (Canadian Opera Company), _Iphigénie en Tauride_ (COC) _Dialogues des Carmélites_ (COC) and _La Fanciulla del West_ (Norwegian National Opera).

His short film, [The King's Mask](https://vimeo.com/73017619 "https://vimeo.com/73017619") was made for the Norwegian National Opera highlighting the various production departments at the company.  

He is a recipient of numerous scholarships and grants through such funding bodies as the Canada Arts Council, The Bras Family Foundation, Theatre Ontario and was awarded Best Director at the Purple Shorts One Act Original Play Festival. He holds a music degree from the University of Western Ontario and an artist diploma in Opera Directing from the University of Toronto. He has served on faculty at The Lyric Studio Weimar, Germany, Opera NUOVA in Edmonton and The Banff Centre: Opera as Theatre program.  

Upcoming projects include directing Australian Premiere of _Marilyn Forever_ at the Adelaide Festival and a new production of Offenbach's _La Belle Hélène_ at the Royal Conservatory of Music.  

He will also be a part of Canadian Stage's Director Development program for 2015.  

With AtG he will direct _#UncleJohn_ (re-imagined Don Giovanni)_,_ and in the new year, a staged double-bill presentation of Schubert's _Die Schöne Müllerin_ and Messaien's _Harawi_ called _Death and Desire_.
