05/22/2026
How John Leberg’s outreach idea grew into Stratford’s Music & Opera Appreciation series
For Michelle Dietrich, president of the MOA board, the appeal is that it isn’t just a concert series, as each event blends performance with context
Stratford’s Music & Opera Appreciation (MOA) began in a living room in St. Mary's, 32 years ago, as a social outreach program.
The initially small gathering was founded by John Leberg, who is an artist, educator, and Order of Canada recipient; and best-known, in opera circles, as the inventor of Surtitles — a globally-acclaimed method of projecting condensed translations of foreign-language operas onto screens above the stages in opera houses that permits unilingual music lovers to understand the words of the world's great operas.
“John wanted to bring culture and comfort, and education, to seniors in particular. That was his goal 32 years ago. And he had this vision about culture,” said Michelle Dietrich, current MOA board president. “He was looking at excitement, education, and entertainment as his go to. He felt that too many people were isolated, particularly in the wintertime. He interviewed people about their craft, about their art, and talked about art in the form of music and opera, and he also started the concerts that we continue to have.”
The annual fall & winter series continues over the next few years, with three dates in October and November this year; the winter dates pick up in January and February. This next Music and Opera Appreciation season begins with a concert on October 13, by newly hired MOA Artistic Director Vlad Soloviev on piano, accompanied by the Canadian Opera soprano Emily Rocha.
For those who haven’t found their appreciation for Opera, Vlad shares “It's not that they don't like operas, but that they don't know they like opera, or they don't know what to like about it. And the way to think about opera is the way you think about scotch, the way you think about wine, the way you think about good food. Like, it might take you a while to appreciate what makes it good. But once you know what makes it good, there is no way you're going to disagree with that, once you develop a certain palate for it.”
Each MOA season series has included a variety of events, including interviews, video presentations and performances. Dietrich says calls it an immersive experience.
“You're learning, you're being entertained, you're enjoying yourself, and you're having a social connection all at the same time. We have a little social time halfway through, where we have coffee and cookies and tea, and people get to chat," she said. "You're talking about things, like learning more about the composer, learning more about the times, learning about the word structure, learning about a musical technique. So it's a good two hours in the afternoon.”
More information about the Music & Opera Appreciation can be found on their website.
