Alaina is a daring director, creator and producer based in Toronto. She is the Founder and Executive Artistic Director of award nominated opera company Loose Tea Music Theatre where they create genre defying productions that center on critical social issues, raising underrepresented voices and cross-cultural relationships. In July 2022, Alaina made her European directing debut with the Berlin Opera Academy in an immersive projection, feminist telling of Die Zauberflote at the Alte Munze. They are defined by seeking to push and challenge the opera experience: “The stunning originality of Viau’s vision…grip the imagination.” – Opera Going Toronto. Alaina is a queer disabled artist seeking a new framework for safe and compassionate creation processes that dismantle hierarchical practices. She was in residence at the National Theatre School of Canada in 2022 and was a finalist in Crow’s Theatre national RBC Rising Star Emerging Directors Prize describing her as someone who “will make a strong impact on the performing arts in Canada”.
The 21-22 season Alaina directed the fall and winter operas at Sir Wilford Laurier University focusing on responsible presentation of traditional operas and contemporary Canadian opera performance. Alaina is co-creator for new a non-binary opera based on the story of genderfluid and trailblazing pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. She also directed The Musical Stage Co’s One Song Glory, and is working on a film adaptation of Emily the Way You Are, an opera about artist Emily Carr by Jana Skarecky.
The 19-20 season saw Alaina DORA nominated for Outstanding New Opera for Singing Only Softly, a new opera based on the redacted and missing pages of Anne Frank’s Diary. With Loose Tea Music Theatre, Alaina launched the BIPOC Composer Librettist Development Program through to support new emerging opera creators and leads the production of new works by diverse creators. Her first film short was an official selection at the USA Film Festival Dallas.
Alaina was Resident Director at Toronto City Opera for the 18-19 season directing Le nozze di figaro and La traviata, and Artistic Director of Ottawa indie company SOPAC for two seasons having directed Suor Angelica, Il Pagliacci and Cendrillon. They directed L’Histoire du Soldat for the Toronto Summer Music Festival, presented a sold out original work Whose Opera is it Anyway? at Music and Beyond Festival and directed Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra’s 40th Anniversary show with L’isola disabitata. They have a background in arts admin, producing and production having previously been the Assistant Production Manager at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Opera and Orchestra Manager at the Royal Conservatory of Music.
www.alainaviau.com
“Always searching and provocative direction of Alaina Viau” – WholeNote Magazine