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It was a packed house on Nov. 15 at Maison symphonique for the finals of the OSM Competition 2025, and one could feel the sense of occasion in the air. On the international day of philanthropy, Montrealers were invited to a free concert with their own symphony orchestra on stage, under the baton of Jacques Lacombe. The gesture suited the evening perfectly. It was both a showcase of the rising generation of Canadian singers and a reminder that the OSM Competition is also a gift to the public.
This 86th edition dedicated to voice unfolded over several days, from the preliminary video round through a substantial semifinal recital series, and finally, the orchestral final with the OSM. The rules required a large and varied repertoire. Singers had to offer Bach or Handel, French mélodie or German Lied, a Romantic or post Romantic work, and a post-1990 Canadian piece. In practice, this meant that by the time they reached the final, the ultimate three competitors had lived inside several hours of music.
The audience at the finals of the OSM Competition 2025
Photo: Gabriel Fournier
The competition also embedded the singers within a serious, professional context. A preliminary jury including Tracy Smith Bessette, Olivier Godin, Darryl Edwards, Chantal Lambert and Jessica Muirhead narrowed the field to ten semifinalists. The international jury for the live rounds brought together Evans Mirageas, Véronique Gens, Ben Heppner, Rosemary Joshua and Jacques Lacombe.
In conversation, several of the singers mentioned how unusual it was to feel so well-supported at a competition of this level. Semi-finalist, mezzo-soprano Justine Ledoux, summed up a common feeling when she recalled walking on stage, seeing the jury seated high above and realizing that they were all smiling. “That is very rare in a competition,” she said. “I sang a lot of repertoire that I absolutely love, and I felt like I represented myself really well.”
Out of this context, three very different finalists emerged, each with a clear artistic profile.
Gabrielle Turgeon (soprano)
Gabrielle Turgeon at the OSM Competition 2025 finals
Photo: Gabriel Fournier
First prize and the Barbara Bronfman Prize went to 24-year-old soprano Gabrielle Turgeon, a Quebec-born singer whose career is already taking shape on North American stages. In February 2026 she will return to Los Angeles Opera for her second season as a Domingo Colburn Stein young artist, performing the Daughter of Akhnaten in Philip Glass’s Akhnaten and First Lady in Die Zauberflöte under James Condon. Previous successes include awards at the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition, the Met Competition Michigan District and an Encouragement Award at the Great Lakes regional level.
In the finals Turgeon offered Mozart’s Exsultate jubilate, “O quante volte” from Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Strauss’s Heimliche Aufforderung and Morgen, finishing off with Gounod’s “Ah je veux vivre” from Roméo et Juliette. What came across from the very first phrase was the sheer quality of the instrument. This is a full lyric voice that already has the sheen of a seasoned professional, with a natural chiaroscuro and an ease in the upper register that allows the sound to bloom without strain. The timbre is generous, round and luminous, and it filled Maison symphonique without apparent effort. There is also something visceral in her stage presence. Turgeon commits physically and emotionally, but the vocal line always remains controlled.
Asked how she felt after the final results, Turgeon admitted “I am still processing it, just all the emotions, just soaking in the experience of singing on that stage, that beautiful stage, with this amazing orchestra. It was an experience unlike any other. And of course the cherry on top is having won the competition. I do not even have the words for it right now, I am still processing it, but I am extremely grateful to the OSM for giving me this opportunity.”
She also remarked on the breadth of programming required of each singer.
“A lot of the time in the opera world we are so used to competing with maybe four or five opera arias, and that is kind of the standard repertoire,” Turgeon says. “This competition had us prepare a lot of music, lots of art song, oratorio. There was a French language requirement, a Canadian music requirement and I think it is really amazing, because to be a full artist you need to be able to do everything.”
Her first place comes with a main cash prize of $20,000, an invitation to perform with the OSM in a future season, a residency at Chapelle Musicale Reine Élisabeth and a residency at Orford Music to develop a community engagement project, along with the Ann Birks Career Grant shared among the three laureates. One has the impression that very little of this will go to waste.
Bridget Esler (Soprano)
Bridget Esler at the OSM Competition 2025 finals
Photo: Gabriel Fournier
Second prize went to soprano Bridget Esler, originally from Vancouver, whose performance in the finals showed a different but equally compelling profile. She chose the “Alleluia” from Mozart’s Exsultate jubilate, “Credete al mio dolore” from Handel’s Alcina, two movements from Britten’s Les Illuminations and Ophélie’s farewell from Thomas’s Hamlet.
