Seven finalists have been chosen to compete in the 2025 Canadian Opera Company Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition. The list of new opera voices from across Canada was chosen after a cross-country audition tour.
The Ensemble Studio Competition is the COC’s largest fundraising event of the season. All proceeds go towards supporting the Ensemble Studio program, which prepares emerging talented vocal artists for a professional career. Since 2013, the event has raised more than $4.5 million for the career development program.
“This is a pivotal moment and milestone for any emerging singer,” says Dorian Cox, Director of the Ensemble Studio in a statement. “To be named a finalist is not only a recognition of exceptional talent, but also the start of a journey that can propel these artists onto national and international stages. We’re thrilled to welcome this year’s finalists and celebrate the extraordinary possibilities ahead of them.”
The competition received applications from 117 candidates, and heard auditions from 60 young singers in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto.
The final competitors are:
The finals of the competition take place on October 23. The seven finalists will perform for the judges one last time, accompanied by the acclaimed COC Orchestra led by COC Music Director Johannes Debus.
They’ll be competing for cash prizes, as well as the opportunity to be part of the COC’s Ensemble Studio throughout the year. The Audience Choice Prize will be awarded based on a live vote
Former Member of Parliament, broadcast journalist, and co-host on CTV’s The Social Marci Ien will host the event.
“The arts have the power to transform, to heal, and to connect us in ways that nothing else can,” says Ien. “They remind us of our shared humanity and inspire us to dream bigger than we ever thought possible.”
As an extra touch, this year the event will include a tribute to celebrated dramatic tenor Ben Heppner, a former member of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio. Ben was a member of the Ensemble Studio in 1982-1984, and he’ll appear at the event as a special guest to mark another his 70th birthday.
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