Canadian Opera Company Announces Season Schedule

The Canadian Opera Company's 2014/2015 season gets off to a rollicking start with a hilarious new production of Verdi's Falstaff, from acclaimed Canadian director Robert Carsen. Inspired by the beloved Shakespearean character and the resulting folly of his ill-advised seduction attempts, Carsen's production of Falstaff sets the action in a lovingly rendered 1950s England. The all-Canadian cast stars world renowned bass-baritone Gerald Finley, returning to the COC mainstage after more than 20 years, in a highly anticipated role debut as the title character. Joining Finley is baritone Russell Braun as Ford, Falstaff's nemesis; soprano Lyne Fortinas Alice Ford, mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal as Meg Page and contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux as Mistress Quickly, the women determined to teach Falstaff a lesson; soprano Simone Osborne as the lovesick Nannetta; and tenor Frédéric Antoun as Nannetta's amorous suitor Fenton. COC Music Director Johannes Debus guides the COC Orchestra and Chorus through the lyricism and artistry of Verdi's score that captures all the joy, wisdom and profound humanity of Shakespeare's comic invention.

Regularly priced single tickets for Falstaff range from $12 - $339 (subject to change), with specially priced $22 tickets available for people under the age of 30. To purchase, go to coc.ca, call COC Ticket Services at 416-363-8231, or visit the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Box Office, located at 145 Queen St. W., Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

FREE CONCERT SERIES IN THE RICHARD BRADSHAW AMPHITHEATRE

November 4 - 26, 2014

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

145 Queen St. W. (at University Avenue)

The Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre is a unique opportunity to experience diverse artistic programming in what has become one of Toronto's most exciting cultural hubs. Six inspiring series offer concerts, dance performances and engaging presentations that feature both up-and-coming young artists and established international stars. All performances are FREE to the public, with admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Concertgoers are encouraged to arrive early as late seating is not available.

Date	Series	Artist
November 4, 2014 12 - 1 p.m.	Chamber Music Series	White Night in Russia Two of Quebec's young rising stars, violist Marina Thibeaultand pianist Michel-Alexandre Broekaert, transport the audience to a musical world both magical and languid with a program featuring the most beautiful works for viola and piano in the Russian repertoire. The duo's Toronto performance is part of their Ontario tour, part of Emerging Artists Concerts Presented by Desjardins in partnership with Jeunesses Musicales du Canada.
November 5, 2014 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.	World Music Series	Walk to the Sea Award-winning Jewish-Canadian trumpeter and composer David Buchbinder teams up with Grammy-nominated Cuban piano master Hilario Durán and a crew of Canada's top jazz and world musicians in a unique cross-cultural collaboration. In this special presentation, they present excerpts from their Juno Award-winning album, Walk to the Sea, exploring the commonalities of music from the Iberian peninsula and their shared Arabic, Roma, Sephardic and North African roots.
November 6, 2014 12 - 1 p.m.	Piano Virtuoso Series	1914 - 1918: Lest We Forget... In a prelude to Remembrance Day and to commemorate the 100thanniversary of the start of the First World War, award-winning young French Canadian pianist Maxim Bernard reflects on the role of the artist during one of the most pivotal periods in Western history. The program features works written during the years 1914 to 1918, including compositions by Rachmaninov, Mednter, Hindemith, Scriabin, Fauré and Ravel.
November 11, 2014 12 - 1 p.m.	Chamber Music Series	The Voice of the Violoncello Award-winning Montreal-based cellist Elinor Frey offers a fascinating hour of music for solo cello from the 17th and 18th centuries, illuminating the origins of unaccompanied cello music from before and during the time of Bach. The program features little-known, but sumptuous and captivating, works by Dall'Abaco, Supriani, Vitali, Gabrielli, Ruvo, Colombi and Galli.
November 12, 2014 12 - 1 p.m.	World Music Series	Sub Urban Gypsy Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Dominic Mancuso leads a powerhouse quintet of Canada's leading world musicians in a compelling sonic exploration of his ancestry. Mancuso embraces the repertoire of his southern Italian forefathers, infusing it with the rich multicultural flavours of his native Toronto. In this special presentation, he performs highlights from his Juno-winning album, Comfortably Mine and recent studio offering, Sub Urban Gypsy.
November 18, 2014 12 - 1 p.m.	Chamber Music Series	Classical and New Age Creations Two of Canada's foremost chamber musicians, Susan Hoeppner and Beverley Johnston, join forces for an exciting and eclectic hour of music for flute and percussion. Ranging from German Baroque to New Age, the program includes works by Georg Philipp Telemann, Arvo Pärt, Christos Hatzis and Philip Parker.
November 20, 2014 12 - 1 p.m.	Chamber Music Series	Chamber Connections Artists of The Glenn Gould School perform a rich and varied program of music for chamber ensemble and voice, including Chausson's entrancing Chanson perpétuelle for soprano and piano quintet, and other vocal chamber gems.
November 26, 2014 12 - 1 p.m.	Piano Virtuoso Series	Mists Award-winning young Swiss pianist and composer Jean-Sélim Abdemoula showcases his virtuosity and expressive range in an exquisite program of works by Janá?ek (In the Mists, On an Overgrown Path) and Chopin (Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor).

