Johannes Debus

German-born conductor Johannes Debus was appointed Music Director of the Canadian Opera Company in 2009, having already established himself in many of the great opera houses and festivals worldwide. Over the course of his tenure, he has captivated Toronto and international critics alike, skillfully leading productions that include Götterdämmerung, Eugene Onegin, Otello, Salome, and the COC world premiere of Hadrian in 2018. Throughout the pandemic disruption of 2020-2022, his work for digital included the hosting of Solo Spotlights, a video series highlighting musicians of the COC Orchestra, as well as conducting for several of the company’s online presentations, including: In Winter, In Concert with Jane Archibald, and Bluebeard’s Castle. Debus most recently conducted the COC’s productions of Fidelio, Don Giovanni, and The Cunning Little Vixen, and will conduct Faust, La Reine-garçon, and Wozzeck in the company’s 2024/2025 season.

When he is not conducting at the COC, Debus is very active with international engagements that include appearances with the BBC Proms, the orchestras of Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Aspen, the National Arts Centre, Houston, and Toronto, at the Spoleto, Bregenz, and Tanglewood festivals, and at opera companies such as San Francisco, Berlin Staatsoper, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, and Bayerische Staatsoper, among many others. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2016 conducting Salome, and returned the following year to conduct Les contes d'Hoffmann.

In 2021, Debus co-founded the Biglake Festival in Prince Edward County, Ontario. The annual summer event showcases music that bridges the past and present, originating from various countries and influenced by a diverse range of cultures from around the world.

Johannes Debus (2021), photo by Gaetz Photography