23/24 Annual Report (original) (raw)

The Canadian Opera Company's 2023/2024 season saw the company connecting with all new audiences through a critically acclaimed lineup of mainstage programming that included several sold-out performances and a multi-award-winning production of Cherubini's Medea.

Thank you to our artists, audiences, and generous community for your vital support of the company's vision!

Fidelio

Conductor: Johannes Debus
Director: Matthew Ozawa Assistant Director: Marilyn Gronsdal Assistant Conductor: Derek Bate
Set and Projections Designer: Alexander Nichols
Costume Designer: Jessica Jahn Associate Costume Designer: Lynly A. Saunders
Lighting Designer: Yuki Nakase Link Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst Stage Manager: Stephanie Marrs Assistant Stage Manager: Lesley Abarquez
Assistant Stage Manager: Tamara Vuckovic Apprentice Stage Manager: Elizabeth Schieman
Fight and Intimacy Coordinator: Siobhan Richardson

Leonore: Miina-Liisa Värelä
Florestan: Clay Hilley
Rocco: Dimitry Ivashchenko
Marzelline: Anna-Sophie Neher
Jaquino: Josh Lovell Don Pizarro: Johannes Martin Kränzle Don Fernando: Sava Vemić First Prisoner: Wesley Harrison
Second Prisoner: Alex Halliday

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

A production from San Francisco Opera

Johannes Debus is generously sponsored by George & Kathy Dembroski

Sandra Horst and the COC Chorus are generously underwritten by Tim & Frances PriceThe COC Orchestra is generously sponsored, in part, by W. Bruce C. Bailey, in honour of Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director, and Johannes Debus, COC Music Director, and, in part, by the Schulich Foundation

La Bohème

Conductor: Jordan de Souza Original Director: John Caird Revival Director: Katherine M. Carter
Set and Costume Designer: David Farley
Lighting Designer: Michael Clark Revival Lighting Designer: Nick Andison
Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst Stage Manager: Jenifer Kowal Assistant Stage Manager: Michael Barrs Assistant Stage Manager: Anna Spencer Apprentice Stage Manager: Lindsay McDonald Fight and Intimacy Coordinator: Siobhan Richardson

Mimì: Amina Edris, Jonelle Sills (October 8 and 22)
Rodolfo: Pene Pati, Kang Wang (October 22 and 28)
Marcello: Joo Won Kang
Musetta: Charlotte Siegel
Colline: Blaise Malaba Schaunard: Justin Welsh Benoît/Alcindoro: Gregory Dahl Parpignol: Wesley Harrison
Customs Officer: Korin Thomas-Smith

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

A Canadian Opera Company co-production with Houston Grand Opera and San Francisco Opera

Production originally made possible by Jerry & Geraldine Heffernan

The Cunning Little Vixen

Conductor: Johannes Debus
Director: Jamie Manton Associate Director: Ruth Knight
Assistant Director: Anna Theodosakis
Set and Costume Designer: Tom Scutt
Lighting Designer: Lucy Carter
Movement Director: Jenny Ogilvie Stage Manager: Stephanie Marrs
Assistant Stage Manager: Lesley Abarquez
Assistant Stage Manager: Meghan Speakman Apprentice Stage Manager: Tia Morann
Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst Fight and Intimacy Coordinator: Siobhan Richardson

Vixen (Sharp Ears): Jane Archibald Fox (Gold-Stripe): Ema Nikolovska
Forester: Christopher PurvesParson/Badger: Giles Tomkins
Forester's wife/Owl: Megan Latham
Lapák, a dog: Carolyn Sproule

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

A production from English National Opera

Johannes Debus is generously sponsored by George & Kathy DembroskiChristopher Purves is generously sponsored by Kristine Vikmanis & Denton Creighton

Don Giovanni

Conductor: Johannes Debus
Director: Kasper Holten Associate Director: Amy Lane Assistant Director: Marilyn Gronsdal
Set Designer: Es Devlin
Costume Designer: Anja Vang Kragh
Lighting Designer: Bruno Poet Revival Lighting Designer: John Paul Percox
Projections Designer: Luke Halls Projection Associate: Gareth SheltonChoreographer: Signe Fabricius Revival Movement Director: Anna-Marie Sullivan Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst Stage Manager: Jenifer Kowal
Assistant Stage Manager: Al Gadowsky
Assistant Stage Manager: Mike Lewandowski Apprentice Stage Manager: Caroline Nowacki Fight and Intimacy Coordinator: Siobhan Richardson

