Canadian opera icon Mary Morrison turns 100 | The Moment

CBC English
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Nov 13, 2026
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Joyful week-long celebration of Mary Morrison
on the occasion of her 100th birthday.
We had a concert honoring the legacy of Mary Morrison,
a beloved soprano and voice teacher
at the University of Toronto.
It started with bagpipes.
I performed a song called Where Does
That Singing Start?
by Iranian-Canadian composer, Iman Habibi,
written specifically with her in mind.
It was emotional.
Mary was my singing teacher for about a decade.
She's just such a welcoming and warm person
and deeply cares about her students.
Mary was responsible for the premieres
of so many Canadian works throughout her career.
There's a lot to learn from someone who's 100 years old,
but nobody is quite like Mary Morrison.
No kidding, these birthday celebrations
are lasting a week, and so they should.
And apart from her extraordinary voice, and yes, she is still teaching,
it is the way she lifts other performers
and champions composers that makes her a treasure.
