Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto – When this year’s aspiring opera stars take to the stage of Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts to compete in the Ensemble Studio Competition at the Canadian Opera Company’s annual Centre Stage gala, they’ll do so with legendary Canadian tenor and CBC Radio personality Ben Heppner in attendance. One of the finest dramatic tenors in the world, Heppner returns on November 3, 2016 to host Centre Stage for the second time since the gala launched in 2013. The grand event is the COC’s premier fundraiser and an inspiring night to discover and celebrate the next generation of Canadian opera stars.
Centre Stage delivers a unique glimpse into the early days of a young opera singer’s professional journey. The gala’s featured event, the Ensemble Studio Competition, is an exhilarating vocal showcase of young Canadian singers selected from nationwide auditions, vying for cash prizes and a highly coveted invitation to join the COC’s young artist program, the Ensemble Studio, a launching pad to a future international career.
“Ben Heppner is one of the Ensemble Studio’s most illustrious graduates and one of Canada’s greatest artists. It is an honour to have him back as the host of Centre Stage,” says COC General Director Alexander Neef. “The singers of our vocal competition are following in his footsteps. He’s an inspiration to them and to the Centre Stage audience as to where promising talent can lead.”
“Watching the finalists perform in the vocal competition is the best thing about being a host for Centre Stage. I can’t tell you how inspiring it is to see these singers go out there and have their moment singing on the stage of a major opera house and move an audience with their voice,” says Ben Heppner, a graduate of the COC’s Ensemble Studio program. “When I was in the Ensemble, back in the early ‘80s, I didn’t have any experience at all. So this was a time I could gain experience on stage, first in a small kind of way, and then moving on to larger roles. It all starts with that first important audition, though, to set you on your path.”
Centre Stage kicks off with a black-tie cocktail reception in the Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room of the Four Seasons Centre followed by the Ensemble Studio Competition in R. Fraser Elliott Hall where the finalists perform accompanied by the acclaimed COC Orchestra led by COC Music Director Johannes Debus. Following the competition, Centre Stage gala attendees enjoy an elegant formal dinner, specially prepared by acclaimed Nota Bene Executive Chef David Lee, from the privileged vantage point of the Four Seasons Centre stage. They will be joined by competition finalists and notable COC artists, as well as key supporters of the company, comprising Canada’s business and philanthropic leaders.
Tickets to Centre Stage are $100 for the cocktail reception and competition. Gala dinner tickets are $1,500. Specially priced $35 tickets are also available for patrons between the ages of 16 and 29 through Opera Under 30 sponsored by TD Bank Group. All proceeds from Centre Stage support the COC’s Ensemble Studio.
Tickets are now available online at COCCentreStage.ca, by calling 416-363-8231, or in person at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Box Office, located at 145 Queen St. W., Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit COCCentreStage.ca for more information.
Photo: Ben Heppner.
2016-07-19
Toronto: Ben Heppner returns to host Canadian Opera Company's Annual Centre Stage Gala