The company was founded out of the University of Toronto's opera school in 1950 for commercial opera productions at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. In 1961, the company moved its home stage to the O'Keefe Centre (now known as Meridian Hall). In 2006, the company moved to the Four Seasons Centre.
In 1949, Walter, Goldschmidt and Geiger-Torel announced that the "Royal Conservatory Opera Company" would mount an eight-day festival of three operas at the Royal Alex.[8] Although its orchestra capacity was limited, the theatre was the closest that Toronto had to an opera house.[8] Tympani, percussion and double basses had to be placed in box seats.[9] The first Toronto Opera Festival was held from February 3-11, 1950, performing La Bohème, Rigoletto and Don Giovanni, directed by Goldschmidt and Geiger-Torel.[10] The festival produced a profit of CA$2,000(equivalent to $25,136 in 2023)[11]
In November 1950, the University of Toronto forbade the Conservatory from being financially responsible for commercial productions. To continue to use the Conservatory's facilities, an independent opera company should be incorporated. This was the beginning of the company, and it was incorporated under the name of the "Opera Festival Association of Toronto."[12] Goldschmidt was musical director, Geiger-Torel was stage director, and Ernest Rawley of the Royal Alex was the general manager.[1] In 1951, the company decided going forth that it would produce three operas per festival, look for a rehearsal space independent of the Conservatory, and take productions on tour in Ontario.[11]
In 1952, the Conservatory and the opera company hired Italian Ernesto Barbini (who had experience at the Metropolitan Opera [The Met]) as coach and conductor, and he conducted Madama Butterfly in the 1953 festival. That year, the company toured for the first time, taking Cosi fan tutte with piano accompaniment, to Peterborough. As well, the production of The Consul with soprano Theresa Gray, was considered a "ground-breaking triumph."[13] In 1954, the company started a full tour of productions around Ontario to Hamilton, Kitchener and London.[11] It branded itself as the Royal Conservatory Opera Company. The 1954 season hurt the company, leading to a loss of CA$10,000, which its guarantors had to pay.[14]
The 1956 festival season was another disappointment, having its lowest income and poorest attendence (76 per cent). It lost CA$30,000, substantial for the time. The company added Ottawa to its tour.[15] Geiger-Torel, offered a position at the Met, was given a raise and became the company's artistic director.[15]
In 1957, the company again changed its branding, this time to "Canadian Opera Company (of Toronto)", retaining its Opera Festival Association legal name.[16] It changed the festival's dates from February to October. This would enable Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) musicians to join the opera orchestra for performances.[16] To help the board's finances, the Metropolitan Toronto government began giving an annual grant of CA$10,000.[16] The Canadian Council for the Arts (Canada Council) gave CA$10,000 to help with touring.[17] The 1957 tour added Montreal to its list of stops.[18]
In 1958, the company added Walter Susskind of the TSO to conduct La Bohème. Susskind would conduct with the opera company until 1963.[18] Geiger-Torel was named general director.[19] The 1958 tour was expanded to the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland, sponsored by the Canada Council, touring a production of The Barber of Seville.[20]
In 1959, the company founded the Canadian Opera Guild. This group held pre-opera lectures, produced newsletters and promoted opera across Canada. The company would help found Opera Guilds International in 1974.[21]
In 1961, the Association moved its performances from the Royal Alex to the new O'Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts. The O'Keefe, a multi-purpose hall, had a larger capacity and room for a full orchestra, but was not yet the ideal home the company desired. For one thing, it did not have ideal acoustics for opera, requiring well-hidden amplification, and its orchestra pit was not as large as the company wished. The company performed five operas that season at the O'Keefe: Tosca, Carmen, The Bartered Bride and a double-bill of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci (directed by Leon Major), and they were included in the Centre's subscription series.[22] The move was financially successful for the company, returning a surplus.[23]
