Alexander Neef News

Toronto – Out of a pool of 120 aspiring opera singers from across the country, the Canadian Opera Company has selected eight to compete at Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition on November 3, 2015 at Toronto's Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Centre Stage is the COC's annual celebration of the next generation of opera stars. The Ensemble Studio Competition is the evening's feature event: an exhilarating vocal showcase with the singers, selected from nationwide auditions for the COC Ensemble Studio – Canada's premier training program for young opera professionals – vying for cash prizes ranging in value from $1,500 to $5,000.

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 Today NoonSeries. 

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. 

Toronto – The world premiere of a new Canadian opera awaits Canadian Opera Company audiences this fall at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. In a new company production, the COC proudly presents Barbara Monk Feldman's first opera, Pyramus and Thisbe (2010), performed with two early Baroque opera classics, Claudio Monteverdi'sLamento d'Arianna (1608) and Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda(1624). Pyramus and Thisbe runs for seven performances on October 20, 23, 25, 28,November 5, 7 (two performances), 2015.

Toronto – When the Canadian Opera Company's Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre returns for its 2015/2016 season this fall, over 400 artists from diverse artistic backgrounds will share their talents in one of Toronto's most vibrant and intimate cultural hubs. The season begins on Tuesday, September 22 with a highly anticipated performance by the rising stars of the COC Ensemble Studio singing their favourite arias and art songs.

The stage is set for opera's next generation of stars to shine, when the young artists of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio take on Rossini's comic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville. This special performance takes place at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts today, May 15, 2015, with all tickets accessibly priced at $25 or $55. This new COC production is sung in Italian with English SURTITLES.

Toronto – The Canadian Opera Company's iconic double-bill of Béla Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle and Arnold Schoenberg's Erwartungreturns to the company's mainstage to close its 2014/2015 season. COC Music Director Johannes Debus conducts both operas for the first time, leading the COC Orchestra through these visceral and haunting scores, all brought to life in a mind-bending and gravity-defying production by world-renowned Canadian artistic visionary Robert Lepage. Bluebeard's Castleis sung in Hungarian and Erwartung is sung in German, both with English SURTITLESTM, and runs for only seven performances on May 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 23, 2015 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Toronto – The Canadian Opera Company regrets to announce that Romanian tenor Bogdan Mihai, who was scheduled to perform the role of Count Almaviva in Rossini's The Barber of Seville this May, has had to withdraw for personal reasons. Mihai was scheduled to sing three of the production's 12 performances. In his place, the COC has cast Argentine tenor Francisco Brito, who will make his Canadian debut. Brito shares the role of Count Almaviva with American tenor Alek Shrader who has been performing the role since the COC's production opened on April 17, 2015.

Toronto – Audiences will discover love has a sense of humour with the Canadian Opera Company's new production of Rossini's TheBarber of Seville from the Spanish theatre troupe Els Comediants. Scottish-born Rory Macdonald, one of Britain's most talented and dynamic young conductors, returns to lead the COC Orchestra, Chorus and a cast of the most exciting young stars in opera today through Rossini's veritable hit parade of a score, filled with showstoppers and sparkling tunes. Sung in Italian with English SURTITLESTM, The Barber of Seville runs for 13 performances on April 17, 19, 21, 26, 29, May 2, 7, 9, 13, 15*, 19, 21, 22, 2015 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Toronto – The stage is set for opera's next generation of stars to shine, when the young artists of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio take on Rossini's comic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville. This special performance takes place at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on May 15, 2015, with all tickets accessibly priced at $25 or $55. This new COC production is sung in Italian with English SURTITLES.

