"What an exceptional performance! 

Such talent, such enthusiasm!!"

Unique in Canada - the only opera company (professional or amateur) presenting a full season of opera in repertory - Opera Pro Cantanti is in our 15th season!

Opera Pro Cantanti began in 2007 when a group of singers self-produced 4 performances of Verdi's Rigoletto. One year later, after adding Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor and Bellini's Norma to their list of operas....OPC became Canada's first and only repertory opera company!

Since then, we have given over 200 performances of more than a dozen operas.

"Not only was the production captivating and professional, all of the performers truly embraced the audience and made us feel part of it!

Thank you for introducing this into my life!"

Many, many singers have come and gone over the years, and the size of the company has fluctuated between 12 and 30 singers. The most remarkable thing about OPC is the shocking number of singers who started out as chorus members, but improved quickly enough to take on huge leading roles within a couple of years! No less than seven singers have made that transition over the past 6 seasons!

OPC is "member-financed". 

Our first mandate is to provide opportunities for local singers to perform great operas.

Our second mandate is to remain as close to the intentions of the composer as possible in our productions. We do not alter or update these operas in an effort to draw a larger audience, or to make them more "palatable", or easier to understand. Changes we do employ are simply to make it possible for us to perform the opera in the first place.

Singers who join OPC all become members of the company. There is no distinction between leading artist (soloist) and chorus.

When not performing one of their solo roles, you will see our lead singers alongside their colleagues singing chorus! Most opera companies have a status-gap between the singers of the chorus and the singers who sing lead roles. We do not.

We are all proud members of a collective ... singers who simply love to sing opera together, whether it's performing a leading role, a small role or chorus.

Everyone capable of taking on a lead role is offered the opportunity without formal audition.  "A good singer's capabilities emerge soon enough,"  says Richard, "you can't hide good singing!"

Opera in a Matchbox!

Most opera houses are huge.

The smallest opera houses have around 1000 seats!

Our venue seats 100 - ten times smaller. This intimacy creates an atmosphere impossible to achieve in a larger space. The experience of being so close to the singers is thrilling.