The Canadian Opera Company proudly presents the world premiere of Empire of Wild, by composer Ian Cusson and author/librettist Cherie Dimaline. Based on Dimaline’s best-selling novel of the same name, the opera blends Indigenous folklore and contemporary drama in its story of the tenacious Joan (2023 Ensemble Studio Competition First Prize-winning soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais) who discovers her missing husband leading a revival tent under a new identity as a reverend. COC Music Director Johannes Debus conducts the electric score, giving voice to the opera’s Rogarou–a mythical Métis werewolf-like creature that stalks the human heart and forest alike. Empire of Wild is co-produced with the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund, Orchestra and Indigenous Theatre.
