Quebec singers perform on stages the world over, from Milan to Paris and Prague to Montreal. They are artistic directors and environmental arts activists, and sing everything from Handel to Alexandre Desplat. Mécénat Musica’s Prix Découverte Voix celebrates each of these Quebec singers with a $5,000 prize, having given $50,000 over the past five years.
Photo: Louis-Charles Dumais
Sophie Naubert, 2025
Soprano Sophie Naubert is familiar to Montreal audiences from her tenure in Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier Lyrique from 2023–2025, as well as her return there this fall as Zerlina (Don Giovanni). As an Atelier member, she sang roles such as Servilia (La clemenza di Tito) and Le feu/La chauve-souris (L’enfant et les sortilèges). This season, she is a permanent ensemble member of Theater Lübeck in Germany, where her roles include Cunegonde (Candide), Olympia (Les contes d’Hoffmann), and Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea).
Janelle Lucyk, 2025
Soprano Janelle Lucyk is the artistic and administrative director of Musique Royale in Lunenburg, N.S.; director of the ArtChoral series at Le 9e Grande Salle, and artistic director of Ménestrel with tenor, lutenist and guitarist Kerry Bursey. Last year, Lucyk sang in all 13 of Canada’s provinces and territories, and in September, appeared at William Christie’s Fondation Les Arts Florissants in Thiré, France. This coming season, Lucyk performs in multiple concerts with ArtChoral and Ménestrel; sings Vivaldi, Beethoven, and Telemann across Eastern Canada with Ensemble Caprice, and in Handel’s Messiah with the Peterborough Singers.
Photo: Julien Faugère
Elisabeth St-Gelais, 2024
Soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais gained prominence when she won the 2022 Prix d’Europe, a $50,000 prize that enabled her to continue her studies outside Quebec. Soon afterwards, she signed a recording contract with ATMA Classique. In 2023, she won first prize and audience choice at the 2023 COC Centre Stage Competition. Recently, St-Gelais appeared with Orchestre Classique de Montréal and Les Violons du Roy. Upcoming engagements include recitals with pianist Louise Pelletier across Quebec, Schubert with Orchestre de l’Agora, and an appearance with Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra.
Photo: Brent Calis
Sarah Dufresne, 2024
Soprano Sarah Dufresne is a recent alumna of the Jette Parker Artists Programme at London’s Royal Ballet and Opera, and Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier Lyrique. She returned to Montreal last season as Ophélie in Thomas’s Hamlet. Other recent roles include Gilda (Rigoletto) at Pacific Opera Victoria and Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica) at the BBC Proms and Edinburgh Festival. This season, Dufresne will sing Lisa (La sonnambula) at Tiroler Festspiele Erl, Woodbird (Siegfried) at Royal Ballet and Opera, Frasquita (Carmen) at Teatro alla Scala, and Gilda (Rigoletto) at Vancouver Opera. Dufresne will also perform Mozart with Les Violons du Roy and Fauré’s Requiem with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Photo: Tam Lantruong
Sam Champagne, 2024
Tenor Sam Champagne is a fixture in Canada’s classical crossover scene and has appeared with Andrea Bocelli and with his trio LYRICO as a guest artist with Sarah Brightman. Champagne frequently performs with the FILMharmonique Orchestra, including their Bond Symphonic Tour to Montreal, Victoriaville, Quebec City, Gatineau, Toronto, and Trois-Rivières; as Hans/Olaf/Kristoff in Frozen in Concert in Montreal, and in Twilight in Concert in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. This spring, Champagne will sing the role of Pang (Turandot) with Orchestre Philharmonique et Choeur des Mélomanes.
Photo: Tam Lantruong
Ian Sabourin, 2023
Countertenor Ian Sabourin is a recent graduate of Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier Lyrique (2023-2025), where he appeared as Ottone (L’incoronazione di Poppea). Recently, Sabourin covered Orfeo (Orfeo ed Euridice) at the Canadian Opera Company, and sang David (Saul) and Bach’s Mass in B minor with Caelis Academy Ensemble. This fall, Sabourin was a semifinalist in the OSM Competition. Upcoming engagements include Cesare (Giulio Cesare) with OperOttawa, St John Passion with Chœur Classique de Montréal, Bach’s Magnificat with Ensemble Caprice, and in May Sabourin sings Handel’s Dixit Dominus with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.
Photo: Sylvie-Ann Paré
Geoffroy Salvas, 2023
Baritone Geoffroy Salvas is a fixture in the Quebec opera scene. A graduate of Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier Lyrique (2015-2017), Salvas recently appeared as Marcello (La bohème) at Opera Grand Avignon, and Le Dancaïre (Carmen) at Opéra de Quebec. This season, he will sing the Christmas Oratorio with Orchestre Métropolitain, Antonio (Le nozze di Figaro) with Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and Schaunard (La bohème) with Opéra de Québec.
Photo: Marjorie Guindon
Rose Naggar-Tremblay, 2022
In 2022, contralto Rose Naggar-Tremblay was both Radio-Canada’s Classical Music Revelation and Second Prize winner of the Prix d’Europe. She enjoys an active international career with recent appearances as Cesare (Giulio Cesare) at Opéra national du Capitole (Toulouse, France), Farnace (Mitridate) at Teatro alla Scala and Théâtre des Champs Elysées, and Carmen (Carmen) at Sofia Opera. This November, Naggar-Tremblay releases her new album Handel Gourmand with launch concerts in Paris (Nov. 23) and Montreal (Dec. 7). Other upcoming performances include Erda in a new production of Das Rheingold at Prague’s National Theatre, Medoro (Orlando) in Caen and Luxembourg, and Mozart’s Coronation Mass with Insula Orchestra in Grenoble, Boulogne-Billancourt, and Lyon.
Photo: Julie Artacho
Magali Simard-Galdès, 2022
During the summer of 2025, soprano Magali Simard-Galdès was Early Music Vancouver’s artist-in-residence. There, Simard-Galdès hosted a panel on cultural and environmental responsibility in the arts, gave a concert of Schubert lieder with natural horn player Simon Poirier, and performed Bach cantatas and Mozart’s Requiem with Pacific Baroque Orchestra. This season, Simard-Galdès will sing Mozart’s Requiem with Les Violons du Roy, Micaëla (Carmen) at Opéra de Montréal, and give a concert with Arion Orchestre Baroque at Salle Bourgie.
Photo: Julien Faugère
Myriam Leblanc, 2021
This year, soprano Myriam Leblanc’s appearances include Mozart’s Requiem with Harmonie des saisons, a recital at Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur, with Festival International Bach Montréal, and Handel’s Messiah with Early Music Vancouver and Seattle Symphony. In the spring, Leblanc performs with Tafelmusik and Les Violons du Roy. Other recent engagements include Mozart’s Requiem with Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, a Handel concert at the Elora Festival, Choral Splendours with Tafelmusik, and Bach cantatas with Les Violons du Roy.
Photo: Catherine Charron-Drolet
Hugo Laporte, 2021
Baritone Hugo Laporte is a winner of the Grand Prize at the OSM Competition and the Teatro alla Scala Prize at the Belvedere Competition. Laporte has sung Hermann/Schlémil (Les Contes d’Hoffmann) at Teatro alla Scala, and contributed to ATMA’s Massenet – Integrale project. This past season, Laporte performed Marcello (La bohème) at Manitoba Opera and Il Conte di Luna (Il trovatore) at Opéra de Québec. This season Laporte sings Carmina Burana with Orchestre Philharmonique et Choeur des Mélomanes and Orchestre symphonique de Québec, and as Marcello (La bohème) with Opéra de Québec.
