Calgary Opera replaces singer who unfurled Palestinian flag on stage

(Oct. 19, 2026 / JNS)

Calgary Opera has removed singer Gabriel Sanchez-Ortega from the remaining performances of Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” after he unfurled a large Palestinian flag during the curtain call of the production’s Oct. 16 opening night.

The company apologized for the unauthorized display, stating that “individual political protest contravenes not only company policy but also our responsibility to create a more connected, caring and civil society through artistic experiences.”

“The role of Angelotti will be performed by another artist for the remaining performances,” it stated.

Video footage of the incident appears to show Sanchez-Ortega unfurling the flag as the audience applauds.

Sanchez-Ortega, a bass singer who portrayed Cesare Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner, has said he has no regrets about the gesture, according to media reports.

HonestReporting Canada commended the opera company for its “swift action.”

“Audiences paid to enjoy an opera. Not to have the performance hijacked by someone pushing his own anti-Israel agenda,” it stated. “Organizations pathetically trying to defend this stunt by falsely accusing Israel of genocide are offering an excuse, not a justification.”

“Actions have consequences,” HonestReporting stated. “Case Closed.”

The production is scheduled to run through Oct. 24 at Calgary’s Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. It features the Calgary Opera Chorus, Cantare Children’s Choir and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

Set in Rome in 1800, the opera follows singer Floria Tosca as she tries to save her lover, painter Mario Cavaradossi, from the corrupt police chief, Baron Scarpia. Scarpia, who also hunts Angelotti, is portrayed in the Calgary production by Israeli-born baritone Boaz Daniel, a graduate of the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv.