Canadian soprano Tracy Cantin takes us to Chicago, Illinois, where she is singing the role of The Auditor in the world premiere of Trusted at Chicago Opera Theatre on May 30th (tickets and info).
Tracy can be found on stages across Canada and the United States. In recent seasons, she has performed with Calgary Opera, Opera West, Pacific Opera Victoria, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Lima Symphony Orchestra, Opera Edwardsville, Under the Spire Festival and the Canadian Opera Company.
While in Chicago, Tracy shares her restaurant recommendations, favourite biking trail and how she would spend a day at the art gallery. Read on to find out more.
City where you’re working?
Chicago.
How long are you working on contract?
It’s hard to believe, but we have been workshopping this world premiere for a little over a year already! We received our final draft of the score about three weeks ago and start rehearsals with the orchestra next week – feeling ready to bring this new work to life!
What’s the opera house like?
Rehearsals take place in the Historic Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago – fun fact about this building: it has the only manually-operated public lift elevator in the city! “4th floor, please!”
Where is the most peaceful place in the city?
Ohhhh, excellent question.. Probably the stunning Botanic Gardens. Pro tip: if you ride your bicycle there, it’s FREE! (Also, the North Branch Trail is an absolute MUST.)
Best coffee or tea?
Lately, I’ve been buying fresh beans from Tala, and they make for a truly delicious pour-over. However, if you’re ever lucky enough to be working at COT in the future, make sure to ask Colt about his roastery – yum!
Coolest bar or restaurant you’ve been to?
That’s an impossible question to answer, Chicago is the absolute GOAT when it comes to any cuisine you could possibly be in the mood for. Unfortunately, Hot Doug’s has closed up shop (iykyk), but my favourite restaurant lately has been Armitage Alehouse – the food, the drinks, the ambiance, everything about it is sublime!
An activity you have done that is unique to the area?
Chicago is the birth-place of house music, and my husband and I love to go out dancing when we get the chance! There’s always an opportunity to go to a live performance, no matter what genre you’re into. But if you’re only here for a quick trip, you MUST take an architecture boat tour – I have gone at least half a dozen times, and I always learn something new. Plus – no traffic!
Is there something unexpected that happens locally that you discovered?
Dying the river NEON GREEN for St. Patrick’s Day! It is genuinely a (strange?) sight to behold.
How did you find accommodation?
I happen to live in Chicago now, so fortunately for me during this contract I get to sleep in my own bed every night. However, I will add that, when I first moved here from Montreal to join the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, finding housing was probably the most difficult task. As a “foreigner with no prior credit history” in the US, I was essentially limited to Craigslist – I did manage to find a room to sublet though, and the girls I was lucky enough to room with have remained some of my dearest friends!
What’s the most important thing when finding accommodation as a singer?
Generally, I hope for something that is close in proximity to the house I’m working at, something quiet with a nice local vibe of the city I’m in, but ultimately I usually settle for whatever is going to leave me with the most of my fee – as long as the city I’m in has reliable public transportation, I don’t mind an extra-long commute. It’s a good opportunity for some extra score study!
Have you had a chance to explore galleries or museums?
Absolutely – the Art Institute is spectacular! I highly suggest exploring the Miniatures Room, wandering the halls of the Impressionist Wing for as much time as possible, and then head north up the Magnificent Mile to end your day with a stiff martini at Hugo’s Frog Bar.
Is there anything else you’d recommend?
THE FOOD!! Chicago is such an amazing foodie town – anything and everything you could possibly want, you will not only *find* here, but you will have the very best meal of your LIFE! Do yourself a favour and try to snatch a reservation at Schwa – you can thank me later. 😉
LEARN MORE ABOUT TRACY CANTIN
VISIT HER WEBSITE
© Tracy Cantin
On an Architecture Boat Tour
© Tracy Cantin
At the Armitage Alehouse with her husband Dave Miller
© Photo used with permission from the artist
Chicago Opera Theater Gala Performance
© Tracy Cantin
Boeing on the North Branch Trail
© Photo used with permission form the artist
The Cast and Creative Team of Trusted
Trusted
Chicago Opera Theatre
May 30
YOUNGEST DAUGHTER: Meghan Kasanders
ELDEST DAUGHTER: Quinn Middleman
THE AUDITOR: Tracy Cantin
FATHER: Kyle Albertson
CONDUCTOR: Eli Chen
COMPOSER: Aaron Israel Levin
LIBRETTIST: Marella Martin Koch
DRAMATURG: Kate Pitt
What is trust? How is it earned, and how is it shattered? When an accomplished financial advisor is exposed for orchestrating a decades-long fraud, the fallout extends far beyond his clients — it fractures the very foundation of his family. His two daughters struggle to reconcile the man they knew with the crimes he has committed. As the truth unravels, so do their own perceptions of loyalty, morality, and the fragile nature of trust itself. Set against the backdrop of a high-stakes financial scandal, Trusted is an intimate exploration of deception, betrayal, and the emotional toll of broken faith. Through a dynamic score by COT’s Vanguard Composer in Residence, Aaron Israel Levin, and a taut, contemporary libretto by Marella Martin Koch, the opera delves into the complexities of family bonds, the weight of inherited legacies, and the search for redemption in a world where trust—once lost—may never be regained.
The Vanguard Initiative is COT’s comprehensive residency program for composers ready to delve into the world of opera. Earlier this season, audiences had the opportunity to experience the first piano/vocal workshop. Based on discoveries made during that workshop, Aaron and Marella have been revising their score, and we are thrilled to present the concert world premiere of Trusted at the Studebaker Theater on May 30, 2026.
Eli Chen returns to the company to conduct the concert world premiere of Trusted. The cast features sopranos Tracy Cantin and Meghan Kasanders, mezzo soprano Quinn Middleman, and bass baritone Kyle Albertson.
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