On October 16, Calgary Opera performer Gabriel Sanchez-Ortega held up a Palestinian flag during the curtain call for Tosca. In response, Calgary Opera removed Sanchez-Ortega from all remaining performances. In a public statement, they said:
Individual political protest contravenes not only company policy, but also our responsibility to create a more connected, caring, and civil society through shared artistic experiences. We recognize that this moment may have affected the audience — as well as cast members, crew, orchestral musicians, and Jubilee staff — in different ways, and we regret any discomfort and distress it caused.
Ironically, “Tosca explores how love, art and personal conviction can become forms of resistance against corruption, violence and oppression.”
Even more ironically, Calgary Opera itself is not apolitical. Since 2016, Calgary Opera has accepted $113,335 from the Jewish Community Foundation of Calgary (JCFC). JCFC is part of the Canadian Jewish Federations / United Israel Appeal of Canada (JFC-UIA) network. The network is central to financing Israel’s settler colonial project. Accepting funds from entities within the JFC-UIA network is tacit, if not explicit, support for Israel’s illegal occupation, apartheid regime, and ongoing genocide.
Learn more about the JFC-UIA network
Calgary Opera also accepted $25,000 from the Azrieli Foundation in 2017.
