The Canadian Opera Company (COC) has named seven finalists for its Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition, which will take place Oct. 22, 2026 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.

The finalists are tenor Gabriel Chona Rueda of Barichara, Colombia; bass baritone Nicholas Gryniewski of Mississauga, Ontario; soprano Katie Kirkpatrick of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; soprano Camille Labonté of Toronto; soprano Tracy Lin Waagner of McLean, Virginia; baritone Colin Mackey of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador; and soprano Zoe McCormick of Ponoka, Alberta.

The finalists will perform with the COC Orchestra under Music Director Johannes Debus and compete for cash prizes and an invitation to join the COC Ensemble Studio. Audiences will vote live for the Audience Choice Prize, and the competition will be live streamed; viewers at home will also able to vote.

Composer and former COC Composer in Residence Ian Cusson will host the evening. The judging panel includes COC Artistic Director Roberto Mauro, Ensemble Studio Director Dorian Cox, and Ensemble Studio Head of Music Liz Upchurch, joined by guest judges Adrianne Pieczonka and Edith Wiens. Baritone Russell Braun will also perform, and the COC Orchestra will present a preview of the company’s upcoming world premiere “Empire of Wild” by Cusson and Cherie Dimaline.

“There’s something extraordinary about watching a young singer take the stage and realizing that this could be the moment when everything changes,” said Cox, per an official press release. “These finalists have already shown us what they can do, and now they have the opportunity to share that artistry with a full audience and potentially take a major next step in their careers. We’re excited to see what happens.”

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