Our new season is almost here! We hope you’ll join us this fall for an exciting new program of concerts launching to connect with different communities in Toronto. With uptown and downtown performance locations, it’s never been easier to hear the internationally renowned COC Orchestra perform live! 

All concerts will feature highlights from our 2023/2024 season, so mark your diary now for an enticing preview of some of opera’s greatest treasures!

Overture from Fidelio
Ludwig van Beethoven

"Mir ist so wunderbar" (“This wondrous feeling”) from Fidelio    
Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Karoline Podolak, Kirsten LeBlanc, Wesley Harrison, Alex Halliday

“Quando me'n vo'” (“When I walk down the street”) from La Bohème    
Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Charlotte Siegel

Prelude to The Cunning Little Vixen 
Leoš Janáček

“La ci darem la mano” (“There we will join hands”) from Don Giovanni    
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Alex Hetherington, Alex Halliday

“O amore, vieni a me!” (“Oh love, come to me!”) from Medea    
Luigi Cherubini
Performed by Ariane Cossette

“Crystal Stair” Orchestral excerpt from Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White
HAUI x Sean Mayes, arr. Sean Mayes

“Cheti, cheti immantinente” (“Quietly, quietly, right away”) from Don Pasquale    
Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Alex Halliday, Korin Thomas-Smith

Canadian Opera Company Orchestra

VIOLIN I

• Marie Bérard, Concertmaster  
• Aaron Schwebel, Associate Concertmaster
• Jamie Kruspe, Assistant Concertmaster
• Anne Armstrong (Leave of Absence)  
• Sandra Baron  
• Bethany Bergman  
• Heemin Choi*              
• Terri Croft
• Patrick Goodwin* 
• Nancy Kershaw   
• Lynn Kuo  
• Yakov Lerner

VIOLIN II

• Paul Zevenhuizen, Principal  
• Csaba Koczó, Assistant Principal
• James Aylesworth
• Calvin Cheng*
• Corey Gemmell*
• Elizabeth Johnston
• Clara Lee (Leave of Absence)
• Aya Miyagawa   
• Louise Tardif
• Joanna Zabrowarna (Leave of Absence)

VIOLA

• Sheila Jaffé, Principal    
• Joshua Greenlaw, Assistant Principal
• Carolyn Blackwell
• Maxime Despax*
• Catherine Gray   
• Angela Rudden*
• Yosef Tamir (Leave of Absence)

CELLO

• Leana Rutt, Associate Principal, Acting Principal
• Paul Widner, Assistant Principal, Acting Associate Principal
• Olga Laktionova, Acting Assistant Principal           
• Maurizio Baccante
• Bryan Holt*
• Elaine Thompson

BASS

• Tony Flynt, Principal   
• Robert Speer, Assistant Principal
• Ben Heard    
• Samuel Vachon

FLUTE

• Douglas Stewart, Principal
• Shelley Brown (Leave of Absence)
• Leslie Newman*
• Maria Pelletier*

PICCOLO

• Maria Pelletier*

OBOE

• Mark Rogers, Principal
• Jasper Hitchcock *
• Lesley Young (Leave of Absence)

ENGLISH HORN

• Aleh Remezau*

CLARINET

• Dominic Desautels, Principal
• Michele Verheul*

BASS CLARINET

• Colleen Cook

BASSOON

• Eric Hall, Principal
• Lisa Chisholm

HORN

• Scott Wevers, Principal
• Janet Anderson
• Jessie Brooks*
• Bardhyl Gjevori
• Gary Pattison (Leave of Absence)

TRUMPET

• Amy Horvey, Acting Principal*
• Charlie Watson*

TROMBONE

• Robert Conquer, Principal
• Cathy Stone*

BASS TROMBONE

• Isabelle Lavoie*

TUBA

• Daniel Hill, Principal

TIMPANI

• Nicholas Stoup, Principal

PERCUSSION

• Trevor Tureski, Principal

HARP

• Sanya Eng, Acting Principal*

MUSIC LIBRARIAN

• Ondrej Golias

STAGE LIBRARIAN

• Catherine Gray

PERSONNEL MANAGER

• Janet Anderson
  

Canadian Children's Opera Company

Katherine Semcesen, Executive Director
Teri Dunn, Music Director & Principal Chorus Conductor
Christina Faye, Principal Chorus Pianist

