The Artist of the Week is conductor Johannes Debus. He will conducting the COC Orchestra and Chorus, alongside members and graduates of the Ensemble Studio, at the Canadian Opera Company's A Concert Celebration: 20 Years at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on September 17th (tickets and info here).
Johannes has been the Music Director of the Canadian Opera Company since 2009. He is also the co-founder of Biglake Festival in Prince Edward County.
This week, Johannes chats with us about his love for the Four Seasons Centre, his favourite on-screen conducting moment and when he knew he wanted to be a conductor. Read on to find out more.
Drink of Choice?
The first sip of a chilled beer after a performance - aaaaaah! Otherwise, Earl Grey tea.
Favourite city that you've worked in?
Toronto! It always intrigued me and still does.
Favourite place?
Where the magic happens - in the opera house, down in the pit!
Top 3 favourite operas?
I have definitely more than 3 favourite ones, but for the sake of the argument let’s say: Debussy, Pelléas; Verdi, Falstaff and Wagner, Tristan.
What's your favourite opera house?
Sounds biased, but I believe whoever performs at the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto will agree that it ranks amongst the top opera houses in the world. It’s amazing to call it "home." I often have to pinch myself.
Who is a singer you admire that is currently working?
I admire all singers, present or past, for their courage to go out in front of the crowds and with two small muscles called vocal cords produce sounds that convey palpable emotions and true beauty.
Who is a singer you admired from the past?
We are fortunate to have such easy access to all kinds of audio documents of singers of the past. It is thrilling to witness this type of pure "vocal theatre": pure, sometimes even raw vocal expression. A chance encounter with the great Martha Mödl left an unforgettable impression on me. Speaking of aura.
What is your favourite orchestral instrument? Why?
As a conductor, I relish the infinte possibilities of amalgamation of the different sound worlds the various instruments offer. It is this kaleidoscopic quality I find most fascinating.
Tent or hotel?
Hotel - and once in a while "glamping." A freshly mixed Negroni upon arrival at camp is a small extravagance that earns its keep.
What are you afraid of?
The wrath of Mozart, Verdi, Wagner and all the other greats whose works I bring to life, speculating about their own intentions.
Coffee or tea?
As I learned from the wonderful Canadian composer Julien Bilodeau: coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon. Admittedly. I am not always strictly following that rule.
What was the first opera you ever saw?
Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio - the production unfortunately failed to get me hooked... It might have even ruined my first introduction to live opera.
What's your favourite mind-calming practice?
30 minutes on the rowing machine.
What's your favourite movie?
Louis de Funès, La grande vadrouille - best conducting by an actor ever 😉
What's the best meal you've ever had?
Sichuan-style crab at a street market restaurant in Hong Kong.
Are you happiest in the country or in the city?
I like a mix of both. The best of two possible worlds.
Which album did you listen to last?
Haydn, String Quartets op. 76 with Quatuor Mosaïques. Pure delight.
What book are you reading at the moment?
Homer, The Odyssey. I never managed to read the whole thing. I felt it’s about time.
What's your guilty pleasure?
A bag of gummy bears.
When did you know you wanted to be an opera conductor?
I started to dream about becoming a conductor in my early teenage years. It was so much fun to pick up a pencil or any stick and turn it into a conductor’s baton in front of the speakers blasting some orchestral music.
If you could be stuck in an elevator with one peron, who would it be?
I always loved the idea to be in one room with Charlie Chaplin. Maybe stuck in an elevator is not exactly what I imagine, but certainly he would have made the time until our rescue fly by quickly. (And maybe I would say “Come back later” to the rescuers upon arrival.)
What's the biggest risk you've taken for a production?
In Robert LePage’s iconic Nigthingale production the conductor stands on a relatively small podium in the midst of a pool filled with water. One wrong step would have been disastrous. I was literally petrified.
What's the ultimate goal of opera?
Storytelling through music. And to shed light on our shared human condition through the power of the human voice and all the other forms of artistic expression assembled in this most complex and complete artform.
© Stelth Ng
© Gaetz Photography
© V Tony Hauser
A Concert Celebration: 20 Years at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Canadian Opera Company
SOPRANO: Aviva Fortunata
MEZZO-SOPRANO: Ariana Maubach
TENOR: Matthew Cairns
BASS-BARITONE: Alex Halliday
CONDUCTOR: Johannes Debus
CHORUS MASTER: Sandra Horst
On September 17, 2026, the Canadian Opera Company will host a one-night-only concert marking 20 spectacular years of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts—our iconic performance home in the heart of downtown Toronto!
Since opening in 2006, the Four Seasons Centre has welcomed thousands of artists and audiences, earning its place as one of the world’s premier destinations for opera and ballet. A Concert Celebration invites you to reflect on these extraordinary milestones and look ahead to an exciting future of artistic excellence.
Under the direction of COC Music Director Johannes Debus, the evening will feature the acclaimed COC Orchestra and Chorus, alongside current and graduate artists of the Ensemble Studio. Highlights include Scott Irvine's fanfare from the Four Seasons Centre’s inaugural 2006 season and Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9. An all-Canadian lineup of soloists includes soprano Aviva Fortunata, mezzo-soprano Ariana Maubach, tenor Matthew Cairns, and bass-baritone Alex Halliday.
We hope you’ll join us for this landmark celebration!
Opera Canada depends on the generous contributions of its supporters to bring readers outstanding, in-depth coverage of opera in Canada and beyond.
Please consider subscribing or donating today.
