Canadian Opera Company general director Perryn Leech resigns just three years into tenure

Canadian Opera Company general director Perryn Leech has left the organization only three years into his tenure, with former board chair David Ferguson stepping into the role on an interim basis effective immediately.

The opera company said on its website that the decision came by “mutual agreement,” but provided no further details. “We thank Perryn for his contributions to the organization over the last three years,” the post said. Leech arrived at the COC in 2021 and his contract still had almost two years to run.

A native of Brighton, England, Leech joined the COC from the Houston Grand Opera, succeeding long-time general director Alexander Neef, who left to lead the Paris Opera. He was one of more than 100 candidates considered for the job.

“Perryn’s values closely mirror our own, particularly when it comes to breaking down barriers,” said Colleen Sexsmith, chair of the succession committee that selected Leech, upon his hiring announcement in 2020. “The committee was struck by his passion for sharing the art form with others and his enthusiasm for bringing more opera out of the Four Seasons Centre and into our neighbourhoods.”

Ferguson, who retired as managing director and chief financial officer of BMO Capital Markets in 2012, was a long-standing member of the COC board, serving as its president from 2006-2008 and chair from 2008-2010.