Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is one of opera’s most romantic masterpieces, an all-too-poignant case of too little, too late that has swept generations of audiences away with its soaring arias and rousing choral numbers. When the bookish Tatyana and worldly Onegin fall in love at first sight, her joy is swiftly dashed by the young man’s condescending rejection. It’s only years later that Onegin discovers the true cost of his own careless disregard. Eugene Onegin runs for seven performances at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on May 2, 4, 7, 9, 15, 17, and 24, 2025.

Eugene Onegin is packed with one memorable musical moment after another, making it an excellent introduction for anyone who has yet to experience the thrill of live opera. Conducting virtuoso Speranza Scappucci returns to the COC podium to lead the COC Orchestra through the opera’s sweep of emotional melodies across the lifespan of a doomed relationship. Price Family Chorus Master Sandra Horst leads the Dora Award-winning COC Chorus through the opera’s rousing choral numbers.

The Canadian Opera Company has gathered a stellar cast to lead its production this spring, including Australian soprano Lauren Fagan, whose 2023 appearance in Toronto “elicited huge ovations from the house” (Ludwig Van Toronto) in the COC’s production of The Marriage of Figaro. Making a much-anticipated COC debut as the opera’s title bachelor is Ukrainian baritone Andrii Kymach, a First Prize winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition whose voice has been described by The Guardian (UK) as one that a person “could happily listen [to] again and again and never tire.” Also making COC debuts are tenor Evan LeRoy Johnson as the young poet Lensky, mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan as Tatyana’s sister Olga and mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle performing as Tatyana and Olga’s nursemaid, Filipyevna.

Bass Dimitry Ivashchenko returns to the COC in the role of Prince Gremin, mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó performs as Madame Larina, tenor Michael Colvin takes on the role of the French tutor Monsieur Triquet, and current Ensemble Studio artists, bass Duncan Stenhouse and baritone Korin Thomas-Smith round out the cast as Lensky’s friend, Zaretsky, and the Captain.

Eugene Onegin is sung in Russian and presented by the COC with English SURTITLES™.

In the hands of Canadian director Robert Carsen, the simple story of Eugene Onegin has been elevated to “a piece of contemporary operatic history” (The Globe and Mail) that’s earned rave reviews all around the world, with director Peter McClintock reviving his work in Toronto.

Set and costume designer Michael Levine has won numerous awards for his creative innovation; here, opulent period costumes stand out against strikingly minimalist sets where ornate chairs elicit a palatial ballroom while playful piles of leaves evoke a forested countryside. Spirited dance sequences have been choreographed by Serge Bennathan, with bold, colourful lighting by Christine Binder brilliantly tying it all together.

Ticket Information:

Regularly priced tickets for Eugene Onegin start at $45 for adults, with $28 tickets available for guests between the ages of 16 and 29 through the COC’s Opera Under 30 program. Tickets can be purchased online at coc.ca or by calling the Four Seasons Centre Box Office at 416-363-8231. For more information on booking student groups, standing room, and rush tickets, as well as other specially priced tickets available to young people under the age of 15, please visit www.coc.ca.