As the newly-formed Community Partnerships and Programs department began planning projects for the coming year, an idea was sparked to develop the Company’s first COC Summer Opera Intensive Program.

A major portion of the goals of the CPP department is to build deep connections and cultivate profound impact in community building. The mission of this week-long summer program was to actively seek out new and emerging Canadian talent and provide not only increased access to training in the arts, but to also offer barrier-free opportunities to learn, develop and engage with our organization.

The Summer Opera Intensive is the first free program of its kind for the Canadian Opera Company. Successful participants worked directly with many of the COC staff, while also connecting with top artistic professionals within the industry. Hotel accommodations, several meals, and full tuition were provided to each participant, reducing financial barriers for participation and supporting singers beyond southern Ontario, with participants arriving in Toronto from across the country.

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The Summer Opera Intensive was structured to cover four pillars of learning over the duration of the week:

Under careful review from Johannes Debus, COC Music Director, and Makenzie Morgan, Director of Community Partnerships and Programs, ten candidates were accepted from over 45 applications submitted from across the country. Our inaugural cohort of singers came from coast to coast, hailing from Langley, BC all the way to Fredericton, NB.