A unique group of travelling performers is bringing opera to a stage near you, as they make their first-ever bicycle tour across Nova Scotia.

“We are all opera singers and professional instrumentalists based out of Toronto and we wanted to create a project that was an environmentally-responsible means of touring,” says Larissa Koniuk, co-founder of the Bicycle Opera Project.

After each performance, the performers pack up their instruments and costumes, cram them into panniers on the back of their bikes, and take off for the next town.

“We want to create accessible opera for people and, in many cases, we are introducing people to opera for the very first time,” says performer Geoffrey Sirett.

This week they’re taking on Nova Scotia’s hilly terrain as they tour outside their home province for the first time.

“Experiencing nature, cycling right beside the Bras d’Or Lake as we go from town to town and experiencing the challenge of the Nova Scotia hills,” says Koniuk.

“I’m of course wondering if I’ll be able to keep up with the group. What are our days really going to feel like? What’s it going to be like sleeping in a strange place every night?” says cello player Erika Neilsen, who is new to the Bicycle Opera Project.

“We’re all artists. We’re all really supportive of one another. I think it’s a really great atmosphere to be working in, living in and biking in.”

Sirett admits it can be challenging to put on an opera after a day of pedaling, but says the workout is also a good warmup.

“The cardiovascular fitness plays a big role in vocal production,” says Sirett. “Anyone who has sung before knows it all comes from the breath.”

The performers kicked off their tour Monday evening at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck and will wrap up in Halifax on August 11.

They have a total of five performances scheduled across Nova Scotia, with hopes of taking their show on the road elsewhere in the future.

“I have a dream of one day doing a Trans-Canada tour and perhaps even travelling to Europe where opera was first created,” says Koniuk.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Ryan MacDonald