22/23 Annual Report

From our larger-than-life mainstage to the intimate storytelling work in the Canadian Opera Company Theatre, last season’s programming proved wildly popular with audiences and critics alike.

Our opera house welcomed a record number of new single-ticket buyers and saw a 30% increase in new donors—and we are committed to building on this terrific momentum.

2022/2023 season by the numbers:

662 artists, including 332 Canadian artists
1,025 rehearsal hours
1,842 props
821 costumes
182 wigs
30,300,000+ digital impressions
2,600,000+ video views
845 new donors
20,000+ new audience members
9,000+ Free Concert Series attendees
38 school and community groups

The COC Ensemble Studio, Canada's leading innovative artist development program for emerging opera professionals, clocked over:

639 hours of music coaching
266 hours of language and diction training (in Italian, Czech, German, and French)
189 hours of performance kinetics coaching on breathing and movement
181 hours of voice lessons
105 hours of professional development
66 hours of dramatic coaching
22 hours of creative living sessions
19 hours of mainstage sessions and professional recordings

Atom Egoyan’s Canadian Opera Company production of Salome is not to be missed | The Globe and Mail | Jenna Simeonov | February 8, 2023

“AMBUR BRAID GIVES AN EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMANCE IN THE TITLE ROLE” | Opera Canada | Wayne Gooding | February 6, 2023

Ahead of Salome performance, soprano Ambur Braid opens up on sex, scandal and power | The Globe and Mail | Jenna Simeonov | February 2, 2023

Ambur Braid and Gordon Bintner return to the Canadian Opera Company as stars in ‘Marriage of Figaro’ and Atom Egoyan’s ‘Salome’ | Toronto Star | Joshua Chong | January 25, 2023

COC General Director Perryn Leech returns to The Oasis to discuss The Marriage of Figaro & Salome! | Classical 96.3FM | January 11, 2023

Canadian Opera Company Macbeth – “COC Chorus And Orchestra Are In Top Form For This Musically Exciting Work” | Opera Canada | Wayne Gooding | May 5, 2023

Canadian Opera Company spring season opener Macbeth leans hard into darkness and discomfort | The Globe and Mail | Jenna Simeonov | May 2, 2023

‘Macbeth’ and ‘Tosca’: Thrilling new production of Verdi’s ode to Shakespeare and a remount of Puccini’s melodrama cap a solid COC season | Toronto Star | Joshua Chong | May 8, 2023

Speranza Scappucci steps onto the podium for Canadian Opera Company’s production of Macbeth | The Globe and Mail | Michael Zarathus-Cook | April 27, 2023

Quinn Kelsey from the COC’s Production of “MacBeth” joins Classical Mornings | Classical 96.3FM | May 3, 2023

Conductor: Johannes Debus
Original Director: Christopher Alden
Revival Director: Marilyn Gronsdal
Set & Costume Designer: Allen Moyer
Lighting Designer: Anne Militello
Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst
Intimacy Coordinator: Lisa Stevens

The Dutchman: Johan Reuter
Senta: Marjorie Owens
Daland: Franz-Josef Selig
The Steersman: Miles Mykkanen
Erik: Christopher Ventris
Mary: Rosie Aldridge

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

A Canadian Opera Company production

Production underwritten in part by Lisa Balfour Bowen and Family in memory of Walter Bowen and in honour of Alexander Neef

Johan Reuter is generously sponsored by Kristine Vikmanis & Denton Creighton

Christopher Ventris is generously sponsored by Rob & Penny Richards

The COC Orchestra is generously sponsored, in part, by W. Bruce C. Bailey, in honour of Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director, and Johannes Debus, COC Music Director

Conductor: Jacques Lacombe
Director: Joel Ivany
Lighting Designer: Jason Hand
Original Set Designer: Michael Yeargan
Original Costume Designer: François St. Aubin
Fight Director and Intimacy Coordinator: Siobhan Richardson
Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst

Carmen: J'Nai Bridges, Rihab Chaieb (October 20 and 22)
Don José: Marcelo Puente
Micaëla: Joyce El-Khoury, Anna-Sophie Neher (October 28, 30, and November 4)
Escamillo: Lucas Meachem, Gregory Dahl (October 30 and November 4)
Zuniga: Alain Coulombe
Le Dancaïre: Jonah Spungin
Le Remendado: Jean-Philippe Lazure
Frasquita: Ariane Cossette
Mercédès: Alex Hetherington
Moralès: Alex Halliday