From the first notes it was clear that this is an artist who leads with musical intelligence and technical assurance. Esler has a light lyric instrument and she treats it with respect. She does not try to inflate the sound beyond its natural size but leans into colour and phrasing instead. The Baroque repertoire in particular seemed to sit ideally in her voice. The Handel aria allowed her clarity of line and agility to shine, and the opportunity to showcase a great “baroque” palette, like the use of voix blanche and tones without vibrato. Her duet with the principal cello in the same aria became one of the most intimate moments of the evening.
“This was such an amazing experience,” Esler said afterwards. “It is such an honor to get to perform with the OSM, they are a world class orchestra. I really enjoyed getting to sing Alcina. That aria features an important solo for the cello and getting to really commit to that duo with Brian, the cellist was a really special moment in the program. It highlighted the excellence of the musicians of the OSM, the excellence of the maestro, and this hall is so lush and generous. It was really a treat to be taken care of so well by the administration of the competition and by the very kind panel.”
Esler’s calendar underlines that this is not a purely budding talent. Montreal audiences can hear her very soon in Janáček’s Jenůfa with Opéra de Montréal in November, and she will also sing a series of Christmas concerts with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in December.
Korin Thomas-Smith (baritone)
Korin Thomas-Smith at the OSM Competition 2025 finals
Photo: Gabriel Fournier
Third prize went to baritone Korin Thomas-Smith, whose program ranged from Bach’s “Quia fecit” from the Magnificat to Massenet’s “Vision fugitive” from Hérodiade; Figaro’s two great arias from Le nozze di Figaro and the showpiece “Come un’ape” from Rossini’s La Cenerentola. Among all the voices in the competition, his baritone stood out for the combination of range, flexibility and a particular approach to the top of the voice.
In person, Thomas-Smith is reflective about his technique. I mentioned that he is one of the very few baritones I have heard recently who keeps the upper range more open in what the Italian tradition would call aperto ma coperto (open but covered), that tricky balance where the vowel remains relatively open while the larynx still tilts and the sound is refined enough to stay elegant in a large hall.
“I think I am conscious of it, that I leave my voice way more open than a lot of baritones do,” he says. “I used to think of the turn as a much more drastic thing. I have been experimenting with using a little less of that drastic engagement, with mixed results. I am still tinkering with it, but singing is an instrument of constant experimentation and growth.”
The result, at least on this night, was convincing. In Vision fugitive in particular, the line remained even from bottom to top, the high notes were ample and ringing without heaviness, and the phrasing was continuously legato. He is only now stepping out of a young artist context, having just completed his time with Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studo, and beginning his freelance life.
“I had a really good time,” he said of the competition. “I felt like I could express myself. I feel proud of what I was able to do and humbled to be with such amazing singers and good company, with colleagues and friends that I have known for years. I am really grateful to the OSM for the opportunity.”
After Montreal Thomas-Smith now heads to the Rumbolt Competition in Edmonton and a debut in The Little Prince in Dallas, the beginning of what looks like an interesting path.
Other prizewinners to watch
The list of prizes in this edition is long, and several singers who did not reach the final still left strong impressions.
Countertenor Ian Sabourin, the first singer of his voice type to appear in the OSM Competition, won the Stingray Rising Stars audience prize as well as an Orford Music scholarship. For him the week was as much about process as results. “Overall I am impressed with the quality,” he said. “It is an honour to be part of something that is such high quality because it makes everything look good. It makes the art form look better. It makes the singers look better, and the jury. For me the competition was an opportunity to prepare like I have never prepared before. They made sure that we had rehearsal time with the coaches privately. Now I know what it takes to prepare for a national level competition and this is a process that I will continue to use and keep refining.”
Sabourin has also been carefully cultivating a public online presence and is clear about his next step. “I definitely want to get to Europe,” he added. “As a countertenor there is just not enough work here yet. I think if I go to Europe I can really build something and bring it back. I want to thank everyone that went and voted for me!”
