Meet our newest Ensemble Studio artists!

Our 2025/2026 season will see seven new artists joining the COC’s Ensemble Studio—and what better way to get to know these exciting young talents than a good, old-fashioned quick-fire Q&A? Check out their answers below!

Elisabeta Cojocaru, pianist

COC: Where would we find you on your days off?

Elisabeta: I love hiking and spending time with friends. When it’s cold, I'm very much a homebody and enjoy knitting/crochet, baking and reading thrillers.

COC: Do you have anything you’d call an irrational fear?

Elisabeta: That I will swallow a spider in my sleep.

COC: What would you list as one of your biggest pet peeves?

Elisabeta: People who talk during movies (a.k.a me), and fake pockets in women’s clothing!

Ariana Maubach, mezzo-soprano

COC: Where would we find you on your days off?

Ariana: At home in Toronto, I’m walking my dog Sully in Cabbagetown or spending time with friends. If I’m in Philadelphia, where I currently reside, I’m hunting down the best cheesesteak: Wiz (Cheez Whiz) or Provolone. Still haven’t made up my mind.

COC: “In another life, I might have been a really great ________”

Ariana: Fashion curator or Trader Joe’s Employee of the Month.

COC: What would you list as one of your biggest pet peeves?

Ariana: Scraping car tires on a curb (my dad is wincing), plastic grocery bags breaking, and loud subway talkers—it's too hard to choose one!

Angelo Moretti, tenor

COC: What are you listening to when you’re not listening to classical?

Angelo: Following a trip to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville this past summer with my highschool buddies, I’ve been on a huge country and folk music kick! But I always find myself going back to some good old Canadiana! I love listening to storytellers like Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot. Their songs never get old to me.

COC: “In another life, I might have been a really great ________”

Angelo: Well, my brother is a barber and I always thought it would be so cool to learn how to cut hair and open up a shop with him. We also have many uncles in Italy who also are barbers, and great ones at that! So who knows, maybe it’s in the blood? Another life…possibly even this one!

COC: Do you have any pets? (And, if not, is there one you’d love to have?)

Angelo: My family morkie (Maltese-Yorkshire terrier), Mickey! He’s the sweetest pup when it comes to my family, but to quite literally anyone else, it’s a completely different story! He likes to ‘protect’ us. He’s small, but his bark can be heard from a few streets down. The squillo is insane. (He’s probably a tenor)!

Nicholas Murphy, bass-baritone

COC: “In another life, I might have been a really great ________”

Nicholas: Lawyer, and this one’s not over yet ;)

COC: What is the last show (or shows) that you binge-watched?

Nicholas: Dimension 20’s Fantasy High. What’s better than actual high school than pretending to be in high school?

COC: What would you list as one of your biggest pet peeves?

Nicholas: For sure, people who stand in line before their boarding zone is called. We all get on the plane!

Emma Pennell, soprano

COC: What are you listening to when you’re not listening to classical?

Emma: Life is a dance party, and my personal soundtrack ranges anywhere from ABBA, to CharliXCX. I particularly love anything that blends Indigenous beats with hip hop like Snotty Nose Rez Kids and The Halluci Nation.

COC: “In another life, I might have been a really great ________”

Emma: Forrester or Conservation Officer! I spent many years memorizing tree species by their twig, leaf, or cone in my highschool fishing, wildlife and forestry classes at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School. I know an embarrassing number of tree facts, and no one walks down the street with me without getting a lesson on trees!

COC: Are there any sports/teams you’re really into?

Emma: Looking forward to seeing the Haudenosaunee Nationals finally compete in the Olympics in 2028! The original Lacrosse champs!

Ben Wallace, baritone

COC: Where would we find you on your days off?

Ben: Seeing a play, going on a hike, reading a book, or driving the Guelph thrift store circuit to find more books!

COC: What are you listening to when you’re not listening to classical?

Ben: Nat King Cole, Billy Joel, Leonard Cohen, or The Tragically Hip.

COC: “In another life, I might have been a really great ________”

Ben: Marine biologist—anything to get close to whales!

Kimly Mengyin Wang, pianist

COC: What is the last show (or shows) that you binge-watched?

Kimly: Born for the Spotlight, a Taiwanese drama. It's about women, actresses in different stages of life, how they strive and pursue their passion for acting. Recommended.

COC: Are there any sports/teams you’re really into?

Kimly: I enjoy watching gymnastics and figure skating. I think I'm attracted by the combination of beauty and power.

COC: Do you have any pets? (And, if not, is there one you’d love to have?)

Kimly: I don't have a pet right now. I used to have a pet turtle. His name was Michael. Michael was supposed to be mini-sized, and he was that size the whole time when I had him. After I went to study abroad, I asked my grandparents to take care of Michael, and they fed him fish fresh out of the river. The next time I saw Michael, he was HUGE, three times as big. Guess we all need to eat properly.