Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野 (they/he) is a transgender Nikkei-Canadian opera singer and interdisciplinary theatre creator based in Tkarón:to (colonially known as Toronto). Celebrated as “an artist with extraordinary things to say” (Globe and Mail) and “a force of nature” (Toronto Star), they conceived and perform in the operatic solo piece The Queen In Me. With over 20 years of experience across Turtle Island and Europe, Teiya’s repertoire spans the Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte), Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly), and soprano solos in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Verdi’s Requiem. They trained via the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio and earned a BMus from UBC (’07). Recent accolades include Opera Canada’s 2025 Change Maker Ruby Award and the 2022 Joseph S. Stauffer Prize from Canada Council for the Arts. Performance highlights include Verdi’s Requiem with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at Koerner Hall (2024), and premiering roles in When the Sun Comes Out (2013) and Silence (2025) by Japanese-Canadian composer Leslie Uyeda. During the pandemic, Teiya earned the nickname “the balcony soprano” via their video series 19 VIDEOS FOR COVID-19, and later launched the ongoing Butterfly Project. This visit is made possible with the support of Pacific Opera Victoria. Kasahar will give a recital at the McPherson Playhouse on Wednesday, September 24 as part of Pacific Opera’s Luminary Series. Admission by donation