Opéra de Trois-Rivières: Giving Voice To Vocal Talents

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In 2021, at the height of the COVID pandemic, while many cultural companies faced closing their doors, soprano Valérie Poisson took the bold step to establish the Opéra de Trois-Rivières. Almost five years later, the company is bearing fruit.

From the beginning, the Quebec soprano’s vision was clear: offer a space to up-and-coming lyric artists to be able to practise and experiment with their art. “These days, it’s very hard to find opportunities for performing in full operas,” she explained. “For me, nurturing our artistic soul and developing our unique qualities as lyrical artists, comes from being part of a collective project. That’s why I wanted to create this company — to inspire other artists to bring to life projects they’re passionate about, projects that make them dream and that fulfill their artistic needs”

The season opens with Festival ÉchO des Racines Lyriques, with the presentation of Marius Tremblay’s unpublished opera compositions, at his book launch on the terrace of the historic bistro, L’Ancêtre.

The highlight of the festival will be the collective creation of La Chasse-Galerie, an operatic fairytale with a fusion of classical and traditional music. The project starts with a tour among seniors’ living environments, where artists will engage in musical improvisation on the theme of the traditional Quebecer story. Afterward, pianist and composer Jocelyn Lafond will gather all the improvised musical pieces and assemble them into a final arrangement to be presented at the Musée Seigneurial de Pointe-du-Lac.

This summer, artist residencies are being co-organized with Opéra Lab, an organization created by pianist and experienced opera coach Louise-Andrée Baril. Here, singers will be able to make recordings and develop their professional portfolios.

In the autumn, the company will partner with individuals from the tech field to explore the interconnection between opera and heritage. Workshops involving new technologies will focus on the use of natural materials for the sets and costumes.

Poisson explained that, in spite of financial challenges, her team was able to adapt by creating partnerships and by becoming a support organization for artists. Smaller companies like hers face an unfavourable legislative context in terms of fee structures, ill-adapted to regional realities. Despite all of this, Opéra de Trois-Rivières continues to grow by offering a very complete and inclusive season highlighting local artists.