While not ideal, the O'Keefe, with its larger stage, provided the company with the ability to mount larger productions, such as Aida and Der Rosenkavalier in 1963.[24] The company was cut from the O'Keefe subscription series in 1964 and launched its own subscription series, to the worry of management. The worry was groundless; the company's attendance increased and provided a surplus of CA$25,000.[25]
In 1967, Canada's Centennial year, the company was given funds by the Centennial Commission to commission two new operas. Raymond Pannell wrote The Luck of Ginger Coffey, with libretto by Ron Hambleton, based on a Brian Moore novel. Harry Somers wrote Louis Riel with libretto by Mavor Moore. The Company performed both new operas, plus Madama Butterfly, Il Trovatore, Tales of Hoffman and The Barber of Seville to complete a very busy season. [26] As well as performing in Toronto, the company performed Riel and Tales of Hoffman at Expo 67.[27]
1967 also saw the beginning of Prologue to the Performing Arts. This program introduced in-school performances at high schools of dance, theatre and opera companies. Canadian Opera participated annually, starting with La Serva Padrona accompanied with piano.[28]
In 1969, the new National Arts Centre in Ottawa opened. In addition to its regular season, Canadian Opera performed Rigoletto and Fledermaus in Ottawa. The opera hall was praised by the company, and the company made annual summer season visits to Ottawa for the next ten years.[29]
In 1970, the company toured the United States. This, plus the fall season at the O'Keefe, put the company in good standing financially. A special performance of Fidelio to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's birth was celebrated by critics.[30]
A review of the company was made by Lord Harewood for the Ontario Arts Council in 1972. Harewood made numerous suggestions, such as having the company produce more innovative operas, it consider moving to Ottawa and travelling to the O'Keefe annually. Harewood also suggested producing two seasons annually, in conjunction with the National Ballet, so that they could use the same orchestra. Or that the company could mount smaller operas back at the Royal Alex. The O'Keefe manager, Hugh Walker appeared at the Council to plead that the company stay at the O'Keefe, although the opera company would rather have its own hall.[31] The company did perform a small version of Cosi fan tutte at the Royal Alex, but it was not well attended and the company did not play at the Royal Alex again for many years.[32]
The 1973 season saw the company perform 36 performances, its longest season yet, and box office receipts increased to CA$722,448, its best financial performance yet.[33] In January 1974, Jan Rubes was named director of touring and program development.[34] The company expanded the time it would spend on the road, increasing the number of days a production would perform per city to three or more.[35] The deficit ballooned adding CA$60,000 for the 1974 season alone,[36] to a total of CA$308,000.[37]
The board wanted change and prepared a retirement package for Geiger-Torel. Reluctantly, he accepted the package in January 1975. He worked on programming for the 1975 season, although he would no longer be the general director, while the board searched for a replacement.[38] The season was nearly cancelled by a stagehands strike, but Geiger-Torel was able to conclude an agreement.[39]
At the same time, the board selected Lotfi Mansouri as the new general director, with Geiger-Torel's endorsement, at a much higher salary than Geiger-Torel.[40] Mansouri would take over in July 1976.[39]
The 1975 season was successful artistically but had a large CA$117,000 deficit, now pushing the accumulated deficit to CA$478,000[41] The company cut the 1976 season to four operas to save costs and launched the "Canadian Opera Rescue Fund" fund-raising campaign to raise CA$803,000.[42] The company broke ties with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra over the shortened season and had to again organize its own orchestra.[43] Geiger-Torel's final season, produced cut-back operas, but was financially successful, producing a surplus, which, combined with fund-raising lowered the accumulated deficit to CA$116,000.[44] Not long after the season, Geiger-Torel passed away on October 6, and a memorial tribute to Geiger-Torel was held at the University of Toronto's MacMillan Theatre.[45]
In 1977, the company, already using the Canadian Opera Company in advertising, changed its legal name to the Canadian Opera Company.
