Canadian Opera Company to Launch New Interactive Series, OPERA INSIGHTS, 9/24

Toronto - This fall, the Canadian Opera Company launches Opera Insights, a new FREE series featuring interactive events and in-depth conversations that provide an insider's glimpse into the company's 2015/2016 productions. The series kicks off its inaugural season on September 24, 2015 with an exploration of the legend that inspired Barbara Monk Feldman's opera Pyramus and Thisbe, offered in collaboration with the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music's Thursday NoonSeries.

The 15/16 Opera Insights calendar presents something for every kind of opera enthusiast, from seasoned experts to those new to the art form. Highlights include:

• Sing Along with La Traviata (October 26): Sing popular choruses from Verdi's beloved La Traviata under the baton of COC Chorus Master Sandra Horst

• La Traviata and the History of the Ball Gown (November 2): A multi-media exploration of the evolution of the ball gown, featuring period costumes from Ryerson University's Fashion Research Centre and the COC's new production of La Traviata

• In Conversation: Christine Goerke (February 3): An intimate conversation with superstar soprano Christine Goerke, who returns to the COC as Brünnhilde in Siegfried this winter

• Carmen Danza! (April 19): A beginner-friendly dance class led by Ritmo Flamenco's Anjelica and Roger Scannura, inspired by the Spanish rhythms of Bizet's Carmen

For a full calendar of event descriptions, as well as times and locations, please visit coc.ca/OperaInsights.

Admission to all Opera Insights events is FREE. Tickets may be reserved in advance by visiting coc.ca/OperaInsights or calling the COC Box Office at 416-363-8231. Most events take place in the Education Centre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (145 Queen St. W.), unless otherwise indicated. A limited number of tickets may be available at the door, as any unclaimed reservations will be released to standby patrons 10 minutes prior to the start of the program.

About the Canadian Opera Company

Based in Toronto, the Canadian Opera Company is the largest producer of opera in Canada and one of the largest in North America. The COC enjoys a loyal audience support-base and one of the highest attendance and subscription rates in North America. Under its leadership team of General Director Alexander Neef and Music Director Johannes Debus, the COC is increasingly capturing the opera world's attention. The COC maintains its international reputation for artistic excellence and creative innovation by creating new productions within its diverse repertoire, collaborating with leading opera companies and festivals, and attracting the world's foremost Canadian and international artists. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, hailed internationally as one of the finest in the world. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, the Four Seasons Centre opened in 2006. For more information on the COC, visit its award-winning website, coc.ca.