Interview with ludwig van toronto
Opera canada artist of the week
LAURIE MOSS
THE TENDER LAND
TORONTO CITY OPERA, 2025
Photo by Dahlia Katz
“Walsh’s performance was made all that more compelling by his pairing with Emily Rocha as Laurie. During her opening aria, Rocha took the audience on a roller coaster of emotions with her impressive vocal dexterity and rich tonal colours. Her ardent warmth in romantic duets was engaging, as was her sparkling upper range in “Remember the boy who used to call.” The audience was sympathetic to Laurie’s plight because Rocha was an utterly believable actress.”
-Dawn Martens, Opera Canada, 2025
“More than simmering, she was fairly boiling over with a mixture of hope, ambivalence and worry all plain on her face. Rocha and tenor David Walsh both sang wonderfully, of course, and it was all too satisfying when they finally got around to harmonizing after some of the opera’s more talky stretches of singing. I’m trying to think of a term other than ‘Tender’ for their dynamic, but I fear I am doomed to pun.”
-Justin Irwin, Boor About Town, 2025
Coc Free Concert Series
“Emily Rocha started off with Lucia’s (rather long) aria “Regnava nel silenzio”. She showed considerable power and stamina and very decent control considering the demands this piece makes. She looks like a very promising addition to the programme.”
-John’s Opera Ramblings, 2024
“Emily continued with three Rachmaninoff songs; “Night is Sorrowful”, “The Flower Has Faded” and “Oh, Never Sing to Me Again”. These much more overtly Romantic pieces were sung with skill and emotional sincerity.”
-John’s Opera Ramblings, 2025
“Emily Rocha was stylish, polished and paid close attention to the text.”
-John’s Opera Ramblings, 2025
Tanglewood Music Festival
Summer 2024
“With Collins conducting, soprano Emily Rocha was a radiant Pamina in “Ach ich fühl’s” from Die Zauberflöte… I hope someday to see and hear all of these impressive singers on opera stages.”
— David M. Rice, Classical Source, Summer 2024
“Soprano Emily Rocha and pianist William Shi ended the program with Adela Maddison’s ‘Cinq mélodies sur les poèmes d’Edmond Haraucourt’. Rocha’s beautiful voice, terrific phrasing and clear elocution brought the French language texts to fluent life.”
— David M. Rice, Classical Source, Summer 2024
“Standouts included: soprano Emily Rocha’s devastating ‘Ach, ich fühl’s’ as a hopeless Pamina.”
— Michael J. Moran, In the Spotlight Inc., Summer 2024
“Rocha’s warm, inviting tone quality pulled us into the text, which pleaded for release from incarceration.”
— Ian Wiese, Classical Scene, Summer 2024
Carmen, Southern Ontario Lyric Opera
March 2024
“...it was literally a show-stopper. The same can be said of Emily Rocha’s “Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante”. Added to the cast just days before due to an illness of the original Micaela, Rocha’s Micaela was stunning. Her fine, understated acting and her impressive vocal range made Micaela a powerful depiction of a woman who is a key element of the story, rather than a sweet interval to be endured until Carmen once again kicks up the dust with her onstage antics.”
— Dawn Martens, Opera Canada, March 2024
“Micaëla was played by the sweet-toned soprano Emily Rocha, who wowed audiences at the 2023 COC Centre Stage Competition, where she won Second Prize. She will be joining the COC’s Ensemble Studio next year. Her “Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante” was sung with a good mix of assertiveness and vulnerability.”
— Denise Lai, myscena.org, March 2024
COC Centre Stage Competition
October 2023
“The $5000 Second Prize went to soprano Emily Rocha from Courtice, ON. A natural performer, Rocha has a sweet, silvery tone, particularly notable in her mid range. Her “Caro nome” from Verdi’s Rigoletto was a nice balance of beautiful shaped phrases in the lower ranges and controlled precision in the high notes.”
— Denise Lai, myscena.org, October 2023
“Then came Emily Rocha with “Caro nome”. It was a good choice. Her coloratura was good, she characterised well and, let’s face it not trivial, she looks the part. I could see her in the classic young lyric rep and I was totally unsurprised when she took second place.”
— John’s Opera Ramblings, October 2023
A Tale of Two Cities by Arthur Benjamin
U of T Opera, 2023
“ Emily Rocha is a sympathetic Lucie Manette. She has a voice that already sounds really good and she can act. She gets the best aria in the opera and she makes the most of it. There’s a good chance she’ll grow into a very fine lyric soprano.”
— John’s Opera Ramblings, March 2023