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Toronto – The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart returns to Toronto this May, celebrating 70 years of delighting audiences at the Canadian Opera Company. The fantastical opera centres on the timeless search for wisdom, truth, and love, following Tamino as he sets out with hilarious bird-catcher Papageno to rescue the kidnapped Princess Pamina. The duo’s journey brings them face to face with armed villains, enchanted animals, and evil henchmen—but lucky for them, a magical instrument proves to be their secret weapon. The Magic Flute runs for seven performances at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on May 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 19, and 21, 2022.

Canadian director Anna Theodosakis leads the revival of the audience favourite that’s cleverly framed as a play within a play; it’s the name day for an aristocratic young woman and celebrations involve a massive party, complete with a staging of Mozart’s opera. “I'm excited to welcome families and opera lovers back with this timeless fairytale,” says Theodosakis. “The Magic Flute celebrates humanity's resilience and it's the perfect opera to reunite audiences and artists under the same roof. Mozart’s music here, with its iconic and hummable tunes, is like a big warm hug that leaves you feeling completely rejuvenated!”

Theodosakis is joined by acclaimed set and costume designer Myung Hee Cho, whose “whimsical designs…create a frothy, fun atmosphere” (Toronto Star), and lighting designer Scott Zielinski.

Turkish-born, Austria-based tenor Ilker Arcayürek stars as Tamino in a COC debut, with two recent COC Ensemble Studio graduates also leading the cast: soprano Anna-Sophie Neher is Pamina and bass-baritone Gordon Bintner takes on the role of Papageno; both were recently see on the COC’s mainstage in 2018, with Bintner in the title role in Eugene Onegin and Neher featured in the world premiere of Hadrian. A number of current and graduate Ensemble Studio artists also join the cast, in a celebration of Canadian artistry and a testament to the success of the COC’s prestigious career development program: soprano Midori Marsh (who recently starred in the COC and Against the Grain Theatre’s powerful 2021 production of Mozart’s Requiem) is Papagena; Michael Colvin, lauded by Opera News as possessing a voice that’s “one of the most beautiful tenor instruments around” is Monostatos; and sopranos Jamie Groote and Charlotte Siegel, and mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal take on the roles of First Lady, Second, Lady and Third Lady, respectively.

Norwegian soprano Caroline Wettergreen makes her COC mainstage debut as the iconic Queen of the Night, a role in which she consistently “dazzles with her top notes” (The Financial Times) and “delivers her moments with oompf, wow, and pinpoint accuracy” (Bachtrack). Juno-award-winning baritone Russell Braun returns to the COC as The Speaker, following his headlining concert with the company in fall of 2021. American bass David Leigh brings his vocal “agility, depth, and darkness” (Opera News) to the role of Sarastro. And Canadian tenor Asitha Tennekoon completes the cast as First Priest, alongside three current Ensemble Studio artists: baritone Jonah Spungin as Second Priest, tenor Matthew Cairns as First Armoured Man, and bass-baritone Vartan Gabrielian as Second Armoured Man.

German conductor Patrick Lange returns to the COC, leading the COC Orchestra through Mozart’s whimsical Singspiel, a piece that features spoken word and song, similar to a musical. Price Family Chorus Master Sandra Horst guides the COC Chorus.

The Magic Flute is sung in German and presented by the COC with English SURTITLES™.

Cast and Creative Team

Pamina	Anna-Sophie Neher
Tamino	Ilker Arcayürek
Papageno	Gordon Bintner
Papagena	Midori Marsh
Queen of the Night	Caroline Wettergreen
Sarastro	David Leigh
Monostatos	Michael Colvin
The Speaker	Russell Braun
First Lady	Jamie Groote
Second Lady	Charlotte Siegel
Third Lady	Lauren Segal
First Priest	Asitha Tennekoon
Second Priest	Jonah Spungin
First Armoured Man	Matthew Cairns
Second Armoured Man	Vartan Gabrielian
Conductor	Patrick Lange
Original Director	Diane Paulus
Revival Director	Anna Theodosakis
Set and Costume Designer	Myung Hee Cho
Lighting Designer	Scott Zielinski
Price Family Chorus Master	Sandra Horst

With the COC Orchestra and COC Chorus

TICKET INFORMATION

Single tickets for The Magic Flute range from $35 – $250 for adults, with Grand Ring seats available at $290 and $350, and $22 tickets available for guests between the ages of 16 and 29 through the COC’s Opera Under 30 program. Tickets can be purchased online at coc.ca or by calling the Four Seasons Centre Box Office at 416-363-8231. For more information on booking student groups, standing room, and rush tickets, as well as other specially priced tickets available to young people under the age of 15, please visit coc.ca.

A SAFE RETURN
For the most up-to-date information regarding current health and safety protocols, please visit coc.ca/SafeReturn.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Season Sponsor: BMO Financial Group

COC Production of Magic Flute originally made possible by:
THE CATHERINE AND MAXWELL MEIGHEN FOUNDATION

Thank you to the entire COC community, including our COC Board of Directors, our Corporate Sponsors and Foundation Supporters, generous public funders, union partners, and — most critically — our audience. Your inspiring support ensures that opera flourishes, uniting global audiences and paving the way for a vibrant future.

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. General Director Perryn Leech joined the company in 2021, forming a leadership team with Music Director Johannes Debus and Deputy General Director Christie Darville. The COC enjoys a loyal audience, including a dedicated base of subscribers, and 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 company is an incubator for the future of the art form, nurturing Canada’s new wave of opera performers and creators with customized training and support. The COC’s purpose-built opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, is hailed internationally as one of the finest in the world. For more information, visit coc.ca. 

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For more information, please contact:
Avril Sequeira, Director of Public Relations, email: [email protected]
Davin Leivonen-Fok, Communications Coordinator, email: [email protected]