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A Transformational Gift for the COC Chorus

September 16, 2026

Credit: Gaetz Photography

The Canadian Opera Company is pleased to announce that, in recognition of a transformational new gift from Frances and Tim Price, Sandra Horst’s position as COC Chorus Master will now be known as the Frances & Tim Price Chorus Master. 

This gift includes significant support for the COC and builds on the artistic achievements of the acclaimed COC Chorus, supporting the continued leadership of Sandra Horst. 

For nearly 30 years, Horst has served as the COC’s Chorus Master and has played a crucial role in the artistic success of the COC’s mainstage productions, shaping one of Canada’s greatest opera choruses. Under Horst’s guidance, the chorus has become an award-winning artistic cohort and an essential part of the company’s artistic success.  

In addition to working with the COC, Sandra Horst is the Director of Music Studies for the University of Toronto’s Opera Division. She has served as a judge for the prestigious Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and, earlier in her career, was chorus master of Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Edmonton Opera.  

Horst’s expertise has been honed over decades, on stages from Juilliard to Boston Lyric Opera; it’s that expertise that has helped mold the COC Chorus into the dramatic powerhouse it is today, singing with “vast, unbridled enthusiasm” and “filling the evening with intense, towering outpours of mass emotion” (Opera Going Toronto), routinely garner[ing] as much audience applause as any of the [COC’s] soloists (Toronto Star). 

As former choristers themselves, the connection to the COC’s Chorus and Sandra Horst is deeply personal; they understand firsthand the foundational role that a chorus plays in any opera production and are proud to ensure this talented group of Canadian artists are able to continue reaching new artistic milestones and achievements. 

On behalf of the entire Canadian Opera Company team, thank you Frances and Tim Price! This remarkable gift represents an extraordinary investment in the COC Chorus and opens exciting new possibilities for the future ahead.