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Three unforgettable voices

July 21, 2026

Centre Stage

October 22, 2026
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Over the past three years, the Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition’s top honours—First Prize and the Audience Choice Award—have gone to a remarkable trio of young Canadian artists, each now building a career worth following. Meet Elisabeth St-Gelais, Ariana Maubach, and Nikan Ingabire Kanate.

Ariana Maubach (2024)

Mezzo-soprano Ariana Maubach won 2024's Centre Stage with "Cruda sorte" from Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri. She made her COC debut just two years later as Berta in The Barber of Seville.

Elisabeth St-Gelais (2023)

An Innu soprano from Pessamit Québec, Elisabeth St-Gelais won 2023's Centre Stage with "Vissi d'arte" from Puccini's Tosca. Named Radio-Canada's 2023/2024 classical breakout artist, she will star as Joan in the COC's world premiere of Ian Cusson's new opera Empire of Wild in 2027.

Nikan Ingabire Kanate (2025)

Brazilian-born and Ottawa-raised, soprano Nikan Ingabire Kanate won 2025's Centre Stage with "Depuis le jour" from Charpentier's Louise. A current resident artist with l'Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal, she's been described as possessing "an instrument of remarkable power and endurance" (Revue L'Opéra Québec).

The 2026 Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition & Gala takes place on October 22.