Key Change: A COC Podcast
Key Change is the COC’s new podcast, offering a fresh take on today's opera issues. Co-hosted by classical singer and culture critic Robyn Grant-Moran, a member of the COC’s Circle of Artists, alongside COC Director/Dramaturg-in-Residence Julie McIsaac, the first season of bi-weekly episodes explores the operagoing experience from a variety of perspectives, with special guests from the opera field and beyond.
Episodes
26 episodes
Episode 23: Kye Marshall, Amanda Hale & Pomegranate
Ahead of its world premiere at the COC in June, 2023, this week’s episode explores Pomegranate with composer Kye Marshall and librettist Amanda Hale! Together, the duo discuss the creative process behind the work, its central time-trav...
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Season 3
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Episode 23
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27:44
Episode 22: Roland Wood & Puccini's Tosca
What’s the best part about playing the bad guy? This week on Key Change, English baritone Roland Wood joins us to explore a thrilling classic from the master of emotional storytelling, Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca. Looking ahead to...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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34:34
Episode 21: Speranza Scappucci & Verdi's Macbeth
Explore this season’s brand-new production of Verdi’s Macbeth alongside the show’s internationally renowned conductor, Speranza Scappucci. Last heard by COC audiences in our acclaimed 2020 production of The Barber of Seville, ...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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35:03
Episode 20: Ambur Braid & Strauss' Salome
Canadian soprano Ambur Braid provides fascinating insights into her upcoming title role in this winter’s Salome—exploring the past, present, and future of one of opera’s most complex leads. Join Braid in conversation with co-hosts Roby...
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Season 3
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Episode 20
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32:43
Episode 19: Luca Pisaroni & Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
This week on Key Change, Robyn and Julie meet our very own Figaro! Italian bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, star of this winter’s production of The Marriage of Figaro, joins the show to explore the timeless human connection at the...
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Season 3
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Episode 19
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41:03
Episode 18: J'Nai Bridges & Bizet's Carmen
Co-hosts Robyn Grant-Moran and Julie McIsaac speak with Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, one of two dazzling opera artists singing the iconic title role in Georges Bizet’s Carmen. Bringing her acclaimed experience in t...
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Season 3
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Episode 18
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33:34
Episode 17: Alex Ross & Wagner's The Flying Dutchman
Welcome to a new season of Key Change! Our first episode of the 2022/2023 season welcomes the return of co-hosts Robyn Grant-Moran and Julie McIsaac as they chat with special guest Alex Ross about our inaugural fall production, Wa...
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Season 3
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Episode 17
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42:35
Trailer: A New Season of Key Change!
Key Change is back! Enjoy weekly explorations into each of our 2022/2023 productions, featuring a wide range of special guests—from music critics to composers to the opera artists themselves! Listen to our season trailer to learn more about eve...
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Season 3
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1:27
Episode 16: An Opera House Like No Other
Celebrating 15 years since its opening in 2006, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto is a spectacular opera venue, community hub, and home to the Canadian Opera Company. This week, Robyn and Julie look back on the building...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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50:24
Episode 15: Opera & Criticism – Part II
This week on Key Change, Robyn and Julie revisit the topic of opera and criticism with Karen Fricker of the Toronto Star, with a focus on why reviews matter long after a performance run has closed. As a seasoned writer and aca...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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54:33
Episode 14: Opera & Space – Scale and Immersion
In an art form often viewed as traditional and static, Yuval Sharon and Debi Wong are known for their experimental and unorthodox takes on opera production. From site-specific works that audiences drive through, to a virtual reality “choose you...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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1:01:11
Episode 13: Opera & the Body
When it comes to great opera, where is the line between artistry and athleticism? This week on Key Change, we explore all things physical in an episode dedicated to opera and the body. Performance Kinetics Consultant Jennifer Swan and ...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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55:16
Episode 12: Opera & Contemporary Art
The worlds of opera and modern art collide in this lively discussion with Icelandic contemporary artist Ragnar Kjartansson and Adelina Vlas, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Co-hosts Robyn Grant-Moran and Jul...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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59:40
Bonus Episode: In Conversation with Rebecca Caine
In this special bonus episode, Robyn and Julie are joined by soprano Rebecca Caine, a delightful storyteller and much-loved performer who has uniquely divided her career between opera and musical theatre. In this candid chat, Rebecca recounts c...
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Season 2
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26:29
Episode 11: Ask Us Anything
This week on Key Change, Robyn and Julie invite listeners to hop into the hosting seat with a special “Ask Us Anything” edition of the podcast. With a little help from some friends, they’re tackling everything you ever wanted to know about oper...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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58:53
Episode 10: Opera & Criticism – Part I
Long-time music critic Anne Midgette has reviewed and interviewed everyone from opera powerhouse Luciano Pavarotti and famed dancer Twyla Tharp to director Spike Lee and performance artist Marina Abramovic. After 11 years with The Wa...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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54:37
Episode 9: In Conversation with Michael Greyeyes
Transcending the boundaries of artistic disciplines, actor/director/dancer/choreographer Michael Greyeyes provides fascinating insights into his multi-disciplinary career on stage and screen, how he has pursued his creative passions...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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47:19
Episode 8: Opera & Activism – Part II
What does it mean to be both a conductor and a disruptor? Through his work with neurodiverse, prison and other marginalized communities, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser helps to extend the boundaries of classical music. Learn more about his ...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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57:08
Episode 7: Opera & Activism – Part I
Explore how opera – past and present – serves as a space for activism. Join co-hosts Robyn Grant-Moran and Julie McIsaac as they speak with musicologist Rena Roussin, who studies activism and intersectional identity in art music. Find out how ...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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54:05
Episode 6: In Conversation with Perryn Leech and Alexander Neef
Join co-hosts Robyn Grant-Moran and Julie McIsaac for an insightful chat with the COC's current General Director Alexander Neef and the company's incoming leader Perryn Leech. Hear their thoughts on the future of the art form, risk-taking, the ...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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42:01
Episode 5: Visions for the Future
In our season 1 finale, co-hosts Robyn Grant-Moran and Julie McIsaac speculate on the future of opera and creation – including who will be telling those stories and who will be watching – in conversations with best-selling author Cherie Dimalin...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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56:49
Episode 4: Making Theatre Magic
Co-hosts Robyn Grant-Moran and Julie McIsaac explore how the visual elements of an opera production come together to create “magic” on stage. They speak to special guests, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, former Governor General of Canad...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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55:53
Episode 3: Whose Story Is This?
What stories are we telling? Why do they persist? And how can we tell them differently – in a way that invites more people into the narrative? In this episode, hosts Robyn Grant-Moran and Julie McIsaac talk storytelling with soprano and multi-d...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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58:04
Episode 2: Sounds Like Opera
In this episode, hosts Robyn Grant-Moran and Julie McIsaac explore how we hear opera, with special guests musicologist Dr. Hannah Chan-Hartley and acoustician Bob Essert. They’ll take us through the history and science of why opera sounds the w...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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54:45
Episode 1: Welcome to the Opera House
In episode 1 of Key Change, co-hosts Robyn Grant-Moran and Julie McIsaac chat with four guests from inside and outside the opera world about their first experiences with the art form - the good, the bad and the ugly. You'll hear from acclaimed ...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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1:11:08