Tag Archives: coc

Additions to the COC Ensemble Studio

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es1617The COC will add six singers and a pianist to the Ensemble Studio for the 16/17 season.  Unsurprisingly the three prize winners from Centre Stage; mezzo-sopranos Emily D’Angelo and Lauren Eberwein and baritone Bruno Roy, are among the six. They are joined by soprano Samantha Pickett (continuing a tradition of promoting young dramatic sopranos) and mezzo Megan Quick and, best news of all to my mind, soprano Danika Lorèn.  Regular readers will know that I have been increasingly impressed by this young lady over the last twelve months or so and am looking forward to seeing even more of her.  The new pianist is Stéphane Mayer.

Back to work

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zelenkaThings are starting to pick up after the Christmas lull.  Here’s my pick of the week in Toronto for w/c 10th January.

Today at 3.30pm The Talisker Players have a concert at Trinity St. Paul’s called High Standards.  It’s classic Broadway (Sondheim, Gershwin, Kern etc) and features soloists Virginia Hatfield and James Levesque.  (Also Tuesday at 8pm).

Wednesday is the COC Season Launch at the Four Season’s Centre at 6.30pm.  I think it’s subscribers and invitees only.  Speculation on what we might hear is here (me) and here (Dylan Hayden).

Then on Saturday from 1pm to 6pm Tafelmusik have a singing competition to select soloists for a future performance of Zelenka’s Missa omnium sanctorum.  Two gals and seven guys compete.  It’s free and , of course, it’s at Trinity St. Paul’s.

Where’s a palantìr when you need one eh?

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palantir1The invitations to the big bash are out.  The COC will announce the 2016/17 season on the 13th of January.  So it’s time to crack the shoulder blades, eviscerate the chickens and check that spread sheet I’ve been running for the last few years.  After all what’s the holiday season without a little humiliation?

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Traviata redux

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Nederland, Amsterdam, 02-05-2013. Muziektheater, DNO: La Traviata voorgenerale orkest.Last night we saw the last performance of the current COC run of La Traviata, this time with the alternate cast.  Joyce El-Khoury, Andrew Haji and James Westman came in for Ekaterina Siurina, Charles Castronovo and Quinn Kelsey.  We were also sitting in Ring 3 rather than lower down which gave a rather different perspective; perhaps not showing off the clever lighting for the intimate scenes quite as well but much more effective, by giving greater depth, for the party scenes.

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Night of the living mezzos

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As previously revealed the line up for last night’s Centre Stage; the COC’s gala competition cum Ensemble Studio final audition featured four mezzos, two sopranos and two baritones.  Not a tenor to be had.  As was the case two years ago the competition was split into two parts; a late afternoon session for an invited audience and an early evening public session separated by a cocktail reception.  Each singer presented one aria in each session.  Accompaniment was provided by the COC Orchestra with music director Johannes Debus.

The Lieutenant Governor with the contestants

The Lieutenant Governor with the contestants

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First week of November

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1.sevenA few notable events this coming fall week.  Tuesday sees the COC’s annual gala competition for young singers, Centre Stage.  Prizes and possible places in the Ensemble Studio for next year are up for grabs.  The public part of the event starts at 5.30pm at The Four Seasons Centre with a cocktail reception followed by the final round of the competition.  Unusually this competition feature the full COC orchestra, not just piano.

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A quick look at the COC’s 2014/15 financials

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jane_1415accountsI haven’t really done a full analysis of the COC’s recently released financials but what I have done suggests cause for cautious optimism.  As anyone who reads this blog knows I have, for the last three years or so, pointed up the rather stark reality underlying the company’s relentlessly optimistic propaganda.  To whit, a steady decline in seats sold, revenue and realisation (actual revenue dollars per seat sold).  This year doesn’t look so bad.

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Pyramus and Thisbe – Beyond time and space

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Back last night for a second look at Pyramus and Thisbe at the COC.  I’ve been involved in a huge amount of discussion, mostly with Katja, about this show since we saw it on Tuesday and there were many things about the Monk Feldman piece and its staging that I wanted to think about again.  Lots of thoughts and, perhaps, a slightly different perspective since I was watching from two levels higher in the house this time.

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Pyramus and Thisbe – a world premiere

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The new COC creation Pyramus and Thisbe with music by Monteverdi and Barbara Monk Feldman opened last night at the Four Seasons Centre.  I was expecting abstract and cerebral, which it is, but I was rather expecting that I might admire it more than enjoy it.  As it turned out it was a remarkably satisfying show on many levels.

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