Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

Co-librettist & Designer

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is one of the co-librettist of the opera The Flight of the Hummingbird. He is also one of the designer of the physical aspect of the initial production of the opera (props, sets, and costumes). The opera is based his book Flight of the Hummingbird – A Parable for the Environment.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is an award-winning visual contemporary artist and author. His work has been seen in public spaces, museums, galleries, and private collections across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Institutional collections include the British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Seattle Art Museum and Vancouver Art Gallery. His large sculptural works are part of the public art collection of the City of Vancouver, City of Kamloops, and University of British Columbia. Yahgulanaas’s publications include national bestsellers Flight of the Hummingbird and RED: A Haida Manga.

www.mny.ca

Barry Gilson

Co-librettist & Designer

Barry Gilson was one of the co-librettists of the opera The Flight of the Hummingbird. He was also one of the designers of the physical aspect of the initial production of the opera (props, sets, and costumes).

Barry Gilson was the principal of award-winning architectural interiors company RED Design. He had strong technical and business qualifications with an impressive track record of more than 35 years of hands-on experience in strategic planning, business unit development, design, project management, and facilities planning. From his teenage years in musical theatre to President of the Burnaby Art Gallery, founding member of a theatre company and partner in Y Public Art with Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, the arts played a major role in his life.

Barry Gilson passed away on March 22, 2021.

www.ypublicart.com

Maxime Goulet

Composer

Maxime Goulet is the composer of the music of the opera The Flight of the Hummingbird.

Deeply fascinated and inspired by the connections between different forms of artistic expression, the composer Maxime Goulet works within various realms of musical creation ranging from symphonic music to video games. His classical music compositions, such as Symphonic Chocolates and On Halloween Night are now part of orchestra’s regular repertoire and have been performed on five continents, by leading ensembles such as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Opera, the Liege Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, The National Art Center Orchestra, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Métropolitain.

www.maximegoulet.com

Glynis Leyshon – Dramaturge & Stage director

In addition to staging the initial production of the opera The Flight of the Hummingbird, Glynis Leyshon has been closely involved at every step of the creation of the opera. She actively took part in all the creative meetings and workshops prior to the premiere of the opera. She substantially helped the creators shape the opera in its final form.

Kinza Tyrrell – Musical Direction

In addition to leading the musical direction of the initial production of the opera The Flight of the Hummingbird, Kinza Tyrrell actively took part in the music workshops. Her many musical ideas contributed to the opera.

Colleen Maybin – Director, Education and Community Engagement

Colleen Maybin is the person who got the idea of making an opera based on Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas’ book Flight of the Hummingbird – A Parable for the Environment. She has worked closely with everyone involved with the initial production of the opera The Flight of the Hummingbird.

Timothy Vernon – Musical Direction

Timothy Vernon played an important role in finding the right combination of people to compose, stage, workshop and premiere the opera The Flight of the Hummingbird. His presence at the workshops contributed in many ways to the opera.

Artists who took part in the music workshops
– Heather Pawsey, singer
– Melody Courage, singer
– Nolan Kehler, singer
– Emma Parkinson, singer
– Willi Miles Grenzberg, singer
– Perri Lo, pianist
– Shiun Kim, cellist
– Marijka Asbeek Brusse, stage manager

Artists who took part in the libretto workshops
– Kim Harvey, actor
– Celine Stubel, actor
– Aaron Wells, actor
– Brian Linds, actor
– Jessica Schacht, artist in residence

Eric Jones-Cadieux was the music assistant of Maxime Goulet while he was composing the opera The Flight of the Hummingbird.