In his memoir, The Road to Bard, Bard on the Beach founder Christopher Gaze recounts a life in the theatre, sharing vivid stories of acting, fundraising, leadership and community building, revealing with warmth and humour how a bold vision grew into one of Canada’s great theatre companies.
Christopher Gaze is best known as the Founder and Artistic Director of Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, which celebrates its thirty-seventh season in 2026. He hosts the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s popular Tea & Trumpets series and also their annual Traditional Christmas concerts. Christopher plays a leading role in British Columbia as an advocate for the arts in general, and his passionate dedication to Bard on the Beach has fuelled its growth into one of the largest professional theatre companies in Canada, drawing a total of well over two million patrons since 1990. His many honours include Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal, Honorary Doctorates from UBC & SFU, the Mayor’s Arts Award for Theatre, the Order of British Columbia, and most recently, the King Charles III Coronation Medal. His memoir, The Road to Bard, was published in 2026.
https://www.vancouversymphony.ca/artist/christopher-gaze