Members of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company’s
Principal Chorus appear in all Canadian Opera Company productions requiring children’s voices. Founded in 1968, the CCOC is the only permanent children’s opera company in Canada, providing musical and dramatic training to hundreds of children and youth aged 4-18. It specializes in the development and production of operas specifically performed by and for young people. Auditions can be arranged through the CCOC website: canadianchildrensopera.com

• Zoya Avramova
• Mila Cerasuolo
• Matthew Cheng
• Madeleine Crummey
• Julian Eden
• Frida Frederiksen-Marsiaj
• Nieve Freeman
• Joel Glickman Rosen
• Cecilia Hamilton
• Hilary Hane
• River Holt
• Apsara Illanko
• Lilia Javanrouh-Givi
• Abigail Kane
• Bella Karpati
• Leo Kemeny-Wodlinger
• Zachary Kwok
• Katie Lair
• Julia Luko dos Santos
• Lee Macerollo-Korzeniowski
• Beatrice Marcaccini
• Ellen Marcaccini
• Aviva Marche
• Lily McIntosh
• Malcolm McIntosh
• Sofia Melnyk-Gomez
• Emma Mestetchkin
• Sophie Mestetchkin
• Emma Moreau
• Uma Nowzary-Gauthier
• Emma Orrell
• Olivia Pady
• Amelia Payne
• Sophie Phillips
• Audrey Randall
• Lia Rhee
• Nella Sevelka
• Quentin Stevenson
• Madoc Tracy
• Willem Van der Horden
• Clea Webb
• Ella Whitburn

“Mir ist so wunderbar” 
(“This wondrous feeling”)
from Fidelio
by Ludwig van Beethoven

In this quartet, sometimes known as The Canon Quartet, the jailer’s daughter Marzelline describes her love for Fidelio—unaware that Fidelio is in fact Leonore, who has disguised herself as a man to rescue her husband from prison. Marzelline’s father, Rocco, celebrates the prospective match, while his assistant, Jaquino, is consumed with jealousy.

MARZELLINE
This wondrous feeling,
It tightly grips my heart,
He loves me, it is clear,
I will be happy!

LEONORE
How great the danger is,
How weak the hope!
She loves me, it is clear,
My sufferings never end.

ROCCO
She loves him, it is clear;
Yes, daughter, he will be yours.
A couple, young and good,
They will be happy.

JAQUINO
My hair, it stands on end,
The father will consent;
This wondrous feeling,
There's nothing I can do.

---

“Quando m’en vo” 
(“When I walk down the street”)
from La Bohème
by Giacomo Puccini

Popularly known as Musetta’s Waltz, this aria is sung by the flirtatious Musetta as she tries to attract the attention of her former lover, Marcello.

MUSETTA 
When I walk down the street, 
people stop and stare.
They admire my beauty 
from head to toe.
I relish the desire in their eyes, 
desire that sees through my outer charms 
to my hidden beauties.
Desire swirls around me 
and delights me!
And you who remember,
Why do you shrink from me?
You won’t speak of your pain
But I know you’re dying inside!

---

“La ci darem la mano” 
(“There we will join hands”)
from Don Giovanni
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Zerlina is engaged to Masetto, but as Don Giovanni offers her empty promises about marriage to him, the predatory Don ignores her coy protestations until the two conclude the duet together. 

DON GIOVANNI
There we'll join hands and you'll say, "I do." 
It's not far, my dear. Let’s go. 

ZERLINA
I'd like to, but I’m afraid. It's true that I'd be happy, 
but I may still be deceived.

DON GIOVANNI
Come, delight of my life.

ZERLINA
I feel sorry for Masetto.

DON GIOVANNI
I'll change your life.

ZERLINA
Soon I won't have the strength to resist. 

DON GIOVANNI
Come!
We’ll join our hands in marriage.

ZERLINA
I’d like to, yet I wouldn’t.

DON GIOVANNI
You’ll say, “I do.”

