On November 3, our annual Ensemble Studio Competition makes its return following a two-year hiatus! After weeks of auditions and callbacks, seven talented finalists will descend on the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts to perform live at Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition in front of a public audience and with the full force of the COC Orchestra accompanying them.

These young voices are some of the best emerging opera singers in the country. Next week, they showcase their talent from a national platform—competing for cash prizes, a chance to join the COC Ensemble Studio, and your vote for Canada’s next opera star.

Read on to get to know the remarkable emerging voices who will be front and centre at the competition next week!

That’s me up there!

I’m hoisting a bottle of champagne after winning the Centre Stage Ensemble Studio Competition in 2019, and I don’t exaggerate when I say this was one of the most life-changing moments in my career so far. It was totally surreal and I felt like I was going to faint that entire time, but it’s a memory that’s in my brain forever.

Most important, being a finalist in the competition has opened up a world of opportunities for me as an artist. It allowed me to join the Ensemble Studio—the COC’s career development program for emerging opera artists.

In this special COC News article, hear from Ensemble Studio artist Midori Marsh on her experience winning Centre Stage in 2019, and her growth in the program over the past few years!

The Free Concert Series made its much-anticipated return to live performances in September, and we have been overwhelmed by the incredible response of the COC community! Support for these phenomenal artists allows us to continue sharing the talent and passion of Toronto’s music community with our audiences.

With so many incredible performances each month, we thought we would highlight a few select concerts to check out in November, showcasing the wide range of musical moments to enjoy!