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Dean Sophie Louise Roland Represents Western University at the 2026 Daegu Global Opera Market, South Korea
via Don Wright Faculty of Music
Dean Sophie Louise Roland travelled to Daegu, South Korea, to represent Western University's Don Wright Faculty of Music at the 2026 Daegu Global Opera Market, held in conjunction with the Daegu International Opera Festival.
The event brought together artistic directors, opera administrators, educators, and representatives of leading opera companies and institutions from around the world to foster international collaboration, identify emerging operatic talent, and explore opportunities for artistic exchange.
During her visit, Dean Roland participated as an international jury member for the Global Young Artist Casting Audition, evaluating emerging singers for potential professional opportunities. The auditions, held October 10–11, included performances of operatic arias and selections from Turandot.
She also represented Western University in the Opera Market's professional networking activities, including institutional meetings and one-on-one discussions with international delegates. These exchanges provided opportunities to introduce Western's music programs, highlight the Faculty's strengths in opera and vocal training, and explore potential partnerships supporting student development, professional opportunities, and international artistic collaboration.
The event attracted representatives from several prominent international organizations, including:- Canadian Opera Company — Roberto Mauro, Artistic Director
- Opera Europa — Luke O'Shaughnessy, Associate Director
- Deutsche Oper Berlin — Fanny Frohnmeyer, Team Leader
- Teatro Sociale di Como / AsLiCo — Barbara Minghetti, Vice President and Director of Programming
- The Japan Opera Foundation / Fujiwara Opera Company — Hiroaki Muto, Secretary General
- New National Theatre Tokyo — Fumiko Matsunobu, Project Director, World Opera Forum 2028 Tokyo
- Seoul National University — Samuel Youn, Professor and Kammersänger
- Daegu Opera House — Kyoungjae Lee, Artistic Director
An important aspect of the visit was the opportunity to connect with Kyoungjae Lee, Artistic Director of Daegu Opera House, and strengthen relationships with international opera leaders.
A Special Western Connection on the International Stage
A particularly meaningful highlight of the visit was the opportunity to attend Daegu Opera House's production of Puccini's Turandot, featuring Western University alum and tenor Scott Rumble in the leading role of Calaf.
For Dean Roland, seeing a graduate of Western's music program performing on an international operatic stage was a moment of tremendous pride.
"To have the immense pleasure of attending a performance of Turandot in South Korea and seeing one of our own grad Scott Rumble featured as Calaf was incredibly special. To cheer on a Western alumnus, purple and proud, all the way in Korea is a tremendous honour for me as Dean. It is a wonderful reminder of the extraordinary talent that comes through our Faculty and the remarkable international careers our graduates go on to build."
Strengthening Western's International Connections
Dean Roland's participation reinforced Western University's growing international presence in the performing arts and provided a valuable platform for developing relationships with major opera institutions across Asia, Europe, and North America.
The visit reflects the Don Wright Faculty of Music's commitment to international engagement, artistic excellence, and the creation of meaningful professional opportunities for its students, faculty, and alumni. It also highlighted the global reach of Western's graduates and the important role they continue to play on international stages.