Don Giovanni: Gordon Bintner Donna Elvira: Anita Hartig, Charlotte Siegel (February 24)Donna Anna: Mané Galoyan Leporello: Paolo Bordogna Don Ottavio: Ben Bliss
Zerlina: Simone McIntosh
Masetto: Joel Allison Il Commendatore: David Leigh

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

A co-production of Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Gran Theatre del Liceu; The Israeli Opera; and Houston Grand Opera

Johannes Debus is generously sponsored by George & Kathy Dembroski

Sandra Horst and the COC Chorus are generously underwritten by Tim & Frances PriceGordon Bintner is generously sponsored by Janet StubbsThe COC Orchestra is generously sponsored, in part, by W. Bruce C. Bailey, in honour of Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director, and Johannes Debus, COC Music Director, and, in part, by the Schulich Foundation

Don Pasquale

Conductor: Jacques Lacombe
Stage Direction, Dramaturgy, Set & Costume Design: Barbe & Doucet Associate Director: Kathleen Stakenas
Assistant Director: Marilyn Gronsdal
Lighting Designer: Guy Simard Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst Stage Manager: Lesley Abarquez Assistant Stage Manager: Meghan Speakman
Assistant Stage Manager: Jessica Severin Apprentice Stage Manager: Milena Fera Fight and Intimacy Coordinator: Siobhan Richardson

Don Pasquale: Misha Kiria
Dr. Malatesta: Joshua Hopkins Norina: Simone Osborne
Ernesto: Santiago Ballerini

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

A production from Scottish Opera

Simone Osborne is generously sponsored by June Shaw & the late Dr. Ralph Shaw

Medea

Conductor: Lorenzo Passerini
Director: Sir David McVicar Revival Stage Director: Jonathon Loy Assistant Director: Mario Pacheco
Set Designer: Sir David McVicar Associate Set Designer: Hannah Postlethwaite
Costume Designer: Doey Lüthi
Original Lighting Designer: Paule Constable Revival Lighting Designer: Clare O'Donoghue Projection Designer: S. Katy Tucker Movement Director: Jo Meredith
Price Family Chorus Master: Sandra Horst Stage Manager: Stephanie Marrs
Assistant Stage Manager: Al Gadowsky
Assistant Stage Manager: Michael Barrs Apprentice Stage Manager: Conner Bustamante Fight and Intimacy Coordinator: Siobhan Richardson

Medea: Sondra Radvanovsky (May 3), Chiara Isotton
Giasone: Matthew Polenzani Creonte: Alfred Walker
Glauce: Janai Brugger Neris: Zoie Reams

With the COC Orchestra and Chorus

Co-production of The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, and Lyric Opera of Chicago

Production generously underwritten, in part, by The Whiteside Foundation

Sondra Radvanovsky is generously sponsored by The Tauba and Solomon Spiro Family Foundation and The Whiteside Foundation

Charlotte Siegel is generously sponsored by Joy Levine

Alex Hetherington is generously sponsored by Patricia & Frank Mills

Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White

Composer: Sean Mayes with HAUI Director and Librettist: HAUI Assistant Director: Sheree Spencer
Dramaturg: Neema Bickersteth
Conductor: Sean Mayes Set & Projection Design: Laura Warren Lighting Design: Bonnie Beecher Costume Design: Diséiye Thompson
Sound Design: Wayne Hawthorne Stage Manager: Kat Chin Assistant Stage Manager: Jessica Severin Choreography & Intimacy Director: Aria EvansPortia Body: Neema Bickersteth
Portia Spirit: Adrienne Danrich Portia Soul: SATE Jimmy: Henos GirmaAssociate Producer: Sheree Spencer

Produced by the Canadian Opera Company, in association with the National Arts Centre's National Creation Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, and Ontario Arts Council

The COC Orchestra is generously sponsored, in part, by W. Bruce C. Bailey, in honour of Christie Darville, COC Deputy General Director, and Johannes Debus, COC Music Director, and, in part, by the Schulich Foundation

Presenting Sponsor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: TD Ready Commitment

Major Cultural Partner: Pride Toronto