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

A Canadian Opera Company production

The COC Orchestra is generously sponsored, in part, by W. Bruce C. Bailey, in honour of Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director, and Johannes Debus, COC Music Director

Conductor: Harry Bicket
Assistant Conductor: Simone Luti
Director: Claus Guth
Revival Director: Marcelo Buscaino
Set & Costume Designer: Christian Schmidt
Lighting Designer: Olaf Winter
Video Designer: Andi A. Müller
Choreographer: Ramses Sigl
Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst
Stage Manager: Kate Porter

Figaro: Luca Pisaroni
Susanna: Andrea Carroll
Count: Gordon Bintner
Countess: Lauren Fagan
Cherubino: Emily Fons
Dr. Bartolo: Robert Pomakov
Marcellina: Megan Latham
Don Basilio: Michael Colvin
Antonio: Doug MacNaughton
Barbarina: Mireille Asselin
Don Curzio: Jacques Arsenault
Cherubim: Uli Kirsch

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

A Canadian Opera Company production

This production originally built by the Salzburg Festival in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth

Production underwritten in part by Howard & Sarah D. Solomon Foundation in honour of Alexander Neef

Sandra Horst and the COC Chorus are generously underwritten by Tim & Frances Price

The COC Orchestra is generously sponsored, in part, by W. Bruce C. Bailey, in honour of Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director, and Johannes Debus, COC Music Director, and in part by The Schulich Foundation

Conductor: Johannes Debus
Assistant Conductor: Derek Bate
Director: Atom Egoyan
Assistant Director: Marilyn Gronsdal
Set Designer: Derek McLane
Costume Designer: Catherine Zuber
Original Lighting Designer: Michael Whitfield
Revival Lighting Designer: Davida Tkach
Projections Designer: Phillip Barker
Choreographer: Serge Bennathan
Revival Choreographer: Julia Aplin
Shadow Designer: Clea Minaker
Intimacy Coordinator: Siobhan Richardson
Stage Manager: Jenifer Kowal

Salome: Ambur Braid
Jochanaan: Michael Kupfer-Radecky
Herod: Michael Schade
Herodias: Karita Mattila
Narraboth: Frédéric Antoun
The Page: Carolyn Sproule
First Jew: Owen McCausland
Second Jew: Michael Colvin
Third Jew: Jacques Arsenault
Fourth Jew: Adam Luther
Fifth Jew: Giles Tomkins
First Nazarene: Robert Pomakov
Second Nazarene: Jorell Williams
First Soldier: Vartan Gabrielian
Second Soldier: Scott Conner
Cappadocian: Alex Halliday
An Attendant: Alex Hetherington

With the COC Orchestra

A Canadian Opera Company production

This production of Salome is underwritten, in part, by HATCH

Johannes Debus is generously sponsored by George & Kathy Dembroski

Sandra Horst and the COC Chorus are generously underwritten by Tim & Frances Price

The COC Orchestra is generously sponsored, in part, by W. Bruce C. Bailey, in honour of Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director, and Johannes Debus, COC Music Director, and in part by The Schulich Foundation

Ambur Braid is generously sponsored by Jack Whiteside and ROGERS

Conductor: Speranza Scappucci
Assistant Conductor: Derek Bate
Director: Sir David McVicar
Assistant Director: Andrew Adridge
Set Designer: John Macfarlane
Costume Designer: Moritz Junge
Associate Costume Designer: Isaac B. Turner
Lighting Designer: David Finn
Choreographer: Andrew George
Revival Choreographer: Julia Aplin
Fight Director: Nick Sandys
Intimacy Director: Siobhan Richardson
Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst
Stage Manager: Jenifer Kowal
Surtitles Writer and Producer: John Sharpe

