Each summer, the Canadian Opera Company offers a wide range of creative programs connecting children, youth, and young adults to opera through meaningful experiential learning and professional development opportunities. This summer, we were thrilled to gather in person once again over four fantastic weeks of engaging opera learning in our COC Summer Opera Camps—and a brand-new weeklong professional development program for advanced singers, the COC Summer Opera Intensive.
As we enjoy the final weeks before September—and the opening of our 2022/2023 season—we are taking some time to review all of the summer activities happening in the Four Seasons Centre and our administrative offices. Join us in this look at what some of our talented young artists-in-training created over the summer.
COC Summer Opera Intensive
In its inaugural year, the COC Summer Opera Intensive invited 10 advanced singers to participate in a one-week program designed to provide a framework for young artists interested in exploring a career in professional singing.
This next generation of emerging opera artists joined our COC Summer Opera Intensive for a week of training, complete with daily lyric diction, performance kinetics, and acting classes. Participants also received professional development discussions on music and mental health, finance, and artistic management, alongside private coaching sessions. Designed to provide a framework for the many facets of a professional singing career, the goal of the COC Summer Opera Intensive is to seek out new and upcoming Canadian talent and provide barrier-free opportunities to learn about the multi-faceted career of professional singing. Our inaugural cohort of singers were invited from coast to coast, hailing from Langley, BC all the way to Fredericton, NS.
COC Summer Operas Camps
Little Company
Over the week, participants explored themes of emotional expression, self-confidence, and empowerment through their original opera "The Confident Cookie," inspired by Jory John's book Smart Cookie.
Junior Company
Based on the book The Mystery of the Missing Cake by Claudia Boldt, COC Camps Staff worked alongside campers to create costumes and characters that reflected their own individual personalities and passions, all while investigating themes of friendship, individuality, and collaboration.
Intermediate Company
Moved by the incredible work of Shaun Tan, the Intermediate Company examined humanity's relationship to the land and its' other inhabitants, culminating in a heart-warming song encouraging action and advocacy.
Senior Company
Drawing on some of opera's most iconic arias, Senior Company participants created, designed, and produced the opera "ORCAtastrophe," a poignant portrait of the earth's potential future. Engaging in active discussion, participants learned new ways to take action through the performing arts!
Visit our Summer Programs page to learn more about each of our summer offerings. To stay updated on everything going in the COC community, sign up for our eOpera email newsletter!
