Dean Burry – Inside the Mind of an Opera Storyteller

A four-month-old mystery wrapped in newspaper. A fairy tale that has toured hundreds of times. A classroom full of kids who cheer without restraint. We sit down with Canadian composer Dean Burry to explore how opera becomes irresistible when it balances big myths with small, human truths.

Dean shares the thread that runs through his work from The Brothers Grimm and The Hobbit to the headline-gripping Baby Kintyre: find the poetry inside a story, then let music and text reveal the people beneath the plot. He traces his start in Newfoundland’s drama clubs, his early interest in musical theatre, and why he writes so many of his own libretti. We dig into years of education work at the Canadian Opera Company, where he wrote operas with seven-to-twelve-year-olds and built all the masks and props for them himself, turning limited budgets into creative fuel. His take on accessibility is refreshing – keep the craft sharp, the ideas bold, and the path clear enough that first-time listeners feel invited rather than tested.

All episodes of The Opera Glasses podcast are hosted by the editor of Opera Canada, currently Michael Jones after Elizabeth Bowman hosted seasons 1 and 2. Follow Opera Canada on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Visit OperaCanada.ca for all of your Canadian Opera news and reviews.