Mansouri re-organized the board and made some critical appointments. He hired Phillip Boswell as assistant director to John Leberg, Margaret Genovese to head marketing, and Dory Vanderhoof for fund-raising. His plan was to extend the company's season, more adventurous programming, forward financial planning, to cut ties with the University and resolve its relationship with the TSO.[46] Fund-raising, marketing, and artistic decisions would be made with an eye to the overall growth of the company. Mansouri would make artistic decisions, with Leberg and Boswell.[47]
The 1977 season was Mansouri's first, producing Don Carlos, The Magic Flute, The Daughter of the Regiment and Wozzeck (directed by Mansouri, a Canadian premiere).[48] This mix of popular, plus light-hearted, plus unique, operas would be the mix during Mansouri's tenure.[49] Also, more international singers were cast, including Paul Plishka and Tatiana Troyanos.[50] The company continued its shortened season of 25 performances.[51] The fall tour took the company to the Maritimes, followed by a winter tour in the United States.[51]
The 1978 season saw more changes. Instead of doing the operas in a festival, the performances were spread out over more months. This necessitated the formation of the COC's own orchestra, as the TSO could not accommodate the new schedule.[52] Unable to fit spring dates into the O'Keefe, the COC returned to the Royal Alex for the spring series as part of the Royal Alex's subscription series.[49] This doubled the number of performances in Toronto to 57. With its subsequent tour of Eastern Canada, Ontario and the United States, it now performed 176 times.[53] In a performance at the NAC, the COC was nationally televised on the CBC for the first time.[54]
For the 1979-80 season, the COC was able to produce its entire season at the O'Keefe from September to May; the Royal Alex series was discontinued. And the operas were spread out during the period, giving the company more rehearsal time.[55] The company produce five premieres: Simon Boccanegra, Tristan und Isolde, L'elisir d'amore, Werther and Peter Grimes along with Madama Butterfly from the standard repertoire.[56] However, the deficit increased again, leaving the accumulated deficit at CA$685,000.[56]
In 1983, the COC introduced surtitles (supertitles) to their productions, the first company to use them in an opera house. Productions included Joan Sutherland's first performance of Donizetti's Anna Bolena.[57]
In 1984, the COC bought several former industrial buildings on Front Street East and inaugurated the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre. Paid for by Hal Jackman, Joey Tanenbaum, plus grants from the Ontario and Canadian governments, the renovated facilities included a large rehearsal space and theatre, offices and prop storage.[58] It opened in 1985, and the first performance (The Beggar's Opera) at the theatre was held in February 1986.[58] Later that year, the company bought a building on Melita Avenue for set construction.[59]
Brian Dickie served as the COC's general director from 1988 to 1993. Dickie named Richard Bradshaw the COC's chief conductor and head of music in 1989. Elaine Calder was the COC's general director from 1994 to 1997. In 1998, Bradshaw was named general director.[60]
It had long been a goal of the Canadian Opera Company to have a hall purpose-built for opera. The Ontario government promised a site for an opera hall at Bay Street and Wellesley, but rescinded its offer during a period of austerity. Bradshaw advocated for a new opera hall and was successful. The COC's new permanent home, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, shared with the National Ballet of Canada, opened in 2006.[61] The Ontario government donated the site.
In 2006, Bradshaw's contract as general director was renewed for another 10 years. Bradshaw died of a sudden heart attack on August 15, 2007.[61] In June 2008, Alexander Neef was named the COC's general director; he formally assumed the position in October 2008.[62] In October 2008, Johannes Debus made his debut with the COC as a conductor in a production of Prokofiev's War and Peace, where he earned critical acclaim.[63] In January 2009, the COC announced Debus's appointment as music director.[64]Sandra Horst, who runs the University of Toronto's Opera Division,[65] has long served as the company's chorus master.[66]
The 2019/2020 COC theatre season was cut short due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, on which the COC ceased all productions after March 2020 due to restrictions on large indoor gatherings. The COC hoped to restart the shortened 2020/2021 theatre season by January 2021, however on October 6, 2020, company management announced that the entire 2020/2021 COC theatre season was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.[67]
Neef became director general of the Paris Opera in September 2020[68] and was replaced by Briton Perryn Leech in March 2021.[69] In June 2024, Perryn Leech left abruptly and was replaced as interim general director by David C. Ferguson, a retired banker and accountant.[70]
Recent productions
The five most recent seasons of productions by the Company. Performances at the Four Seasons Centre unless noted.
Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the COC cancelled several planned performances for the 2021/2022 season, but managed to produce ten digital productions and two in-person productions in the spring of 2022.
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