Soprano Nikan Ingabire Kanate Wins Top Prize at Canadian Opera Company’s 12th Annual Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition

(Photo Credit: Michael Cooper) Soprano Nikan Ingabire Kanate of Ottawa won First Prize and the Audience Choice Prize at the Canadian Opera Company’s 12th annual Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition on Oct. 23, 2025. Kanate took home $12,500 sponsored by the Estate of Donald Lawrence Biderman for her first prize finish and $3,000 that comes along with the Hatch Audience {…}

Canadian Opera Company Reveals Seven Finalists for ‘Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition’

The Canadian Opera Company has unveiled the seven finalists for its highly anticipated Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition, taking place Oct. 23, 2025, at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The seven finalists include tenor Jacob Abrahamse, tenor Jackson Allen, soprano Sarah Anderson-Caulfield, bass Onur Hilaloglu, soprano Nikan Ingabire Kanate, mezzo-soprano Camila Montefusco, and baritone Søren Pedersen. They {…}

Canadian Opera Company Announces Free Concert Series

The Canadian Opera Company releases the details of its 2025 Free Concert Series. This article only features classical vocal events. All performances are held in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre.  “Meet the Ensemble Studio” opens the season. Soprano Emma Pennell, mezzo-soprano Ariana Maubach, tenor Angelo Moretti, baritone Ben Wallace, and bass-baritone Nicholas Murphy will introduce themselves by singing one of their {…}

‘La Reine-garçon’ Wins Big at 2025 Dora Mavor Moore Awards

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts has announced the recipients of the 45th Anniversary Dora Mavor Moore Awards. In the opera division, “Le Reine-garçon” took home the Outstanding Production Award. Kirsten MacKinnon, who starred in “La Reine-garçon,” won the Outstanding Performance by an Individual. The production was presented by Canadian Opera Company in co-production with Opéra de Montréal. Outstanding {…}

TAPA Announces 2025 Dora Mavor Moore Award Nominations

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced all nominations for the 45th Anniversary Dora Mavor Moore Awards presented by the Romano D’Andrea Foundation. This year there were 225 nominations across 43 gender-inclusive award categories within seven divisions reflecting the remarkable artistry of the 2024-25 season. This year’s nominations encompass 81 shows from 59 registered companies. The Awards will {…}

Q & A: HAUI™ Discusses Shedding Light on Underrepresented Figures Through Art

(Photo credit: Michael Cooper) Canadian-based mixed media artist, director, and librettist HAUI™ (he/they) uses his platforms to explore the intersections of race, gender, identity, and sexual orientation and to amplify underrepresented themes, myths, and histories. HAUI™ is published by Playwrights Canada Press and has collaborated with leading arts organizations such as Canadian Opera Company, CBC, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Stratford {…}

Canadian Opera Company to Present William Kentridge’s Production of ‘Wozzeck’

(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) The Canadian Opera Company is set to present Berg’s “Wozzeck” in William Kentridge’s production. The work will be shown for seven performances at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts between April 25 and May 16, 2025. Kentridge’s production has been performed at the Salzburg Festival and Metropolitan Opera and OperaWire noted, “this production {…}