UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
Bastien and Bastienne: Bastienne
August 15 & 17, 2024
Toronto Opera Collective
August 15, 2024 @ 7:00pm
St. Andrews United Church
117 Bloor St. E., Toronto, ON
August 17, 2024 @ 3:00pm
Lakeshore United Church
56 North St., Goderich, ON
Swing, Sway & Class
August 18, 2024
Alton Family Estate Winery
Join us for a special evening of Great Music, Wine and Food! Starting at 6:00, dinner at 6;30 with concert to follow.
Relax on our patio and enjoy the evening with wine, a 4 course dinner, and a wonderful eclectic selection of music, featuring Canadian Opera Company artist:
Soprano Christina Bell
and Singer/Performer Joy Castro.
Nabucco: Chorus
October 4, 6, 12, 17, 19, 23 and 25, 2024
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
The opera that launched Verdi's career, Nabucco is a sweeping saga featuring some of the most passionate music ever written. Never before performed at the COC, this is opera at its most spectacular: a rousing epic of the search for hope amid brutal cruelty and oppression, with a cast of over 120 performers.
Faust: Chorus
October 11, 13, 16, 18, 24, 26 and November 2, 2024
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
Disenchanted by his lifelong quest for knowledge, the ageing philosopher Faust makes a pact with the devil and trades his soul for eternal youth—to disastrous consequences.
Tenor Long Long is the scholar Faust, whose pact with Méphistophélès (bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen) promises to return him to the innocence of youth—and the love of Marguerite. Murder and madness ensue, with demons, witches, and a chorus of celestial voices rounding out this lavish spectacle directed by Amy Lane.
Wozzeck: Chorus
April 25, 27, May 3, 8, 10, 14 and 16, 2025
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
Tormented by visions and humiliated by his superiors, the soldier Wozzeck (baritone Michael Kupfer-Radecky) discovers that his lover, Marie (soprano Ambur Braid), has entertained the advances of the Drum Major (tenor Matthew Cairns)—a revelation that will culminate in murder, madness, and self-destruction.
This landmark of 20th-century music is brought to life in a new production from the extraordinary imagination of South African artist William Kentridge, offering audiences an immersive, interdisciplinary experience described as “a breathtaking masterpiece... a work of art across many genres
Eugene Onegin: Chorus
May 2, 4, 7, 9, 15, 17 and 24, 2025
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is one of opera’s most romantic masterpieces, an aching meditation on happiness undone. Canadian director Robert Carsen’s stunningly simple staging enjoys an international reputation as “a piece of contemporary operatic history” (The Globe and Mail) and returns to the COC for the first time since 2018.
Speranza Scappucci conducts Tchaikovsky’s adored lyric opera, with soprano Lauren Fagan starring as Tatyana, who falls in love with the dashing Eugene Onegin at first sight.
Cavalleria Rusticana: Chorus
May 23, 2025
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
One of the world's most successful one-act operas, Mascagni’s gripping thriller about love, jealousy, and betrayal is set in an Italian village where a simmering love triangle reaches boiling point.
This special concert presentation features a roster of international artists, as well as the COC Orchestra and Chorus under the baton of COC Music Director Johannes Debus.
PAST PERFORMANCES
Interplay: Landmarks
June 8, 2024
Rolston Recital Hall
Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive,
Banff, AB
Explore the intricate layers of chamber music as these masterpieces guide you through a diverse array of styles, evoking a range of emotions from profound serenity to passionate intensity.
Witness the technical brilliance that has shaped the genre, creating a tapestry of musical expression that transcends boundaries.
Medea: Chorus
May 3, 5, 9, 11, 15, 17 & 25, 2024
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
Never before seen on the COC stage and seldom performed anywhere in the world, Medea is an exquisite rarity, featuring one of the most challenging roles in opera history. As the culmination of our season, world-renowned soprano Sondra Radvanovsky will tackle the role, reuniting with director Sir David McVicar for this brand-new production.
Medea is based on an ancient Greek myth, in which the title character helps Jason (Giasone), leader of the famous Argonauts, steal the Golden Fleece—only to be abandoned by him. While her betrayal makes Medea a victim, this operatic interpretation gives her the last word as she unleashes her rage with chilling violence against those who have wronged her.
Susannah: Title Role
February 24, 2024 (Matinee 2:00pm)
Toronto City Opera,
Al Green Theatre
750 Spadina Ave., Toronto
Rarely performed in Toronto, Susannah is the second most popular American opera after Porgy and Bess, with a gorgeously tuneful score rooted in American folk melodies and hymns.
Floyd adapted the story of Susannah from the apocryphal story of Susannah and the Elders. It is a dramatic tale of the injustice and ostracization faced by an innocent young woman, Susannah, in the conservative religious community of New Hope Valley, Tennessee. Written during the McCarthy years in the US, its themes of oppression, intolerance, and resistance continue to resonate today.
Fully staged performances with piano accompaniment.
Susannah will be sung in the original English with English supertitles.
Buy Tickets – Susannah – Al Green Theatre, Multiple dates and times
Fidelio: Chorus
September 29, October 1, 7, 12, 14, 18 & 20, 2023
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
Acclaimed director Matthew Ozawa transports the action to a modern-day prison facility, reminding viewers that Beethoven’s warnings in Fidelio—about power, corruption, and tyranny—remain as relevant today as they were 200 years ago, while crystallizing the composer’s vision for justice and freedom.
