Calgary Opera ditches performer who held up Palestinian flag during ‘Tosca’ curtain call
Company apologizes for any ‘discomfort and distress’ caused by Gabriel Sanchez-Ortega’s move, which won cheers from audience; bass singer criticizes Canada’s cultural institutions
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The Calgary Opera has replaced a performer who held up a Palestinian flag at the end of a performance of “Tosca” last week in violation of policies banning individual political protest, Canadian media reported Monday.
The performer, bass singer Gabriel Sanchez-Ortega, held up the flag during the curtain call of the opening night of the political melodrama on Friday, October 16, in a move that the Calgary Opera described as “unexpected and unauthorized,” according to statements carried by local media and opera-specific news outlets.
The opera company said acts of individual political protest violated its policies and contravened “our responsibility to create a more connected, caring, and civil society through shared artistic experiences.”
As such, it said, the role of Cesare Angelotti would be held by a different performer for the remainder of the run, which is set to end on October 24.
Calgary Opera apologized for any “discomfort and distress” caused to audience members, and reiterated its intent to “provide a welcoming and respectful environment for our artists, audiences, and community.”
Sanchez-Ortega posted a video on Instagram of the moment he pulled the flag out of his pocket and unfurled it on stage.
Loud cheers and applause can be heard from the audience as he holds it out and slowly spins around, and two cast members at the back of the stage applaud as well.
He also posted a statement on the social media site defending his decision to bring the Palestinian flag on stage, but it was no longer visible on his account as of Tuesday morning.
In the statement, the opera singer said he had “no regret” about his experience, and criticized the “state of cultural institutions in Canada.”
“After the theater (political or otherwise) we all have to go home, and look at ourselves in the mirror,” wrote Sanchez-Ortega. “It was my honor to play the role of Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner.”
According to the Calgary Opera website, Sanchez-Ortega is due to appear in the company’s productions of “Cinderella,” “Otello,” and “Pied Piper” later in the 2026/2027 season.
It was not the first time that a Palestinian flag has been unfurled on stage at the opera in recent years.
In July 2025, a performer held up a flag on stage at the Royal Opera House in London during the final performance of “Il Trovatore.”
The incident sparked a brief scuffle, as someone backstage tried to grab the flag away from the member of the chorus, who refused to let go of it.
The Royal Opera, like the Calgary Opera, said that the incident was “an unauthorized action by the artist” and criticized the “wholly inappropriate act.”
The Times of Israel Community.