Opening May 6, this season’s production of The Magic Flute at the COC is a true celebration of homegrown talent. On top of featuring a bevy of Canadian singers in the cast, audiences will be treated to a number of artists who are currently enrolled in or are graduates of the Ensemble Studio, the COC’s professional development program for emerging artists—including revival director Anna Theodosakis, who began her career as a singer before turning to direction. For many cast members, this is a return to the stage after two years—and also a family reunion of sorts.


 

On April 23, 2022, we hosted our first opening night at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in more than two years. The atmosphere in the sold-out opera house was electric. As The Globe and Mail put it in its review, the company returned to the stage with “one of opera’s near-perfect works, breaking years of silence with famous tunes and the kind of catharsis you can only get from Verdi… triumphant… thrilling… gorgeous.”

Norwegian coloratura soprano Caroline Wettergreen makes her COC and North American debut as the iconic Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, having become a well-known Queen that has dazzled audiences throughout Europe with her take on the role. We spoke with Caroline to learn more about her start in opera, her approach to the character, and how she prepares for one of the most famously challenging arias in all of opera.