Hatch celebrates emerging opera talent at Canadian Opera Company’s Centre Stage Competition
Toronto, ON — Hatch was proud to sponsor the Canadian Opera Company’s (COC) 12th annual Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition, held on October 23, 2025, at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The evening spotlighted Canada’s brightest young opera talent, culminating in soprano Nikan Ingabire Kanate of Ottawa winning both First Prize—a $12,500 award sponsored by the Estate of Donald Lawrence Biderman—and the Hatch Audience Choice Prize of $3,000.
The competition is a cornerstone event for the COC, offering finalists a rare opportunity to perform on the main stage and be heard by artistic leadership as part of the final audition process for the prestigious Ensemble Studio program. The 2025/2026 cohort will be announced later this season.
For Hatch, supporting the arts is more than philanthropy, it’s a reflection of the company’s values. Support of the COC reflects the company’s belief that today’s engineers must be able to apply their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and broaden the scope, drawing inspiration from a variety of influences. This lens invokes solutions for future societies, ensuring that the projects Hatch designs reflect the communities that the company serves.
“Opera is a powerful blend of storytelling, emotion, and technical mastery, which are qualities we deeply admire as engineers,” said Pierre Olivier, Regional Managing Director, Western Canada. “It’s an honor to support the next generation of opera singers, whose voices will shape the future of this timeless art form. Our commitment to the arts is part of how we draw inspiration from the world around us, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the finalists.”
Since its founding in 1980, the Ensemble Studio has launched the careers of nearly 240 Canadian artists, including internationally acclaimed names like Ben Heppner, Emily D’Angelo, and Wallis Giunta.
For more information on Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition, including a full list of finalists, visit coc.ca/CentreStage
For more information, please contact:
Lindsay Janca
Global Director, Public Relations
Tel: +1 905 403 4199
Email: media@hatch.com
About Hatch
Hatch is a global engineering, project delivery, and professional services firm. Whatever our clients envision, our teams can design and build. With over six decades of business and technical experience in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors, we know your business and understand that your challenges are changing rapidly. We respond quickly with solutions that are smarter, more efficient and innovative. We draw upon our 10,000 staff with experience in more than 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve.
Find out more on www.hatch.com/About-Us