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University of Toronto Opera

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From the MacMillan Theatre stage to global stages! 🌟

We are thrilled to introduce our four U of T Opera 80th Anniversary Alumni Ambassadors: Adrianne Pieczonka, Colin Ainsworth, Vasil Garvanliev, and Claire de Sévigné (pictured left to right, top to bottom).

These incredible artists and leaders are stepping up to represent the program, share their professional journeys, and champion our community.

Follow along in the coming days to learn more about our ambassadors!

[Our Opera 80th Anniversary Alumni Ambassadors are comprised of U of T Opera alumni with prominent artistic careers. Ambassadors advise on major trends in the opera field, serve as a spokesperson for U of T Opera, and strengthen our alumni community.]

#UofTOpera #AlumniAmbassadors #80YearsOfUofTOpera by @uoftopera

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a month ago

U of T Opera’s 2026/2027 Season Announcement is here!

Fall River, the legend of Lizzie Borden November 19-22, 2026, The Elgin Theatre This exciting world premiere is about Lizzie Borden who was tried and acquitted for the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother. Commissioned especially for U of T Opera, with music by Cecilia Livingston and a libretto by Michael Patrick Albano, Fall River imagines the psychology, struggle and unfulfilled dreams of a young woman driven to brutal homicide.

Fact, Fable and Foolery: untold tales of Canadian History January 24, 2027 at 2:30pm, MacMillan Theatre Our student composer collective turns 30 with an irreverent look at what’s under the veneer of Canadian history, from Lady Simcoe’s pyromania to Mackenzie King’s bizarre séances.

Curtain Up! 80 Years of Opera at U of T March 11-14, 2027, The MacMillan Theatre Opera at the Faculty of Music started in Hart House Theatre in 1946 and became the country’s pre-eminent opera training program. We’re marking eighty years with Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, Puccini’s La bohème and Verdi’s Falstaff, and we’re doing it in the newly reopened, refurbished MacMillan Theatre.

Class Acts: Mozart’s Masters and Servants April 9, 2027 at 5:00pm, Walter Hall, Faculty of Music Schemes, disguises, wit and romance, with the social order turned upside down. Scenes from Mozart’s best-loved operas, performed by the singers who’ll be on your stages for years to come.

For more information, visit our website through the link in bio 🔗

#UofTOpera #UofTMusic @uoftvoice @uoftmusic by @uoftopera

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7 days ago

✨ Save the date, U of T Opera alums! ✨

On Saturday, November 21st, 2026, we’re hosting an Opera Alumni Reunion at the Elgin Theatre before the evening performance of Fall River. It’s our way of celebrating 80 years of U of T Opera, and it wouldn’t be the same without you.

Are you an alum? Share this post so your old castmates, coaches, and stage crew know about it too.
Private invitations land in your inbox next week, so keep an eye out.

#UofTOpera #OperaAlumni #FallRiver #ElginTheatre by @uoftopera

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6 days ago

Join us on Tuesday in Walter Hall for this year’s Riki Turofsky Masterclass in Voice with Johannes Debus!

Register for your free ticket through the link in bio 🔗

German-born conductor Johannes Debus was appointed Music Director of the Canadian Opera Company in 2009, having already established himself in many of the great opera houses and festivals worldwide. Over the course of his tenure, he has captivated Toronto and international critics alike, skillfully leading productions that include Götterdämmerung, Eugene Onegin, Otello, Salome, and the COC world premiere of Hadrian in 2018. Throughout the pandemic disruption of 2020-2022, his work for digital included the hosting of Solo Spotlights, a video series highlighting musicians of the COC Orchestra, as well as conducting for several of the company’s online presentations, including: In Winter, In Concert with Jane Archibald, and Bluebeard’s Castle. Debus most recently conducted the COC’s productions of Fidelio, Don Giovanni, and The Cunning Little Vixen, as well as Faust, La Reine-garçon, and Wozzeck in the company’s 2024/2025 season.
When he is not conducting at the COC, Debus is very active with international engagements that include appearances with the BBC Proms, the orchestras of Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Aspen, the National Arts Centre, Houston, and Toronto, at the Spoleto, Bregenz, and Tanglewood festivals, and at opera companies such as San Francisco, Berlin Staatsoper, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, and Bayerische Staatsoper, among many others. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2016 conducting Salome, and returned the following year to conduct Les contes d’Hoffmann.
In 2021, Debus co-founded the Biglake Festival in Prince Edward County, Ontario. The annual summer event showcases music that bridges the past and present, originating from various countries and influenced by a diverse range of cultures from around the world.

