Artistic Director: Giuseppe Macina

Now in his fourth decade as Artistic Director of Toronto Opera Repertoire, Giuseppe Macina continues to inspire an entire generation of performers and audiences. He has guided Toronto Opera Repertoire with the following commitments: to provide opportunities for performers to develop their musical talents, and to present fully staged operas with the greatest detail and musical integrity.

Giuseppe Macina is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Faculty of Music of the University of Toronto. He studied with Irene Jessner in Toronto and Robert Weede in San Francisco. His singing career included solo roles with the Vancouver Opera Association and the Canadian Opera Company.

He has directed numerous choirs, ensembles and opera groups, and was formerly the Director of the Opera Program at Mohawk College. Opera performance in the Hamilton area began in the 1960s with the Hamilton Opera Company, an amateur company led by Marty Coughan and Giuseppe Macina.

In 1977, Giuseppe Macina was awarded the Jubilee Silver Medal by Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to Italian culture in Canada. In 1999 he was honored by the Toronto Arts and Letters Club for a lifetime distinguished career as an educator, and in February, 2004, Torontos Famous People Players presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to the music and art of opera. That year also saw awards from the Italian region of Apugli, and from his home town of Modugno for his passionate contribution to Italian culture. In December of 2005, Mr. Macina was made a member of the Cavagliere Ordine della Croce della Stella della Solidarietá Italiana, the equivalent of a knighthood, bestowed by the Italian government through its consulate in Toronto.