The cat’s out of the bag… we’re welcoming four new young artists to the COC Ensemble Studio! Beginning next fall, soprano Midori Marsh, baritone Jonah Spungin, bass-baritone Alex Halliday, and pianist/intern coach Frances Thielmann will officially join over 235 Canadian opera professionals who have gotten a career jump start from this internationally renowned opera training program.[READ MORE]

Liz Upchurch has led the COC Ensemble Studio for a remarkable 20 years, helping to establish it as one of the world’s leading training programs for young opera artists. She has shepherded an entire generation of singers and coaches through the program, which has continued to evolve and grow as a result of her guidance. Recently, Liz was honoured with an Opera Canada Award for her outstanding contributions to the Canadian opera community. In this edition of NOTES, Liz recounts her journey to Canada and how she came to became one of the COC’s most recognizable and respected figures.

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We were so well prepared and supported in the lead-up to the competition, but I was still surprised at how ready and comfortable I felt the moment I stepped onto the stage that night.

I don’t have enough words to describe just how exhilarating and palpable that moment was.
It was absolutely surreal.

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