Canadian Opera Company - Toronto
16 April 2024

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Performance reviews

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L'elisir d'amore

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 4

COC's The Elixir Of Love is a middling concoction
19 Oct 17 / Now Toronto
A jaunty success
17 Oct 17 / ConcertoNet (English)
Elixir of Love’s recipe works to perfection
13 Oct 17 / The Toronto Star
Arabella

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 7

Arabella was a beautiful and dazzling operatic production
19 Oct 17 / The Strand
Il sorriso nel crepuscolo
18 Oct 17 / L'Ape musicale
Girlhood, interrupted
17 Oct 17 / parterre box
This Arabella will make you fall in love
13 Oct 17 / Now Toronto
Musically vibrant, visually subdued
10 Oct 17 / ConcertoNet (English)
COC’s Arabella succeeds on strength of its singers
7 Oct 17 / The Toronto Star
Canadian Opera Company's Arabella sparkles in every way
7 Oct 17 / Broadway World
Tosca

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 8

Why tamper with success?
17 May 17 / ConcertoNet (English)
Tosca’s cautious leap
15 May 17 / Opera Today
Women rule in COC’s terrific Tosca
6 May 17 / Now Toronto
Le campane di San Pietro
5 May 17 / L'Ape musicale
Adrianne Pieczonka slays as Puccini’s tortured diva
3 May 17 / OperaWire
Adrianne Pieczonka nails her scenes to the stage floor in Tosca
3 May 17 / The Toronto Star
Canadian Opera Company's Tosca is a total triumph
3 May 17 / Broadway World
COC offers a night at the cinematic opera with Tosca
2 May 17 / The Globe and Mail
Louis Riel

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 7

With its new production of Harry Somers’ Louis Riel, Canadian Opera Company has covered itself in resplendent glory
15 May 17 / Opera Today
A harrowing epic
11 May 17 / ConcertoNet (English)
L'Opera e la Storia
5 May 17 / L'Ape musicale
Louis Riel revival is electric
26 Apr 17 / Now Toronto
A step in the right direction
25 Apr 17 / Broadway World
Louis Riel opera’s flaws redeemed, mostly, by star Russell Braun
22 Apr 17 / The Toronto Star
Grand visions flame out at Louis Riel opera
22 Apr 17 / The Globe and Mail
Götterdämmerung

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 6

Cards on the table
28 Feb 17 / parterre box
Musically magnificent, visually subdued
24 Feb 17 / ConcertoNet (French)
En plus de cette éclatante réussite orchestrale, ce Crépuscule des dieux permet d'entendre une brillante distribution
12 Feb 17 / Avant-Scène Opéra
The Canadian Opera Company’s Götterdämmerung dazzles with its art and humanity
8 Feb 17 / Now Toronto
Christine Goerke stuns in COC’s powerful Goetterdaemmerung
4 Feb 17 / The Globe and Mail
Gotterdammerung still speaks to the human condition
4 Feb 17 / The Toronto Star
Christine Goerke on Wagner, endurance and the drive to perform
In a year or so, Christine Goerke will be sing Brunhilde in a complete Ring Cycle at the Met. Odds are, when that happens, that she will be one of the most famous operatic performers in the world.
Christine Goerke talks Brünnhilde
Ahead of Wagner's Götterdammerung at the COC, the great American Wagnerian soprano gives a free-ranging and candid interview on her life and art.
Die Zauberflöte

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 5

A welcome return
23 Feb 17 / ConcertoNet (English)
Le chef Bernard Labadie propose une lecture alerte, nerveuse
12 Feb 17 / Avant-Scène Opéra
The Magic Flute could be more enchanting
26 Jan 17 / Now Toronto
COC’s Magic Flute takes its time, but finally delivers
21 Jan 17 / The Globe and Mail
The Magic Flute casts spell over Canadian Opera Company
20 Jan 17 / The Toronto Star
Ariodante

