Tonight was the Center Stage competition, seven soloists singing with the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra led by Johannes Debus at the Four Seasons Centre.

I wasn’t there. I watched the livestream from home, pleasantly surprised by the quality of what I saw and heard through my computer at home. All seven singers were impressive.

The event has been fine-tuned somewhat. It reminded me a bit of American Idol the way we were given a video showing us a lot more about each of the young candidates. After the orchestra gave us the overture to Un giorno di regno by Giuseppe Verdi, and opening remarks from our host Emma Hunter, we were on to the seven arias, one from each of the singers seeking placement in the Ensemble Studio.

Ilanna Starr, mezzo-soprano
“Sta nell’ircana pietrosa tana” (Alcina)…………. George Frideric Handel
Audience Choice Vote – #1

Chelsea Kolić, soprano
“Depuis le jour” (Louise)…………………………… Gustave Charpentier
Audience Choice Vote – #2

Mikelis Rogers, baritone
“Ya vas lyublyu” (The Queen of Spades) ……… Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Audience Choice Vote – #3

Emma Pennell, soprano
“Donde lieta uscì” (La Bohème)………………………… Giacomo Puccini
Audience Choice Vote – #4

Nicholas Murphy, bass-baritone
“Sia qualunque delle figlie” (La Cenerentola)………… Gioachino Rossini
Audience Choice Vote – #5

Olivia LaPointe, soprano
“Obéissons, quand leur voix appelle” (Manon)………… Jules Massenet
Audience Choice Vote – #6

Ariana Maubach, mezzo-soprano
“Cruda sorte” (L’Italiana in Algeri) …………………. Gioachino Rossini
Audience Choice Vote – #7

Three of the last four singers we heard captured the honours, as Ariana Maubach, singer #7 won both the audience favourite award and first place from the judges, with Emma Pennell in second place and Olivia LaPointe in third place.

While I couldn’t really tell how big the voices were –the way I hopefully could if I were hearing the performances in the hall– the view through the Four Seasons Centre cameras live-streamed to YouTube was tremendous, with a great deal of nuance and detail. I could see the expressions and the acting ability, hear the way singers phrased and pronounced their words. The government gave money to pay for what was termed “digital infrastructure“, the technology enabling companies like the COC to broadcast their content to the country and the world. I watched online, observing the number of fellow-listeners on YouTube, a number varying but never getting higher than the low 600s. But then again the COC have not really promoted the virtual version as far as I know. I watched because I was curious about what it looks and sounds like, delighted by what I saw and heard. The COC and their personnel at Four Seasons Centre did a masterful job of capturing pristine images of the stage, an enjoyable 90 minute show led by our charming host Emma Hunter who kept things moving swiftly along. The singers and the orchestra came through clearer than if I were in my usual seat.

I believe the COC are now ready to live-stream opera as well. The biggest companies in USA –Chicago Lyric, San Francisco and of course the Metropolitan Opera first and foremost– share their content online, either as a loss-leader or as an actual revenue stream. I hope the COC will do so too.

And I will be interested to see who from the seven candidates makes it into the actual Ensemble Studio.