Opera - my/maSCENA

The four new COC Ensemble Studio artists

Newswire | Four Artists Join COC’s Ensemble Studio for the 2022-23 Season

By Newswire on 16 June 2022 Classical Music, Newswire, Opera

Toronto, June 16, 2022 – The COC Ensemble Studio welcomes four new artists for the company’s 2022/2023 season: soprano Ariane Cossette, mezzo-sopranos Queen Hezumuryango and Alex Hetherington, and pianist Brian Cho. The four officially join the highly specialized development program for Canadian opera professionals this August, alongside returning sopranos Charlotte Siegel and Midori Marsh, baritone Jonah Spungin, bass-baritone Alex Halliday, and pianist Vladimir Soloviev. In addition to gaining invaluable performance experience on the mainstage, which always has been a foundational pillar of the Ensemble Studio, artists will also work directly with COC General Director Perryn Leech, COC Music Director Johannes Debus, and…

Photo: Tam Photography

Newswire | Meredith Wohlgemuth and Simone McIntosh Win CMIM 2022

By Newswire on 10 June 2022 Music Competition, Newswire, Opera

Montreal, June 10, 2022 – Earlier at Maison symphonique, the audience and the international jury of Voice 2022 attended the Aria Grand Finale of the Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM). After the performance, the jury members met one final time to deliberate and determine the winners of the Art Song and Aria divisions of Voice 2022. CMIM – VOICE 2022 Over $220,000 CDN for the winners ARIA DIVISION FIRST PRIZE Simone McIntosh, mezzo-soprano (Canada) Grand cash prize of $30,000 offered by la Ville de Montréal PIERRE PÉLADEAU AND RAYMONDE CHOPIN SECOND PRIZE Sarah Dufresne, soprano (Canada) $15,000 offered by…

Pauline Vaillancourt (left) and Marie-Annick Béliveau (right) (image taken by Jerome Bertrand)

Newswire | Marie-Annick Béliveau Takes Over for Pauline Vaillancourt as Artistic Director of Chants Libres

By Newswire on 9 June 2022 Classical Music, Newswire, Opera

Montreal, June 9, 2022 – The Chants Libres board of directors announces today the nomination of Marie-Annick Béliveau to the post of artistic director. The mezzo-soprano will take over for Pauline Vaillancourt, the major figure of contemporary opera who founded this lyric creation company 31 years ago. This nomination is a natural choice for the company as Ms. Béliveau had already participated in numerous creations with Chants Libres before becoming assistant artistic director in 2013. She has thus been entrusted the mission to carry on the company’s mandate dedicated to creating operatic works and to exploring new vocal writing. A…

Marie-Annick Béliveau. Photo: Michelle Boudreau

Chants Libres: A New Generation

By Justin Bernard on 9 June 2022 Contemporary, Opera

The seventh Oper’Actuel project by Chants Libres will be the first project under the artistic direction of mezzo-soprano and musician Marie-Annick Béliveau, who will take over from Pauline Vaillancourt, Chants Libres founder and historic figure in the creation of vocal works. Béliveau would like to create an artistic community of her own, though she is cognizant of the requirements and principles Chants Libres has held for more than 30 years. “Leading a company as a musician is a unique opportunity,” Béliveau said. “This, of course, means that I will ask people to collaborate with me and I will create teams.…

La Scena Tête-à-tête @ CMIM June 8: Meredith Wohlgemuth, Hugo Laporte & Nils Wanderer

By La Scena Musicale Team on 8 June 2022 Art Song, Arts Industry, Education, Opera, Vocal

On YouTube: Interview with Nils Wanderer (5 PM): Interview with Hugo Laporte (3 PM): Interview with Meredith Wohlgemuth Join us on Wednesday, June 8 at 1 PM EST on YouTube Live as La Scena Tête-à-tête returns for a special on CMIM 2022 as host Don Adriano interviews three of CMIM’s finalists: 1 PM: American soprano Meredith Wohlgemuth 3 PM: Canadian baritone Hugo Laporte 5 PM: German countertenor Nils Wanderer Joignez-vous à nous mercredi le 8 juin à 13 h HNE sur YouTube, alors que La Scena Tête-à-tête revient pour une émission spéciale sur le CMIM 2022. L’animateur Don Adriano interviewera…

