Centre Stage
Ensemble Studio Competition
Lights. Camera. Opera.
Canada’s top voices thrilled audiences from coast to coast to coast!
The 11th Annual Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition was a fun-filled and exciting night at the opera house as the best and brightest singers in the country performed one outstanding aria after another! Hosted by television’s Emma Hunter (This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Royal Canadian Air Farce, Letterkenny), the evening marked the grand finale of a national search for Canada’s top young opera singers, all of whom were vying for cash prizes and the chance to be invited for a coveted spot in the company’s prestigious Ensemble Studio training program.
Following the competition, guests went on to enjoy an elegant, three-course dinner, in the Henry N.R. Jackman Lounge, which had been transformed into glamourous Studio 145 as part of the night’s Hollywood-themed festivities, dining with the night’s finalists and current Ensemble Studio artists. The meal was created by Michelin-recommended restaurant Lucie with a selection of wines curated by Cloudsley Cellars.
Meet our Winners & Finalists
Ariana Maubach
Emma Pennell
Olivia LaPointe
Chelsea Kolić
Nicholas Murphy
Mikelis Rogers
Ilanna Starr
Judging Panel
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Dorian Cox, Director of the COC Ensemble Studio
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Roberto Mauro, COC Director of Artistic Operations & Planning
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Elaine Overholt, Famed Hollywood and Broadway vocal coach and performer
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Liz Upchurch, Head of Music, the COC Ensemble Studio
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Edith Wiens, celebrated Canadian soprano and distinguished voice teacher
The COC Ensemble Studio
The COC Ensemble Studio is an innovative artist development program for emerging Canadian opera professionals.
The company’s uniquely collaborative approach blends advanced study and practical experience through a multi-year program that’s individually tailored for each member. Artists receive intensive vocal coaching; language, movement and acting studies; as well as private masterclasses with renowned opera professionals. Ensemble singers perform and understudy mainstage roles, while Ensemble pianists participate in the preparation of the COC’s mainstage productions.
Since 1980, nearly 230 young professional Canadian singers and pianists have acquired foundational opera experience through the Ensemble Studio. Former members include Ben Heppner, Krisztina Szabó, Emily D’Angelo, Claire de Sévigné, Gordon Bintner, Ambur Braid, Miriam Khalil, Wallis Giunta, and David Pomeroy.
To learn more about the COC Ensemble Studio, click here
For more informatino on the Centre Stage Gala, please contact centrestage@coc.ca
