Read the PDF version here.

Toronto – Drawing on a long-standing musical tradition, the COC Ensemble Studio has creatively reimagined the salon-style home concert into a relaxed virtual experience. On July 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Canadian Opera Company will stream Songs of Hope: From Our Homes to Yours, a showcase featuring intimate performances of personal favourites, carefully curated for this moment in time.

“Over the past few months, we’ve helped these talented young artists find new ways to continue their training online, in the face of incredibly challenging circumstances,” says COC General Director Alexander Neef. “With our own opera house closed for now and stages still dark across the globe, this concert is a tribute not only to that sense of musical perseverance, but to all the possibilities that still lie ahead – for these artists, for this art form, and for us all.”

“This is also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the Canadian-led future of opera,” adds Neef. “When live performances return, you will undoubtedly see past and present members of our Ensemble Studio program on stages around the world.”

Songs of Hope features an eclectic program that extends beyond traditional opera repertoire, with songs by Franz Schubert and Benjamin Britten set alongside a traditional Irish folk ballad and a stirring Rodgers and Hammerstein ensemble number. Each piece holds a special significance and story for the artists, which they will share as part of the concert.

“This group knows what a powerful tool music can be to heal and to uplift,” says Liz Upchurch, Head of the COC Ensemble Studio, “and this concert is their way of sharing some much-needed love and hope. I think you’ll find that there’s something here for everyone; it’s a lovely, personal program, chosen especially to reach all ears and hearts. There’s also a deep intimacy to opening up one’s home to others. We hope that our audiences feel like guests in our living room, invited to sit back, relax, and enjoy the music.”

Songs of Hope: From Our Homes to Yours will be available to view online at coc.ca/SongsOfHope; those interested in attending can sign up there to have the concert’s streaming link delivered straight to their inbox on July 9. A full overview of all of the COC’s digital programming and initiatives can also be found at its Digital Content Hub at coc.ca/Hub.

The COC Ensemble Studio is Canada’s premier talent development program, providing world-class training and coaching to the country’s top young opera artists. Since 1980, the program has launched the careers of over 230 Canadian singers, opera coaches, stage directors and conductors, including Ben Heppner, Isabel Bayrakdarian, John Fanning, Wendy Nielsen, Emily D’Angelo, David Pomeroy, Krisztina Szabó, Allyson McHardy, and Lauren Segal. Songs of Hope adapts the program’s tradition of hosting a mainstage showcase every season, where members can share their talents and demonstrate the artistry they have honed through their time in the program.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BMO Financial Group: Season Sponsor
Volvo Car Canada: Official Automotive Partner of the Canadian Opera Company and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Perrier-Jouët: Official Champagne Partner of the Canadian Opera Company and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

The COC Academy is underwritten by The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation.

Major support from Anne & Tony Arrell, Marjorie & Roy Linden, Sheila K. Piercey, RBC Foundation, The Slaight Family Foundation, Government of Canada, with additional support from Keith Ambachtsheer & Virginia Atkin, ARIAS: Canadian Opera Student Development Fund, Margaret Harriett Cameron, Catherine Fauquier, Ethel Harris & the late Milton E. Harris, Patrick and Barbara Keenan Foundation, Joy Levine, Patricia & Frank Mills, The Stratton Trust, Janet Stubbs, Brian Wilks, Nora Wilson.

ABOUT THE CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY
Based in Toronto, the Canadian Opera Company is the largest producer of opera in Canada and one of the largest in North America. The COC enjoys a loyal audience including a dedicated base of subscribers. Under its leadership team of General Director Alexander Neef and Music Director Johannes Debus, the company has an international reputation for artistic excellence and creative innovation. Its diverse repertoire includes new commissions and productions, local and international collaborations with leading opera companies and festivals, and attracts the world’s foremost Canadian and international artists. The COC Academy is an incubator for the future of the art form, nurturing Canada’s new wave of opera creators with customized training and support. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, hailed internationally as one of the finest in the world. For more information, visit coc.ca.

- 30 -

For more information or to request photographs, please contact:
Avril Sequeira, Director of Public Relations, tel: 416-306-2387, email: [email protected]
Kristin McKinnon, Publicist and Content Producer, tel: 416-306-2383, email: [email protected]