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 4

La solitudine dell'innocenza
2 Nov 16 / L'Ape musicale
COC’d Up Ariodante
29 Oct 16 / Opera Today
Handel’s Scottish opera
26 Oct 16 / ConcertoNet (English)
COC's Ariodante offers audiences plenty to ponder
18 Oct 16 / The Toronto Star
Norma

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 5

Norma, Norma e Adalgisa
2 Nov 16 / L'Ape musicale
Worth the wait
29 Oct 16 / ConcertoNet (English)
Norma les yeux dans les yeux
11 Oct 16 / Forum Opéra
Astounding singing in COC's Norma
8 Oct 16 / The Toronto Star
Sondra Radvanovsky gives blissful performance in COC’s production of Norma
8 Oct 16 / The Globe and Mail
Sondra Radvanovsky - a star soprano at the pinnacle of her talent
Sondra Radvanovsky plays the title character in Norma, the COC’s first production of this season.
Maometto II

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 6

Singing is primo in Maometto II
18 May 16 / Musical Toronto
A dramatic discovery
15 May 16 / ConcertoNet (English)
Dal ferro, dal fuoco
9 May 16 / L'Ape musicale
Rossini's forgotten masterpiece challenges assumptions
4 May 16 / The Epoch Times
Canadian Opera Company’s Maometto II boasts spectacular singing
1 May 16 / The Toronto Star
COC’s Maometto II a showcase for the magic of the operatic voice
1 May 16 / The Globe and Mail
Why a newspaper trashed its own opera review
Two weeks ago, Canada’s National Post took down a review of the Canadian Opera Company’s “Maometto II.” On Tuesday afternoon, they put it up again.
Finding inspiration in opera
Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong explores the art form.
Carmen

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 4

Carmen scores again
14 May 16 / ConcertoNet (English)
It might be time for the Canadian Opera Company’s Carmen to take a different shape
15 Apr 16 / The Globe and Mail
A touch of Broadway in this Carmen, but the voices are opera-ready
14 Apr 16 / National Post
Love spits fire in COC’s Carmen
14 Apr 16 / The Toronto Star
Anita Rachvelishvili on what makes Carmen irresistible
How Carmen’s Anita Rachvelishvili transforms herself into a red-hot opera heroine.
Siegfried

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 9

Un gran Siegfried en Toronto
3 Feb 16 / Opera World (Spanish)
Every singer in this production was a power house
31 Jan 16 / Mooney on theatre
This is a thrilling show, no matter how you look at it
31 Jan 16 / SCHMOPERA
Wagner in pigiama
30 Jan 16 / L'Ape musicale
Canadian Opera Company’s Siegfried revival is a party worth attending – even in pajamas
29 Jan 16 / National Post
It's Debus and the first-rate orchestra who add the muscle and metal needed to forge this essential link in the Ring
28 Jan 16 / Now Toronto
Wagnerian adventure
28 Jan 16 / ConcertoNet (English)
A human spin on Siegfried that soars
26 Jan 16 / The Toronto Star
A stunning Siegfried at the COC
25 Jan 16 / The Globe and Mail
Don’t expect high kicks in COC’s take on Wagner’s Siegfried
Canada Opera Company’s take on Siegfried’s features unusual dance of the dragon.
Christine Goerke
Soprano Christine Goerke on Ring Cycle and the evolution of her voice.
Pyramus and Thisbe

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 9

A little bit of this opera goes a long way
11 Nov 15 / National Post
Opera’s premiere links modernism with Monteverdi
6 Nov 15 / Classical Voice North America
Myths, matched
4 Nov 15 / parterre box
Tragic love is central to an ingenious linking of opera works from the 17th and 21st centuries
27 Oct 15 / Now Toronto
Pyramus and Thisbe – a world premiere
26 Oct 15 / Opera Ramblings
Pyramus and Thisbe – Beyond time and space
26 Oct 15 / Opera Ramblings
From 1608 to 2015
23 Oct 15 / ConcertoNet (English)
Pyramus and Thisbe a compelling journey into the meaning of time and storytelling
22 Oct 15 / The Globe and Mail
Not a conventional night at the opera, but its rewards are considerable
22 Oct 15 / The Toronto Star
La Traviata