Photo: Tam Photography

Newswire | CMIM Announces Five Finalists of the Aria Division

By Newswire on 7 June 2022 Music Competition, Newswire, Opera

THREE CANADIANS ADVANCE TO THE FINAL ROUND OF THE ARIA DIVISION Montréal, June 7, 2022 – The Semifinal of Voice 2022, the 20th edition of the Concours musical international de Montréal, concluded today at the Maison symphonique de Montréal. Over the last two days, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM), the official orchestra of the CMIM, accompanied the Semifinalists of the Aria division, resulting in a breathtaking performance. The ten Semifinalists performed with heart and passion the greatest works for voice and orchestra, fueled by the energy of the orchestra under the direction of Maestro Jacques Lacombe. Following the last…

Javier Camarena (left) as Edgardo and Nadine Sierra (right) in the title role of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (taken by Marty Sohl, provided by the Met Opera)

Review | Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor at the Met – Strong Vocals, Overblown Production

By Marco Monteferrante on 5 June 2022 Concert Reviews, Opera

One of opera’s masterful stories of star-crossed love was recently re-imagined in the American Rust Belt. On Saturday, May 21st, this season’s final performance of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor was broadcast live in HD from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Adapted from a novel by Sir Walter Scott, Lucia is one of only a handful of Donizetti’s operas that is regularly performed today. What You Missed Vocally and dramatically, the cast was superlative. In one of her signature roles, soprano Nadine Sierra portrayed Lucia like a 17-year-old girl in love and had a solid command of her role.…

CMIM Announces Three Finalists of the Art Song Division

By Newswire on 3 June 2022 Art Song, Classical Music, Opera

Montreal, June 3, 2022 – The six semifinalists of the Art Song division, along with their collaborative pianists, returned to the stage this Friday with a series of spectacular recitals. Traversing the rich Art Song repertoire, in multitude of styles and languages, and encompassing both standard and contemporary repertoire, each candidate once again demonstrated their undeniable artistry and was met with the enthusiastic applause of the public present in the Bourgie Hall. The deliberation of the Voice 2022 jury which took place thereafter concluded with the nomination of three finalists. A draw once again determined the order in which these…

Countertenor Nils Wanderer and pianist Jennifer Szeto, piano. 31 mai 2022

CMIM Report: The Leadup to the Semi-finals!

By Justin Bernard on 3 June 2022 Art Song, Music Competition, Opera

Last Wednesday, late in the evening of June 1, after two full days of competition, CMiM jury president Zarin Mehta announced the names of the 6 semifinalists in the Melody category and the 10 semifinalists in the Aria category. Art Song Since the beginning of the competition, Wah Keung Chan, Adrian Rodriguez (aka Don Adriano) and Justin Bernard have been following the performances of all these singers and live commenting on Facebook. Several choices of the jury were easy to make, notably in the Art Song category. Deepa Johnny, mezzo-soprano, Meredith Wohlgemuth, soprano, and Arvid Fagerfjäll, baritone, appeared to be…

Mireille Asselin playing Adele in Die Fledermaus at the Met (image taken by Matthew Fried)

Mireille Asselin: Always Singing

By Wah Keung Chan on 3 June 2022 Opera, Vocal

“Singing was something I started doing as soon as I could make noise. My parents used to call me the ‘screecher creature’ as a baby.” For Ottawa soprano Mireille Asselin, the sounds emanating from her voice have now been replaced by a clear warm soprano capable of navigating Handel and Mozart to contemporary opera to folk. “I have always valued and prioritized versatility,” said Asselin. “It’s crucial to building and maintaining a singing career, especially in North America where opera work is more geographically scarce, plus I think it’s just way more interesting to do a bunch of different things!…

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