COVC Historical Milestones
1947
- Mrs. Jean A. Chalmers establishes a committee of volunteers as the Opera and Concert Committee of the Royal Conservatory Opera Company.
1950
- The Committee is instrumental in the formation and incorporation of the Opera Festival Association, the forerunner of the Canadian Opera Company (COC).
- The Committee awards its first scholarship. (35 to 40 scholarships are now awarded annually to students in the Opera Division of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto.)
1959
- The Committee becomes the Canadian Opera Women's Committee (COWC).
- The COWC inaugurates the special COC Student Performances. (More than 6,000 students now attend COC dress rehearsals each year.)
1963
- The first Opera Ball is held at the O’Keefe Centre (now the Sony Centre).
1968
- The COWC opens the Full Scale Shop, forerunner of present COVC Opera Shoppe.
- Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau attends the Opera Ball.
1970
- The Committee joins Opera Volunteers International (OVI).
1975
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The COWC increases its yearly contribution to the COC from $30,000 to more than $100,000. (Since 1985, the Committe has contributed more than $5 million to the COC.)
1986
- The Committee establishes the Distinguished Graduate Award, presented annually to an outstanding graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, Opera Division.
1991
- The COWC Jean A. Chalmers Award is established in recognition of the Committee’s founder and first President. The award is presented to the most promising young Canadian singer at an open national or international competition.
2001
- The COWC changes its name to the Canadian Opera Volunteer Committee (COVC).
2002
- The COVC hosts the combined OVI and Opera America Conference in Toronto from April 20 to 24, 2002.
2007
- The COVC celebrates its 60th anniversary.
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