Macbeth: Quinn Kelsey
Lady Macbeth: Alexandrina Pendatchanska (April 28, 30, May 6, and 12), Tracy Cantin (May 14, 17, and 20)
Banquo: Önay Köse
Macduff: Matthew Cairns
Malcolm: Adam Luther
Lady-in-waiting: Tracy Cantin (April 28, 30, May 6, 12), Charlotte Siegel (May 14, 17, and 20)
Servant: Alex Halliday
A Doctor: Vartan Gabrielian
Murderer: Clarence Frazer
Fleance: Roland Piers
First Apparition: Giles Tomkins
Second Apparition: Charlotte Siegel
Third Apparition: Midori Marsh

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

A New Canadian Opera Company production

Co-production with Lyric Opera of Chicago

Production Sponsor: Power Corporation of Canada

Speranza Scappucci is generously sponsored by Kristine Vikmanis & Denton Creighton

Alexandrina Pendatchanska and Liudmyla Monastyrska are generously sponsored by an anonymous donor

Sandra Horst and the COC Chorus are generously underwritten by Tim & Frances Price

The COC Orchestra is generously sponsored, in part, by W. Bruce C. Bailey, in honour of Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director, and Johannes Debus, COC Music Director, and, in part, by The Schulich Foundation

Conductor: Giuliano Carella
Assistant Conductor: Simone Luti
Director: Paul Curran
Assistant Director: Marilyn Gronsdal
Set & Costume Designer: Kevin Knight
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Assistant Lighting Designer: Sarah Mansikka
Intimacy Director: Lisa Stevens
Fight Director: Matt Richardson
Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst
Stage Manager: Stephanie Marrs
SURTITLES™ Producer: John Sharpe
SURTITLES™ Writer: Gunta Dreifelds

Tosca: Sinéad Campbell-Wallace (May 5, 19, 21, 23, and 27), Keri Alkema (May 7, 11, and 13)
Cavaradossi: Stefano La Colla
Scarpia: Roland Wood
Spoletta: Michael Colvin
Sacristan: Donato Di Stefano
Sciarrone: Giles Tomkins
Cesare Angelotti: Christian Pursell
A Jailer: Alex Halliday
Shepherd Boy: Zoya Avramova^C (May 5, 19, 21, 23, and 27), Olivia Pady^C (May 7, 11, and 13)

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

^CMember of the Canadian Children's Opera Company

A Canadian Opera Company production

This production of Tosca is generously underwritten by an anonymous donor

Production Sponsor: CIBC

Sandra Horst and the COC Chorus are generously underwritten by Tim & Frances Price

The COC Orchestra is generously sponsored, in part, by W. Bruce C. Bailey, in honour of Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director, and Johannes Debus, COC Music Director, and, in part, by The Schulich Foundation

Composer: Kye Marshall
Librettist: Amanda Hale
Conductor: Rosemary Thomson
Director: Jennifer Tarver
Assistant Conductor: Jennifer Tung
Assistant Director: Marie-Josée Chartier
Set Designer: Lorenzo Savoini
Costume Designer: Andjelija Djuric
Lighting Designer: Kimberly Purtell
Movement Coordinator: Marie-Josée Chartier
Fight Director: Matt Richardson
Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst
Stage Manager: Lesley Abarquez

Suli/Suzie: Adanya Dunn
Cassia/Cass: Danielle Buonaiuto
Livia/Suzie's Mother: Catherine Daniel
Marcus/Uncle Salvatore: Peter Barrett
Priestess/Jules: Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

Co-production with Vancouver Opera

Pomegranate is generously underwritten, in part, by The Honourable Nancy Ruth, C.M.

Sandra Horst and the COC Chorus are generously underwritten by Tim & Frances Price

The COC Orchestra is generously sponsored, in part, by W. Bruce C. Bailey, in honour of Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director, and Johannes Debus, COC Music Director, and, in part, by The Schulich Foundation

Presenting Sponsor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: TD Ready Commitment

Major Cultural Partner: Pride Toronto

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From our larger-than-life mainstage to the intimate storytelling work in the Canadian Opera Company Theatre, last season’s programming proved wildly popular with audiences and critics alike.

2022/2023 season by the numbers:

The COC Ensemble Studio, Canada's leading innovative artist development program for emerging opera professionals, clocked over:

Media Coverage

The Flying Dutchman

Carmen

The Marriage of Figaro

Salome

Macbeth

Tosca

Pomegranate