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 6

Traviata tradita
19 Oct 15 / L'Ape musicale
A popular success
19 Oct 15 / ConcertoNet (English)
La Traviata like you've never seen it before
15 Oct 15 / The Toronto Star
Canadian Opera Company's traditional production of Verdi classic will leave you swooning
10 Oct 15 / Now Toronto
Two out of three ain’t bad
10 Oct 15 / National Post
Verdi’s powerful story and lyrical beauty shine under Arin Arbus
10 Oct 15 / The Globe and Mail
Erwartung

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 5

Return of a landmark production
22 May 15 / ConcertoNet (English)
Paired dark tales: vintage Lepage at Canadian Opera
21 May 15 / Classical Voice North America
This revival glows more brightly than it ever has before
14 May 15 / Now Toronto
Canadian Opera Company brings mad, mad modern world to life
9 May 15 / The Globe and Mail
Bluebeard’s Castle/Erwartung still has the magic
7 May 15 / The Toronto Star
Duke Bluebeard's Castle

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 5

Return of a landmark production
22 May 15 / ConcertoNet (English)
Paired dark tales: vintage Lepage at Canadian Opera
21 May 15 / Classical Voice North America
This revival glows more brightly than it ever has before
14 May 15 / Now Toronto
Canadian Opera Company brings mad, mad modern world to life
9 May 15 / The Globe and Mail
Bluebeard’s Castle/Erwartung still has the magic
7 May 15 / The Toronto Star
Il barbiere di Siviglia

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 5

Figaro’s back!
7 May 15 / ConcertoNet (French)
Canadian Opera Company's revival delights in musical games
23 Apr 15 / The Epoch Times
Strong performances, eye-popping designs and lively choreography make it watchable
23 Apr 15 / Now Toronto
The Barber of Seville works up a lather
21 Apr 15 / National Post
The Road to Seville, anyone?
18 Apr 15 / The Toronto Star
Semele

Canadian Opera Company


Brooklyn Academy of Music


No. of reviews: 13

Missed opportunities abound in Semele from Canadian Opera at BAM
21 Mar 15 / Broadway World
In Brooklyn, Handel’s ‘Semele’ gets transported to China
17 Mar 15 / Wall Street Journal
Handel opera gets an Asian makeover at BAM
17 Mar 15 / Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Laughing in all the wrong places: Handel’s ‘Semele’ misfires at BAM
15 Mar 15 / New York Observer
Mortal purpose
12 Mar 15 / parterre box
The third act's focus saves the evening's turmoil
11 Mar 15 / Broadway World
While occasionally incoherent, Zhang Huan‘s splendid staging is simultaneously dazzling and suave
10 Mar 15 / Blogcritics
Lust, revenge and an interesting mingling of styles
9 Mar 15 / Bachtrack
At BAM, a Semele like no other
7 Mar 15 / Vulture
Semele's operatic sumo fights & donkey dicks at BAM
7 Mar 15 / Out
Fine singing enhances BAM’s odd yet entertaining “Semele”
6 Mar 15 / Classical Review
Handel’s ‘Semele’ Comes With Sumo Wrestlers at BAM
6 Mar 15 / New York Times
Handel’s Semele in Chinese temple built 450 years ago, watch out for donkeys and dragons
6 Mar 15 / Seen and Heard
Semele at BAM: Making room for the sumo wrestlers
Fitting the Canadian Opera Company's Semele into the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Gilman opera house required technical ingenuity.
BAM’s ‘Semele’: Where baroque opera meets sumo wrestling
Provocative Handel opera is staged with a 17-ton Ming Dynasty temple.
Die Walküre

