Former Ontario Arts Foundation Executive Director Janet Stubbs was honored at The Opera Canada Awards (The Rubies) on Oct. 16 in Toronto, along with Gerald Finley and Michael McMahon in recognition of her outstanding achievements on stage and behind the scenes. Established in 1999, the Opera Canada Awards celebrate excellence on the stage and behind the scenes by recognizing individual achievements on an annual basis.
Following her graduation from law school and call to the bar, Janet spent just six months practicing law before being persuaded by a teacher to audition for the Opera School at U of T’s Faculty of Music. A scholarship and place in the Canadian Opera Company chorus were just the beginning. Janet spent the next two decades travelling across Canada and the United States, sought after for coveted parts in operas, including leading roles in Carmen, Cinderella and The Barber of Seville, and solo concert performances with major Canadian orchestras. Following her career as one of Canada’s top operatic talents, she became the Ontario Arts Foundation’s Executive Director for fifteen years, where she oversaw endowments that support music, theatre, dance, literature and visual arts organizations, and, fittingly, recognize outstanding Canadian artists.
Congratulations Janet!