SPECIAL EVENTS

Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition Gala
November 25, 2014

Cocktails: 5:30 p.m.; Competition: 6:30 p.m.

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

145 Queen St. W. (at University Avenue)

The spotlight shines on the next generation of opera stars when the Canadian Opera Company's annual fundraising gala Centre Stage returns on November 25, 2014. This magical evening dedicated to the celebration and discovery of operatic talent features the competitive vocal showcase of the COC's Ensemble Studio Competition. Finalists, selected from nationwide auditions, perform from the mainstage of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, accompanied by the acclaimed COC Orchestra led by COC Music Director Johannes Debus.

The evening kicks off with a cocktail reception for all attendees in the Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room. Following the competition, gala dinner guests will continue the celebration with a black-tie affair on the stage of R. Fraser Elliott Hall, where they will be treated to a rare culinary experience from critically acclaimed Nota Bene Executive Chef David Lee.

Tickets to Centre Stage are $100 for the cocktail reception and competition. Gala dinner tickets are $1,500. Tickets are available online at COCCentreStage.ca, by calling 416-363-8231, or in person at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Box Office, located at 145 Queen St. W., Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit COCCentreStage.ca for more information.

Children's Opera at the ROM:

Glencore Ensemble Studio School Tour's The Scorpions' Sting: An Egyptian Myth
November 29, 2014

*ONLY PUBLIC PERFORMANCE*

Start Time: 11 a.m.

Royal Ontario Museum

Signy & Cléophée Eaton Theatre

100 Queens Park (at Bloor St. W.)

Admission: FREE with museum admission

The Canadian Opera Company's Glencore Ensemble Studio School Tour presents the only public performance of its production of The Scorpions' Sting: An Egyptian Myth by Canadian composer Dean Burry. Performed by the rising stars of the COC Ensemble Studio, the child-friendly opera is ideal for young people in kindergarten to grade eight. Set in the midst of an Egyptian sandstorm, the opera follows the time-travelling adventures of a group of archaeology students. When their professor is stung by a poisonous scorpion, his students must find the cure hidden in ancient hieroglyphics in the Lost Temple of Isis. The opera is 45 minutes in length and followed by a 15-minute Q&A with the cast and crew.

Admission to the performance is FREE with museum entry and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket information and admission fees for the Royal Ontario Museum can be found on its website, rom.on.ca, or by calling 416-586-8000. For further information about the performance of The Scorpions' Sting: An Egyptian Myth at the ROM, call Kiron Mukherjee at 416-586-5636. For details about the Glencore Ensemble Studio School Tour, visit coc.ca/SchoolTour.

TOUR THE FOUR SEASONS CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

November 9, 16, 23, 30, 2014

Start time: 10:30 a.m.

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

145 Queen St. W. (at University Avenue)

Cost: $20/adults; $15/seniors and students

The Canadian Opera Company opens the doors of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on November 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2014 with 90-minute tours for the general public. These extensive tours include backstage access and are an exciting opportunity to learn more about the first purpose-built opera house in Canada, its history, architecture and innovative acoustic design. Starting at 10:30 a.m., each tour is led by trained docents and includes information and access to the magnificent Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room, the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre and R. Fraser Elliott Hall, as well as backstage areas like wig rooms and dressing rooms, the orchestra pit, and other spaces that only a stage door pass could unlock.

Tickets for public tours are $20/adults and $15/seniors and students, and can be purchased in advance at coc.ca or at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Box Office, located at 145 Queen St. W., Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.Tickets will also be available on the morning of the tour starting at 10 a.m. at the welcome desk located in the main lobby.

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