Review | Gala Talent 2025: A Glimpse into Opera’s Future

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On November 11, Opéra de Montréal presented its annual Gala Talent at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, featuring finalists from the Atelier lyrique National Auditions. Accompanied by pianists Jérôme de los Santos and Brian Cho, the evening offered a panorama of promising young voices before an audience that included many figures from Montréal’s philanthropic community, an almost full house despite the city’s transportation protests.

The performances were heard by a jury composed of Michel Beaulac (Artistic Director, Opéra de Montréal), Jennifer Szeto (Director, Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal), Adrianne Pieczonka (soprano and Chair of Voice Studies at the Glenn Gould School), Matthew Horner (Vice President, Vocal Division, IMG Artists), and Royce Vavrek (librettist and Artistic Director of Against the Grain Theatre).

Michel Beaulac, Jennifer Szeto, Royce Vavrek, Matthew Horner, Adrianne Pieczonka
Photo: Tam Photography

The evening also marked a moment of transition: General Director Patrick Corrigan was warmly saluted for his ten-year tenure, as he passes the torch to Jean-Pierre Primiani, ensuring the company’s future remains in good hands.

La Scena Musicale’s Adrian Rodriguez and Justin Bernard were on hand to offer their takes on this year’s competition.

Gennady Grebenchuk, baritone, opened with “Ah! per sempre io ti perdei” from Bellini’s I Puritani. Trained at the University of Toronto and at the Mediterranean Opera Studio in Sicily where he worked with Manhattan School of Music professor Jack Livigni, Grebenchuk impressed with his polished tone, healthy phonation, and evenness of registers.

Adrian: “His poised, intelligent delivery suggests a singer well on his way to professional maturity.”

Justin: “This singer has excellent technical skills and pays great attention to the vocal line, but he did not demonstrate sufficient expressive intent and dramatic engagement.”

Alessia Francesca Vitali is a Montreal mezzo-soprano with a master’s in opera performance from the University of Toronto. A current member of Calgary Opera’s McPhee Artist Development Program, she brought warmth and poise to “Sein wir wieder gut” from Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos.

Adrian: “Her full lyric instrument was captivating, though the brevity of the aria left us wanting more. Singing Strauss with piano was a daring choice; one sensed the orchestral colours hovering just beyond reach.”

Justin: “A piano cannot convey all the colours of the composer’s orchestration. The mezzo-soprano demonstrated great potential, both technically and expressively, but she penalised herself by choosing a piece that was too short and little known in the repertoire.”

Nikan Ingabire Kanate
Photo: Tam Photography

Nikan Ingabire Kanate, a soprano from Ottawa with Ivorian and Rwandan roots, offered a luminous “Depuis le jour” from Charpentier’s Louise. Now pursuing graduate studies at the Curtis Institute.

Adrian: “She displayed both refinement and depth of feeling. Her nuanced phrasing and expressive palette earned her the Public Prize (Stingray Award).”

Justin: “Unsurprisingly, she won the Audience Award, as evidenced by the enthusiasm of her supporters. And rightly so! She was one of the best performers of the evening, singing with guts, but also capable of restraint.”

Onur Hilaloglu, bass, followed with “Oh chi piange? Del futuro nel buio discerno” from Verdi’s Nabucco. He is a graduate of University of Toronto’s diploma program,

Adrian: “The Turkish-born singer showed promise in the upper range, where his i vowel resonated freely. One could sense the potential of a dark, ample voice that may yet find its true centre between bass and baritone territory.”

Justin: “A very mature vocalist for his age, but with a prominent and unusually slow vibrato in the middle and lower registers. He would benefit from further developing his brilliant tonal colours, which are very present in the upper register.”

Daria Tereshchenko, mezzo-soprano, charmed with “Nobles seigneurs, salut” from Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots. The Kyiv-born artist is a graduate of the Mannes School of Music.

Adrian: “She possesses a natural musicality and an enveloping, velvety timbre. Her singing exuded poise and grace, her tone soothing and assured.”

Justin: “A candidate who has every chance of joining the Atelier Lyrique. She shone from the very beginning of her aria, not only with her ease, but also with the lyricism of her voice, which she controlled perfectly. However, she didn’t seem quite as strong towards the end, particularly in terms of accuracy.”

Natacha Demers, soprano, brought brilliance and playfulness to “Chacun le sait” from Donizetti’s La fille du régiment. A proud Québécoise trained at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and a laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques.

Adrian: “She embodied the vivacity and sparkle of the French coloratura tradition, every high note ringing with confidence and joy.”

Justin: “The voice shows good training and sound technique. However, we found the timbre somewhat shrill compared to her colleagues. All were amplified by discreet microphones, an approach that ultimately worked against Natacha Demers in particular.’

Photo: Tam Photography

Emma Gélineau-Cloutier, from Sherbrooke and a graduate of McGill University, took on “Come scoglio” from Mozart’s Così fan tutte. First place winner at the 2025 Canadian Music Competition.

Adrian: “She revealed a fascinating timbre with a metallic shimmer, somewhere between a young dramatic soprano and a silvery mezzo. It will be interesting to follow her development.”

Justin: “Ms. Gélineau-Cloutier’s voice seemed the youngest of all those heard this evening, which speaks volumes about her potential for growth. A few hiccups in the fluidity of the ornamental lines on the piano detracted from the overall effect.”

Jeremy Scinocca, tenor, based in Toronto and an alumnus of Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Farris Young Artist Program. Scinocca performed “Che gelida manina” from Puccini’s La Bohème.

Adrian: “A risky bet paid off as he was awarded with the Grand Prize. He showed solid pitch accuracy and courage in tackling Puccini’s challenges. His tone, still in formation, might ultimately find its best expression in bel canto repertoire.”

Justin: “The big surprise came from this tenor. The audacity of offering an aria beloved by opera lovers certainly played a part in the awarding of the prize. The tenor did not falter and maintained constant accuracy. That said, the voice was too exposed on open vowels. It gave the impression of a technique without a solid foundation, at best a hybrid crossover-type technique, which was an isolated case among all the competitors.”

Grace Budoloski, soprano from Winnipeg and recipient of Pacific Opera Victoria’s Annamaria Bamji Prize, closed the evening with Offenbach’s “Les oiseaux dans la charmille” from Les contes d’Hoffmann.

Adrian: “Her bright, agile voice and comic timing left the audience smiling.”

Justin: “Ms Budoloski distinguished herself through her art of communication, her comic timing, and her uninhibited ease in the high register. One can only regret a loss of accuracy on certain passing notes.”

Gala Talent once again confirmed Opéra de Montréal’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists. The new Atelier lyrique cohort will be announced in February.