#UofTOpera #JohannesDebus #RikiTurofsky @uoftmusic @uoftvoice @canadianopera taken in Walter Hall - University of Toronto by @uoftopera

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8 days ago

This Friday, U of T Opera is presenting ‘Class Acts: Mozart’s Masters and Servants’ directed by Mabel Wonnacott, Janaki Butterworth, and Eyal Stopnicki.

Join us Friday at 12pm for the COC Free Concert Series at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for an afternoon of Mozart’s mischief, wit, and beautiful music.

We hope to see you there!

Photo by Karen E. Reeves taken in Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre by @uoftopera

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17 days ago

✨MEET THE ARTISTS✨

Introducing our 2026/2027 artists of U of T Opera! Visit our website to learn more about them and for ticket info to see them in action this season!

We are looking forward to the year ahead!

@uoftvoice @uoftmusic @uoftalumni #UofTOpera #CanadianOpera #Opera #UniversityOfToronto #YoungArtists by @uoftopera

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21 days ago

Our final Alumni Ambassador is Vasil Garvanliev (OpDip ‘10)!

Macedonian-born singer-songwriter and internationally recognized baritone Vasil Garvanliev, known as VASIL (Vah-SEAL), has been performing professionally since the age of seven. From child pop star to acclaimed operatic baritone and Eurovision artist, his three-decade international career has spanned more than 50 operatic roles and stages around the world. Now based in Chicago, VASIL brings classical discipline, pop instinct, and Balkan soul together in his original music and crossover projects—he doesn’t cross genres, he connects them.

“Graduating with honours as a scholarship student, performing numerous leading operatic roles, and winning the Concerto Competition were extraordinary milestones, but the greatest gift was an education that prepared me to embrace every opportunity and every challenge with confidence. I will always be deeply grateful for the mentorship, artistry, and lifelong memories that began within those walls.”

“The University of Toronto Opera School will always hold a special place in my heart. It was there that I was challenged, inspired, and given the foundation to become the artist I am today.”

Our Opera 80th Anniversary Alumni Ambassadors are comprised of U of T Opera alumni with prominent artistic careers. Ambassadors advise on major trends in the opera field, serve as a spokesperson for U of T Opera, and strengthen our alumni community.

[Production photos of UofT Opera Il Mondo della Luna November 2009 and Don Giovanni 2010]

#UofTOpera #AlumniAmbassadors #VasilGarvanliev #80YearsOfUofTOpera by @uoftopera

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24 days ago

Our next Alumni Ambassador is Dr. Adrianne Pieczonka OC (OpDip ’88)!

Internationally celebrated for her interpretations of Wagner, Strauss, Verdi and Puccini, Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka has brought to life such powerful women as Senta, Chrysothemis, Sieglinde, the Marschallin, the Kaiserin, Tosca, Elisabetta, and Amelia on leading opera and concert stages in Europe, North America and Asia.

“I have such vivid memories of my years at ‘Opera School’. My fondest memory was singing Mimi in Act 3 of La Bohème, in my final year of the program. By then, it was clear that my dream of becoming an opera singer was becoming a reality, and this specialized program set me up beautifully for the next stage in my life, as I launched myself as a professional opera singer in Europe.”

“My U of T cohort was wonderful - a bunch of gifted, enthusiastic and energetic young singers with whom I quickly forged deep friendships. The training was top notch - from private coachings with the faculty’s outstanding collaborative pianists, to masterclasses with visiting guest artists, to diction and acting sessions.”

Our Opera 80th Anniversary Alumni Ambassadors are comprised of U of T Opera alumni with prominent artistic careers. Ambassadors advise on major trends in the opera field, serve as a spokesperson for U of T Opera, and strengthen our alumni community.

