In 1984, Brian McMaster began a five-year tenure. He was followed by Guus Mostart for two seasons, and by Robert Hallam, who in 1991 was appointed to the new position of General Director. The company's current General Director, James W. Wright, assumed the position in 1999. Formerly the head of Opera Carolina, Mr. Wright's long and distinguished career includes senior positions with Anchorage Opera, Tulsa Opera, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Vancouver Opera's 42nd core season comprises four operas presented from October 2001 to May 2002 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
All performances feature English surtitles projected above the stage.
Vancouver Opera reaches an audience of almost 100,000 each year through its mainstage productions, school tours, community performances, special events, and education and outreach programmes. Vancouver Opera takes pride in its long and distinguished history of introducing opera to new audiences. After 28 seasons the Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble programme is the most extensive of its kind in Canada. Each year the Ensemble gives highly charged, thoroughly musical performances of a specially adapted opera to 50,000 or more elementary school children and their familes throughout the province. This year's production is a frolicsome, fun-filled foray into Mozart's The Magic Flute.