As our two fall productions gain momentum we continue preparing our future seasons. It is always exciting to follow a production from the moment when we think about programming a certain title, choose the cast, conductor and leading team, start discussing a concept and the designs, build the sets and costumes before we finally start rehearsals and bring the production on our stage. It almost feels like giving birth to a baby, the difference being a pregnancy that can last three years or longer.

This morning I spent two hours with Tim Albery, the director of our unforgettable production of War and Peace, to discuss his concept for a new production of a very well-known opera that will open one of our future seasons. I can't tell you the name of the piece, but I can tell you that I am delighted with what I saw today. It will be a very precise reading of a piece that has been more corrupted by its fame than many others and often received a shabby and superficial treatment. I so look forward to Tim digging into its psychological riches and telling us the story with a clarity unobstructed by the piece's exasperating performance history. I can also tell you that a very famous international opera star, based in Toronto, will make her COC debut in this production. What a treat!