The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is Canada's first purpose-built opera house, opened in 2006 after decades of lobbying and planning. Home to the Canadian Opera Company (COC) and the National Ballet of Canada, it was designed by Toronto architect Jack Diamond and immediately praised for its acoustics — the horseshoe-shaped main hall seats 2,071 people with clear sightlines from every seat.
The building's glass-and-steel facade, particularly visible at night when the interior is lit up, is one of the more successful pieces of contemporary architecture in the downtown core. The COC's season runs from September through May, with a mix of standard repertoire and ambitious productions. The National Ballet typically performs at the Four Seasons during its fall, winter, and spring seasons.
Free concerts are held in the main hall on Friday lunchtimes (the "RBC Noon Hour Concerts" series) — a genuine chance to experience the hall's acoustics without buying tickets.