ZERLINA
I’m hesitant.

DON GIOVANNI
Let’s go!

ZERLINA
You might deceive me.

DON GIOVANNI
Come!

ZERLINA
I’ll come.

TOGETHER
Come, joy of my life.
Let’s go, my dear, and satisfy the pangs
of our innocent love.

---

“O amore, vieni a me!” 
(“Oh love, come to me!”)
from Medea
by Luigi Cherubini

On the eve of their wedding, the princess Glauce sings of her love for Jason—while fearing the reaction from his former lover, the vengeful sorceress Medea.

GLAUCE
I yield to your kindnesses,
your friendship comforts my heart!
And you who promise me a divine destiny…
O Love, be true to me and to my hopeful heart.

O Love, come to me and end this pain.
Faithful Glauce trusts in you alone.
Come, fill my senses. Come, set my heart aflame
with your divine passion! O Love, kindle your fire
and burn within me! With you alone will I be glad.
Descend, and one day joy will be mine.
Beautiful fire of love, revive my senses.
Your warmth will remove all my guilty doubts.
Come, O Love. With you alone will my heart be glad!

Drive away the deadly sorceress
who ensnared the great soul of a hero.
May her rage, her presence never disturb our love.
May Hymen restore our comfort! 
O Love, come and end this pain. 
Faithful Glauce trusts in you alone.
No, Medea cannot break the sweet chains.
No, Medea shall no longer hold sway over Jason!
Her fatal power is now defeated.
Come, O Love.
My heart has hope in you alone!

---

“Crystal Stair” 
from Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White
HAUI x Sean Mayes

In the the 1940s, Portia White crossed paths with the celebrated poet and activist, Langston Hughes. Their meeting was a pivotal moment, as Hughes took the stage as the master of ceremonies for the American Negro Music Festival, a grand endeavour aimed at rekindling race relations and harmony in a divided America.

In Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White, Portia breathes life into Langston Hughes' poignant verses, weaving a soul-stirring narrative of a mother's journey to mend her bond with her son. Through her song, she tenderly imparts the wisdom that life's path is no smooth crystal stair, though the struggles yield strength and resilience.

---

“Cheti, cheti immantinente” 
(“Quietly, quietly, right away”)
from Don Pasquale
by Gaetano Donizetti

In this comic duet, the ageing Don Pasquale plans to sabotage his new wife’s affair, while his doctor and friend Malatesta pretends to be willing to help him.

DON PASQUALE
We'll go to the garden quickly and quietly. I'll take my servants with me and we'll surround the couple. One signal from me, and we'll have trapped the wretched pair. Immediately, we'll drag them before a judge and they'll be thrown in jail.

MALATESTA
I suggest that just the two of us alone go to the garden.
We'll station ourselves in the bushes and show ourselves at the right moment. 
We'll threaten to alert the authorities if the two of them don't promise to stop their affair at once.

DON PASQUALE
That sentence is too light.

MALATESTA
But she's my sister!

DON PASQUALE
I want her out of my house!

MALATESTA
It's a delicate matter that must be well thought out.

DON PASQUALE
Think it over as much as you like. I won't have her in my house.

MALATESTA
You'll cause a scandal… It’ll be too embarrassing.

PASQUALE
It doesn't matter.

MALATESTA
It's not right, you'll regret it. We'll have to find another way.

DON PASQUALE
"It’s not right. You’ll regret it…"
But her slapping me was inexcusable!
I think… 

MALATESTA
I've got it!

DON PASQUALE
Bless you! Tell me quickly!

MALATESTA
We'll hide so we can hear everything.
As soon as you have evidence,
you can throw her out at once.

DON PASQUALE
Bravo! That suits me just right! I’m delighted!
Just wait, darling wife, I'm about to get even!
Vengeance is nipping at your heels!
You'll see how far your smiles and kisses get you now!
You'll be trapped and I'll be avenged!

MALATESTA
Poor Pasquale dreams of revenge, not knowing that he's trapped! 
In vain he rages and roars; he can't escape.
Pasquale's schemes are only castles in the air.
He's falling into his own trap. 

DON PASQUALE
We’ll trap them and I’ll have revenge!