Baritone Jamal Al Titi received the Young Public Prize, a new award created in collaboration with the OSM’s youth programs. For him the week was above all a full circle moment with colleagues from his student days. “All the participants in the competition are my friends,” he said. “We started pretty much in the same university, the same studio. It was a wonderful moment for us to reunite, remember good old times and witness how everyone grew artistically and vocally. Already to be a part of this competition, even as a semifinalist, gives us a lot of reassurance about what we do and how we do it.” He likened the work of vocal development to going to the gym. “Sometimes you feel like there are no results at all, but there are. When you look back after years of hard work you realize that compared to that old self you are not only a different singer but even a different person. It is a wonderful transformation.”
Tenor Angelo Moretti received the prize for best performance of a Canadian work for his interpretation of songs by Matthew Emery. For him the choice of repertoire and the timing of the performance were deeply linked. “There were pieces by Matthew Emery, his three songs, I sang Sweet Bide With Me and Requiescat,” he recalls. “I first heard those songs at the University of Toronto and fell in love with them. They are very haunting and they tell a lot about the human condition. My semifinal was on Remembrance Day and Requiescat is about a loved one being buried under the snow. It was snowing that day too, and as soon as the piano started playing I was filled with a lot of emotion. I am very honoured to have won that prize because those pieces really meant a lot to me.”
Soprano Natasha Henry, who received prizes from Orford Music and Domaine Forget as well as the general semifinalist bursary, underlined the quality of the welcome. “It was an amazing experience from beginning to end,” she said. “L’OSM welcomed and guided us very well. The level of the other singers was so high and it was a great challenge to measure myself to them.” Henry was about to head to Berlin for an audition tour.
The Académie Francis Poulenc prize, a new collaboration with the summer training program in Tours, went to mezzo soprano Justine Ledoux for her Debussy. She will spend two weeks there next August working with baritone François Leroux and pianist Olivier Godin. “I think my favourite piece to sing during my semifinals was Chanson de Bilitis, the Debussy,” she said. “It was a very intimate moment in my program, and to be recognized for that, to be given the prize because of that interpretation, I just felt heard.”
Ledoux will appear as Pastuchina in Opéra de Montréal’s upcoming Jenůfa.
Mezzo-soprano Daria Tereshchenko, who won a Domaine Forget scholarship and is currently finishing a master’s at New York City’s Mannes School of Music, spoke of the joy of singing a long song recital in a competition context. “It really gives us a chance to show who we are and show diverse repertoire,” she said. “It felt like a celebration. I especially love that we could sing song. After preparing aria packages for auditions, to be able to sing a cycle and come back to simplicity and being vulnerable, that is what song brings out in people.” The youngest competitor in the field, she described it as a full circle experience to stand next to singers she had admired as an undergraduate in Toronto.
Finally, mezzo soprano Alex Hetherington, a recent graduate of Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio who continues to appear there as a soloist, underlined how thoughtfully the competition was structured. “The organizers have been so kind,” she said. “Everything is really well organized and they have thought through every detail about how to make us feel confident and happy.” Her own schedule for the coming months includes Ottawa Chamberfest, her first Così fan tutte in Vancouver and the Mozart Requiem with Les Violons du Roy back at Maison symphonique.
PRIZE SUMMARY
First Prize — $20,000: Gabrielle Turgeon (soprano)
Offered in memory of Barbara Bronfman.
Includes OSM performance engagements (offered by Canimex), a residency at Orford Musique, a residency at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Élisabeth, and support from the Ann Birks Career Grant.
Second Prize — $12,000: Bridget Esler (soprano)
Offered in collaboration with the Marjorie and Gerald Bronfman Fund and the Lambert–Fortier–Gagnon Estate.
Third Prize — $7,000: Korin Thomas-Smith (baritone)
Offered by the Paul-A. Fournier Fund.
Audience Prize (Stingray Rising Stars) — $2,500: Ian Sabourin (countertenor)
Offered by Stingray.
Young Public Prize — $2,500: Jamal Al Titi (baritone)
Offered by Les Amis de l’Art.
Best Interpretation of a Canadian Work — $3,500: Angelo Moretti (tenor)
Offered by the OSM Volunteer Association.
Bursaries:
- Orford Music scholarship:
Recipients: Ian Sabourin (countertenor) and Natasha Henry (soprano) - Domaine Forget scholarship:
Recipients: Natasha Henry (soprano) and Daria Tereshchenko (mezzo-soprano) - L’Académie Francis Poulenc prize (residency in Tours):
Recipient: Justine Ledoux (mezzo-soprano)
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