Derek Bate

Derek Bate is a versatile conductor equally at home in opera, operetta and musical theatre. He has conducted many productions for TOT, including CANDIDE, THE BIRD SELLER, COUNTESS MARITZA, KISMET and THE MERRY WIDOW. He is Assistant to the Music Director with the Canadian Opera Company, where he has conducted an impressive number of operas, including LA TRAVIATA, TURANDOT, LA BOHÈME, CARMEN, LUISA MILLER, EUGENE ONEGIN, MADAMA BUTTERFLY, RIGOLETTO and SALOME. He was also the assistant conductor for the RING CYCLE opening the Four Seasons Centre in 2006. Most recently, he conducted RIGOLETTO with Opéra de Québec, and he has appeared with Calgary Opera, Edmonton Opera, the National Arts Centre and Opera Grand Rapids. In musical theatre, he was the musical director of LES MISÉRABLES in Toronto, Harold Prince’s production of SHOWBOAT in New York and on tour throughout the U.S., and conducted over 1000 performances of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Toronto and Canadian National Tour).