A COC signature production fusing opera, theatre, dance, and film, R. Strauss’ Salome returns to the Four Seasons Centre Stage starting Friday, February 3! Academy Award-nominated director Atom Egoyan leads this cinematic experience, starring Ensemble Studio alum Ambur Braid in the iconic title role. The Canadian soprano makes her first COC appearance since 2018’s Hadrian, bringing expertise and acclaim as the princess Salome from her “explosive” performance in Barrie Kosky’s production for Oper Frankfurt. 

We sat down with Ambur to learn more about the show, her approach to the title role, and what to expect from our experimental approach to R. Strauss’ classic thriller.

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Opening January 27, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro comes to life through the combined efforts of our world-class cast and creative team. Exploring the lives of four couples on the eve of a wedding, Figaro is a masterwork of frustrated desires and mistaken identity, punctuated by one of opera’s most luminous scores. The show’s many characters are uniquely human, with rich inner lives and complex motivations, demanding an all-star ensemble cast such as this one—ripe with COC favourites and exceptional company debuts—to do Mozart’s vision justice.

Read on to meet the stars of the show!

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Composer Richard Strauss redefined musical storytelling with his seminal masterpiece, Salome, a thrilling exploration of obsession and objectification centered on one of opera’s famous characters. Shocking audiences with each new staging, the work took on new forms in the hands of Academy Award-nominated director Atom Egoyan in 1996, who infused the opera with elements of film, dance, puppetry, and shadowplay. 

Amidst the protocols and precautions of last winter’s pandemic, Egoyan sat down with COC General Director Perryn Leech to explore their excitement about the upcoming production, its all-star cast and creative team, and the extraordinary endeavour of performing the opera’s title role.

Here’s a few highlights from their chat!

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