Toronto – The Canadian Opera Company's iconic double-bill of Béla Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle and Arnold Schoenberg's Erwartungreturns to the company's mainstage to close its 2014/2015 season. COC Music Director Johannes Debus conducts both operas for the first time, leading the COC Orchestra through these visceral and haunting scores, all brought to life in a mind-bending and gravity-defying production by world-renowned Canadian artistic visionary Robert Lepage. Bluebeard's Castleis sung in Hungarian and Erwartung is sung in German, both with English SURTITLESTM, and runs for only seven performances on May 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 23, 2015 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Toronto – Audiences will discover love has a sense of humour with the Canadian Opera Company's new production of Rossini's TheBarber of Seville from the Spanish theatre troupe Els Comediants. Scottish-born Rory Macdonald, one of Britain's most talented and dynamic young conductors, returns to lead the COC Orchestra, Chorus and a cast of the most exciting young stars in opera today through Rossini's veritable hit parade of a score, filled with showstoppers and sparkling tunes. Sung in Italian with English SURTITLESTM, The Barber of Seville runs for 13 performances on April 17, 19, 21, 26, 29, May 2, 7, 9, 13, 15*, 19, 21, 22, 2015 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Alexander Neef, General Director of the Canadian Opera Company, announced today the commission of a new opera for its mainstage by one of Canada's most important composers, Ana Sokolovi?. Titled La Reine-Garçon, the libretto is by Quebec playwrightMichel Marc Bouchard and based on his play of the same name. Inspired by Queen Christina of Sweden who ruled the country in the 17th century before abdicating her throne at the age of 27, La Reine-Garçonis currently in development and is scheduled to have its world premiere in the COC's 2019/2020 season.

Alexander Neef, General Director of the Canadian Opera Company, announced today the commission of a new opera for its mainstage by one of Canada's most important composers, Ana Sokolovi?. Titled La Reine-Garçon, the libretto is by Quebec playwright Michel Marc Bouchard and based on his play of the same name. Inspired by Queen Christina of Sweden who ruled the country in the 17th century before abdicating her throne at the age of 27, La Reine-Garçonis currently in development and is scheduled to have its world premiere in the COC's 2019/2020 season.

Toronto – Alexander Neef, General Director of the Canadian Opera Company, announced today the commission of a new opera for its mainstage by one of Canada's most important composers, Ana Sokolovi?. Titled La Reine-Garçon, the libretto is by Quebec playwright Michel Marc Bouchard and based on his play of the same name. Inspired by Queen Christina of Sweden who ruled the country in the 17th century before abdicating her throne at the age of 27, La Reine-Garçonis currently in development and is scheduled to have its world premiere in the COC's 2019/2020 season.

Toronto – The world premiere of a new Canadian work was one of the many operatic highlights revealed today at the public launch of the Canadian Opera Company's 2015/2016season at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The COC's 65th season is once again comprised entirely of company productions, four of which are new to Toronto audiences, and features the COC's first mainstage world premiere since 1999, COC premieres of opera rarities and the revival of classic masterpieces.

Toronto – Alexander Neef, General Director of the Canadian Opera Company, announced today that the COC will be presenting the world premiere of Pyramus and Thisbe by Canadian composer Barbara Monk Feldman. Based on the story from Ovid's Metamorphoses, the opera Pyramus and Thisbe was written by Monk Feldman in 2010 and will be presented as part of the COC's 2015/2016 season.

Toronto – The Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, Canada's premier training program for young opera professionals, welcomes three talented new Canadian artists for the 2015/2016 season. Tenors Charles Syand Aaron Sheppard were among the seven finalists featured in the fourth annual Ensemble Studio Competition in November 2014. Sy and Sheppard were top prize winners at the competitive vocal showcase which was the feature event of the COC's Ensemble Studio Competition Gala, Centre Stage, an evening dedicated to the discovery and celebration of the next generation of opera stars. In addition to the two opera singers, the 15/16 Ensemble Studio also welcomes pianist Hyejin Kwon.

Toronto – Tenor Charles Sy of Toronto took home first prize and the Audience Choice Award at the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio Competition on November 25, 2014, at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The competition is the feature event of the COC's annual fundraising gala, Centre Stage, an evening dedicated to the discovery and celebration of the next generation of opera stars. Sy was selected from seven finalists to receive the $5,000 award. Baritone Dimitri Katotakis of Toronto, won the second prize of $3,000,and tenor Aaron Sheppard of St. John's, N.L.., was awarded the third prize of $1,500. In addition, Sy was selected by the audience as the winner of the Audience Choice Award, worth $1,500.