Alan Corbishley

Founding Artistic and Executive Director

In 2006, Alan transitioned from a successful operatic baritone into a versatile opera director and arts producer.

As a stage director, his production of
Nigredo Hotel with City Opera Vancouver was named on Vancouver’s Best list for 2018 as ‘Most Challenging Experiments’ and was also named on that same list in 2017 for his production of Handel’s Acis & Galatea (a co-production between Sound the Alarm and re:Naissance Opera) which was named  Vancouver’s best opera productions.  In 2016, Alan conceived the production concept and later directed City Opera Vancouver’s production The Lost Operas of Mozart which received rave reviews by Opera Canada and local press.   In 2020, Alan returned to City Opera Vancouver to direct,  conceive, and co-created (in association with Sound the Alarm) Berlin:  The Last Cabaret which was presented to sold out audiences at the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.

In 2014, Alan wrote and directed his original “silent play”, based on the life of Charlie Chaplin entitled Silent Chap, for Western Canada Theatre’s mainstage season. He has also premiered, created and directed the following productions: Satie de Paris, Metaxu, September Songs, Webley aWaits, and Dragging Piaf– a show that received rave reviews at its premier at the 2016 Vancouver Queer Arts Festival.

Other directing credits include Merry Me a Little, I Can’t Stand Wagner, The Women, The Ruined Maid, The Weill Project, Aaron and Isaac, Sea Dream, Bad Date: A Cautionary Tale, La Chatte Metamorphosee en Femme, Elegies, among others.

As a producer, Alan was the Director of Programming for the Vancouver International Song Institute in 2016 and for 2017 worked as a Creative Event Producer for TED Conferences (TED Talks) around the world with PDW. In 2007 Alan created BC Living Arts (Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre), a registered charity and as its Artistic and Executive Director, has created well over 200 events including festivals and multi-genre performances, as well as writing and directing several original productions. Due to his successes, Alan won the Mayors Award for Arts Innovation in 2012 as well as a Distinguished Alumni Award for Arts and Culture through Thompson Rivers University.

Alan is also known as a baritone and has sung professionally in opera and concert throughout North America and Europe, having performed and studied with some of the world’s most prestigious companies and artists.

Having started his studies in theatre, Alan eventually received his Bachelor of Music (Opera) from the University of British Columbia followed by his Masters of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston (Voice/Opera) and trained for two summers each at the Tanglewood Music Centre and the Music Academy of the West as well as a year-long Young Artist Program in France.

Alan is also currently on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music as a voice teacher and their resident stage director.