• Feast your eyes on the beautiful new poster for Operanation 8: A Muse Ball! The image, inspired by Botticelli's Primavera, is both whimsical and chic. Tickets to the party are $150 and will be on sale Sept. 1, and renowned singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright gives the headline performance.

• Opera 101 is consistently one of our most popular free events (opera and alcohol is a winning combination, it turns out), and this year, we're expanding the series from four events per season to seven! There will be an event for every opera in our 2011/2012 season, and that means you have the chance to learn about each production straight from the people closest to it: the cast and creative team, interviewed by the CBC's Brent Bambury. The first event of the season will feature superstar mezzo Susan Graham. See the full list of dates and locations here!  

• You'll have another chance to learn about some of our productions in a more educational setting through the Opera Talks at  the North York Central Library. At these events, a member of our education and outreach team will walk you through the history, story, and music of Iphigenia in Tauris, Love from Afar, and Semele.

Creative: Endeavour