In Dazzling Dreams
August 18, 2023 @ 7:00pm
Alton Farms Estate Winery
5547 Aberarder Line, Plympton-Wyoming
Join us for a concert exploring themes of dream and travel while enjoying a fabulous dinner by a local Chef. Check back soon for more details and ticket information!!
Summer Concert Series: Featured Artist
August 17, 2023 @ 12:00pm
Knox Church Goderich
9 Victoria St., N., Goderich, ON
Candide: Paquette
June 17 @ 7:30pm & June 18 @ 3:00pm
North York Concert Orchestra
East End United
310 Danforth Ave., Toronto, ON
The North York Concert Orchestra and Maestro Rafael Luz invite you to join us as we present Leonard Bernstein's comic opera Candide!
Tosca: Chorus
May 5, 7, 11, 13, 19, 21, 23 & 27, 2023
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
When Rome’s corrupt police chief becomes obsessed with opera singer Floria Tosca, he imprisons her lover Cavaradossi and issues a terrible ultimatum: submit to his desires or watch her beloved die.
Twists and turns abound in this thriller from Giacomo Puccini, the master of emotional storytelling. Sopranos Sinéad Campbell-Wallace and Keri Alkema star in this fast-paced, not-to-be-missed classic.
Macbeth: Chorus
April 28, 30, May 6, 12, 14, 17 & 20, 2023
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
This brand-new production from Sir David McVicar is the must-see work of the season.
Vaunting ambition, a thirst for power, and bone-chilling violence collide as one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies is given the operatic treatment by one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most thrilling scores. Internationally acclaimed conductor Speranza Scappucci returns to lead the COC Orchestra.
The Secret Garden: Alice/Mrs.Shelly
January 22, 2023 @ 7:00pm
Confidential Musical Theatre Project
Heart Lake United Church
85 Sandalwood Parkway East, Brampton, ON
How the Confidential Musical Theatre Project Works:
A show is cast.
The cast is sworn to secrecy about their role and the title of the show they're performing. They don't know who else is in the cast.
There are no rehearsals. The cast prepare on their own with notes from the Director and Music Director.
The cast arrives one hour before performance time and meet each other for the first time.
The audience arrives, not knowing what show they're about to see.
The show begins and the secret is revealed.
Carmen: Chorus
October 14, 16, 20, 22, 26, 28, 30, November 4, 2022
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
The fiercely independent Carmen becomes ensnared in a high-stakes game among garrison soldiers, smugglers, and a superstar bullfighter in Bizet’s blockbuster opera.
Our classic production transports audiences to a sun-drenched setting of bustling street scenes and outlaw hideaways, with a dramatic climax that crackles with electricity. American mezzo soprano star J’Nai Bridges—dubbed “the Beyonce of opera” by BET—makes her COC debut in the iconic titular role.
The Flying Dutchman: Chorus
October 7, 9, 13, 15, 19, 21 & 23, 2022
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
In a fishing village, a young woman named Senta has become infatuated with the story of the Flying Dutchman, a sea captain condemned to sail for eternity. Legend has it that he has been cursed, and can only step ashore once every seven years—unless he finds true love.
When a ghostly ship anchors near her town’s harbour, Senta’s fantasies are put to the test in director Christopher Alden’s visually striking production, inspired by classic Expressionist cinema and Wagner’s feverish, Romantic score.
Madama Butterfly: Chorus
Live-audience performances cancelled
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
When young Cio-Cio-San’s life in Nagasaki collides with American naval officer Pinkerton, the devastating consequences that follow give rise to one of Puccini’s most powerful and unforgettable operas.
Staged by Canadian director Aria Umezawa, whose artistic practice focuses on innovation and social impact, Madama Butterfly explores the journey to womanhood and the impossible choices facing a young woman caught between cultures. Japanese soprano Eri Nakamura stars in the iconic title role with American tenor Stephen Costello as Pinkerton and Canadian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson leading the acclaimed COC Orchestra and Chorus.
In Winter: Chorus
Available for streaming December 2021 to June 18 2022
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
Welcome a new season with Vivaldi’s instantly recognizable and exhilarating “Winter” section of “The Four Seasons,” classic songbook selections like “Deck the Halls,” and, for the centrepiece of the program, an exciting new commission by composer Ian Cusson, who sets text by Métis writer Katherena Vermette, for solo, chorus, and orchestra in a meditative composition entitled “In Winter.”
Mozart Requiem: Chorus
Available for streaming November 2021 to May 27, 2022
Canadian Opera Company
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON
Incorporating interviews with the artists, who have each faced deeply personal journeys of grief and healing, this interpretation conceived by Joel Ivany and Johannes Debus connects individual stories of loss and resilience to the sonic world of Mozart’s heartbreakingly beautiful piece. The result charts a passage out of some of our collective darkest days towards a new hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Featuring artists from the COC Ensemble Studio training program, as well as Kwagiulth and Stó:lo First Nations mezzo-soprano Marion Newman, this Requiem is a showcase of the next generation of voices in opera.