For 2025-26, Opera Atelier, Toronto’s Baroque opera specialists, offer both the familiar and the new. Mozart’s The Magic Flute, an OA audience favourite, returns to open the season, followed by the Canadian premiere of a new production of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande
“We’re thrilled to open our season in Toronto’s historic Elgin Theatre with the company’s period production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, part of our 40th anniversary celebrations,” says Opera Atelier Founding Co-artistic Director Marshall Pynkoski in a statement. “Opera Atelier’s Magic Flute remains North America’s first and only period production of the Opera and has proven to be a cherished piece of music theatre that appeals to children, adults, first-time opera goers and opera aficionados alike.”
Mozart: The Magic Flute
Opera Atelier’s production, using Andrew Porter’s English translation, takes Mozart’s original intentions as its inspiration. The composer’s goal was to create a comic opera that would appeal to everyone, and uses both sung and spoken dialogue.
The story centres around Prince Tamino and the bird-man Papageno, and their quest to free the princess Pamina from the Queen of the Night. Sung in Andrew Porter’s delightful English translation, Opera Atelier’s production pays tribute to Mozart’s intention to create an accessible comic masterpiece.
Opera Atelier’s production was redesigned in 2013 by Gerard Gauci, and features a slew of 18th century special effects, includng dragons, flying machines, and more.
The Cast
Audience favourites return in this crowd pleaser.
- Tenor Colin Ainsworth sings the role of Tamino;;
- Soprano Meghan Lindsay makes her role debut as Pamina;
- Bass baritone Douglas Williams also makes his role debut as Papageno;
- Bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus sings the role of Sarastro;
- Tenor Blaise Rantoanina sings the role of Monastatos;
- Soprano Karine White sings the role of Papagena;
- The Three Ladies are sung by soprano Carla Huhtanen, mezzo-soprano Danielle MacMillan, and mezzo-soprano Laura Pudwell;
- Soprano Rainelle Krause makes her Opera Atelier debut as Queen of the Night —a role that has won her international acclaim.
Opera Atelier Music Director David Fallis conducting Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, the full corps of the Artists of Atelier Ballet, and the Nathaniel Dett Chorale make their onstage debut with Opera Atelier.
Opera Atelier Founding Co-artistic Director Pynkoski directs, and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg choreographs. Set designs are crafted by Gerard Gauci, with costume design by Dora Rust-d’Eye, and lighting design by Kimberly Purtell.
Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande
Opera Atelier’s fully staged vision of Debussy’s masterpiece will be presented at Koerner Hall, with signification additions funded by the Jerry and Joan Lozinski Opera Atelier Reimagined Project at Koerner Hall.
The production of Pelléas et Mélisande represents the latest repertoire produced by either Opera Atelier and Tafelmusik Baroque, lending new nuance to the definition of period production.
“Debussy’s surrealist masterpiece lifts us out of the parameters of life as we know it and projects us into a world in which dreams collide with reality,” says Pynkoski. “While preparing to direct this production of Pelléas, I keep in mind the statement by the great late film director David Lynch: ‘I like to leave some room to dream. A lot of mysteries are sewn up at the end. That kills the dream.’”
The libretto for Debussy’s only opera is based on Maurice Maeterlinck’s symbolist play of the same name. The story revolves around a love triangle. The Prince Golaud finds Mélisande beside a mysterious pool of water, lost in the forest. He brings her back to civilization and marries her, but the supernatural elements from the forest follow them.
The couple settles into his grandfather King Arkel of Allemonde’s castle, but Golaud’s younger half-brother Pelléas lives there too, and Mélisande’s attraction to him grows daily.
Golaud becomes consumed with jealousy, and the usual operatic hijinks ensue.
The Cast
Both returning artists and those making their debut with the company form the cast for the Toronto premiere.
- Tenor Antonin Rondepierre sings the role of Pelléas
- Soprano Meghan Lindsay sings the role of Mélisande
- Sass-baritone Douglas Williams sings the role of Golaud
- Bass-baritone Philippe Sly makes his Opera Atelier debut as Arkel
- Soprano and Opera Atelier Artist-in-Residence soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee sings the role of Geneviève
- Mezzo-Soprano Cynthia Akemi-Smithers sings the role of Yniold.
“Debussy’s deep admiration for 17th century French music runs like an undercurrent throughout Pelléas et Mélisande, making his mysterious, magical composition particularly suited to my sensibilities as a choreographer of Baroque dancing and classical ballet,” says Lajeunesse Zingg. “In OA’s production of Pelléas et Mélisande, the Artists of Atelier Ballet represent invisible forces of nature that drive the actions of the characters on stage.”
David Fallis will conduct Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and the production features the full corps of the Artists of Atelier Ballet. Marshall Pynkoski directs, with choreography by Lajeunesse Zingg, set design by Gerard Gauci, costume design by Michael Gianfrancesco, and lighting design by Kimberly Purtell.
Details
Mozart’s The Magic Flute takes the stage October 15, 16, 18 and 19, 2025 at the Elgin Theatre. Single Tickets for The Magic Flute will be on sale September 3, 2025.
The world premiere of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande takes place April 15, 16, 18 and 19, 2026 at Koerner Hall TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning. Single Tickets for Pelléas et Mélisande will be on sale February 18, 2026.
- 2025/26 Season Subscriptions are on sale now [HERE].
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