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 9

Christine Goerke made a spectacular role debut as Brünnhilde
10 Feb 15 / Wall Street Journal
Dramatic tenor Issachah Savage makes sensational debut in COC Die Walkure
10 Feb 15 / La Scena Musicale (English)
A thrilling return
9 Feb 15 / ConcertoNet (English)
Grab this Ring
5 Feb 15 / Now Toronto
Die Walkure revival a triumph at the COC
4 Feb 15 / La Scena Musicale (English)
The riches of Die Walkure are boundless
3 Feb 15 / The Toronto Star
A wondrous Walkure at the COC
3 Feb 15 / The Globe and Mail
COC’s Die Walküre is ride on, and even just Act 1 is worth the price of admission
3 Feb 15 / National Post
Back in command
3 Feb 15 / New York Times
COC’s Die Walkure gets most Dora Award nominations
The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts has announced the nominations for the 25th annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards, which honour excellence in the performing arts in Toronto.
Christine Goerke reigns as Wagner heroine Brunnhilde
Christine Goerke’s portrayal of Brunnhilde in the Canadian Opera Company’s Die Walkure is first of five outings as the warrior princess.
Don Giovanni

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 6

A powerful, reimagined ‘Don Giovanni’
10 Feb 15 / Wall Street Journal
A long, dreary night
8 Feb 15 / ConcertoNet (English)
‘Don Giovanni’ at the Met Opera and in two other stagings
7 Feb 15 / New York Times
A moody Svengali attracts women in an unusual staging of Mozart’s opera
27 Jan 15 / Now Toronto
A new vision for Don Giovanni, with mixed results
27 Jan 15 / The Globe and Mail
Miss seeing COC’s Don Giovanni at your peril
26 Jan 15 / The Toronto Star
Dmitri Tcherniakov takes a bold new approach with Don Giovanni
‘Don’t worry about kissing right now, guys. Let’s just get the scene worked out, and you can all kiss properly in later rehearsals, when it will come more naturally.'
Michael Schade finds inspiration in Mozart
Canadian Opera Company brings 'Don Giovanni' back to the stage.
Madama Butterfly

Canadian Opera Company


No. of reviews: 6

Kelly Kaduce is a moving Butterfly in the Canadian Opera Company’s alternate cast
17 Oct 14 / Now Toronto
The great favourite sails on
17 Oct 14 / ConcertoNet (English)
The Canadian Opera Company’s Madama Butterfly is a notch below essential
16 Oct 14 / National Post
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Performance schedule
Donizetti
26 Apr to 18 May 2024
Cherubini
3 to 25 May 2024
HAUI x Sean Mayes
14 to 16 Jun 2024
Verdi
4 to 25 Oct 2024
Gounod
11 Oct to 2 Nov 2024
Puccini
24 Jan to 16 Feb 2025
Bilodeau
31 Jan to 15 Feb 2025
Berg
25 Apr to 16 May 2025
Tchaikovsky
2 to 24 May 2025
Mascagni
23 May 2025

News & Articles

Canadian Opera Company’s 2024-25 season
Tamara Wilson, Anna Pirozzi, Eri Nakamura and Long Long lead Canadian Opera Company’s 2024-25 season.
23 Feb 2024 / OperaWire
Canadian Opera Company announces winter & spring 2021-22 season
The Canadian Opera Company has announced three new mainstage productions at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts for the 2021-22 season.
19 Sep 2021 / OperaWire
Canadian Opera Company receives new funding
The Department of Canadian Heritage has announced that the Canadian Opera Company will receive $644,372 in crucial funding provided through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.
24 Feb 2021 / OperaWire
Canadian Opera Company announces new General Director
Canadian Opera Company has announced that Perryn Leech will be its new incoming General Director, effective March 1, 2021.
2 Dec 2020 / OperaWire
Canadian Opera Company cancels remainder of 2020-21 season
The company announced that productions of Bizet’s “Carmen,” Janáček’s “Katya Kabanova,” Verdi’s “La Traviata,” and Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice” will no longer be performed.
7 Oct 2020 / OperaWire