[Production photos of Rider’s to the Sea (March ’88) and Masterclass with Sir Michael Tippett]

#UofTOpera #AlumniAmbassadors #AdriannePieczonka #80YearsOfUofTOpera by @uoftopera

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25 days ago

Our next Alumni Ambassador is Colin Ainsworth (OpDip ‘00)!

Canadian tenor Colin Ainsworth has built a career defined by versatility and dramatic presence, captivating audiences with repertoire ranging from the Baroque to the present day. His performances have taken him to the stages of the Royal Opera House, Canadian Opera Company, Glimmerglass Opera, the Greek National Opera, Teatro Nacional São Carlos, and Seattle Opera, as well as Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (San Francisco), and Carnegie Hall.

“The University of Toronto Opera program gave me my first real chance to take risks in front of an audience and grow from them. More than twenty years after graduating from the Opera School in 2002, I still draw on lessons from those rehearsal rooms every time I walk onstage. Eighty years is a remarkable legacy, and I’m proud to have been part of it, even for one small chapter.”

Our Opera 80th Anniversary Alumni Ambassadors are comprised of U of T Opera alumni with prominent artistic careers. Ambassadors advise on major trends in the opera field, serve as a spokesperson for U of T Opera, and strengthen our alumni community.

[Production photos of UofT Opera’s Albert Herring November 2001]

#UofTOpera #AlumniAmbassadors #ColinAinsworth #80YearsOfUofTOpera by @uoftopera

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a month ago

Our first Alumni Ambassador is Claire de Sévigné (MMus ‘11)!

Named one of CBC’s Top Canadian Classical Musicians, soprano Claire de Sévigné’s recent performances have been hailed as “remarkable in every way” (ResMusic). Recently, Claire made her Vancouver Opera debut with her signature role of Adele in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, joined the Grand Philharmonic Choir for Handel’s Messiah, and debuted with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra for Schönberg’s Die Seele die Jakobsleiter. Additionally, she reprised her role of the Mother-in-law in Saariaho’s Innocence with the Adelaide Festival, after making her San Francisco Opera debut with the production for its North American premiere in 2024. This season, she joins the roster of The Metropolitan Opera to cover the same role.

“U of T Opera fundamentally prepared me and inspired me to succeed in the Operatic World! The training and support I received allowed me to grow as an artist and pursue my dream. I now have had the privilege of performing in many world-class opera houses, and none of it would have been possible without U of T Opera! A big shout-out to Dr Darryl Edwards, Sandra Horst and Michael Albano for always believing in me! Cheers to 80 Years!!”

“Now, after nearly 15 years of performing on stages around the world, I still turn to many of the mentors I first met during my studies at the Faculty of Music. I owe so much of my success to the outstanding training, mentorship, and unwavering support I received—and continue to receive—as a proud alumnus.”

Our Opera 80th Anniversary Alumni Ambassadors are comprised of U of T Opera alumni with prominent artistic careers. Ambassadors advise on major trends in the opera field, serve as a spokesperson for U of T Opera, and strengthen our alumni community.

[Production photos of UofT Opera Hansel and Gretel November 2010]

#UofTOpera #AlumniAmbassadors #ClairedeSevigne #80YearsOfUofTOpera by @uoftopera

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a month ago

U of T Opera wrapped up our year with an incredible trip to New York City from April 6–9 🗽🍎

We would like to extend our gratitude to the Holbrook family for their generosity in making this trip possible for us!

Here are some highlights:
📸 1: Opening night of Kaija Saariaho’s Innocence at the Metropolitan Opera
📸 2: Dinner at Norma, an Italian restaurant named after Bellini’s opera
📸 3 & 4: Backstage tour of the Metropolitan Opera
📸 5: La Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera
📸 6: Guided tour of the Frick Collection
📸 7: Q&A with UofT Opera alumna, Claire de Sevigné, at Opera America
📸8: Meeting Simu Liu after Oh, Mary! on Broadway taken in New York City by @uoftopera

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6 months ago

Join us this Friday, March 26th at 5:00PM in Walter Hall for U of T Opera’s final performance of the year: The First Viennese School. This program features a collection of scenes celebrating operatic music by Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven! 🎵✨

🎟️ Purchase your ticket through the link in our bio. U of T students attend for free with your TCard.

💻Can’t make it in person? A livestream is available! Register through the link in our bio. by @uoftopera

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7 months ago