During HGO's 2026-27 season, Patrick Martel makes his company debut as the puppet designer for The Magic Flute. Martel is a puppeteer, director, set designer, and puppet designer who has created many theater productions and television series, involving different styles of puppetry. He studied the art of Bunraku with Japanese masters. He teaches the post-graduate diploma program in contemporary puppet theater at the University of Quebec in Montreal. The Arlyn Award Society commended him for his puppet design work in 2004. For over 25 years, he has collaborated with companies including the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Cirque Éloize, Kid Koala, Glyndebourne Opera Festival, and Cirque du Soleil. He recently created puppets for Ana Sokolović’s Clown(s) at Opéra de Montréal and collaborated with Grands Ballets Canadiens.