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Protecting the Instrument: Vocal and Hearing Health for Musicians

By Madeline Boldt on 31 March 2025 Interviews, Vocal

For a musician, the body itself is an instrument. It is the foundation on which all musical abilities are built, but it is equally as fragile as it is fundamental to the craft. Issues like hearing loss and vocal strain are often overlooked until they become career-threatening. Experts in both vocal health and audiology continuously emphasize the importance of preventive practices in prioritizing long-term health and well-being. According to Dr. Andrée-Anne Leclerc, an ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon who did a two-year specialization focusing on voice professionals, noise-induced hearing loss is a major concern for all musicians. “I think…

Thomas Hampson. Photo: Chris Singer

Thomas Hampson: A Song of Freedom

By Justin Bernard on 31 March 2025 Art Song, Interviews, Opera, Quebec City

Thomas Hampson needs no introduction. At nearly 70 years old, the American lyric baritone continues to travel the world, not only as a singer and recitalist, but also as a singing teacher. He studied with teachers who themselves had learned from the great masters. Today, he passes on his passion for vocal arts to young artists, notably at the Lied Academy in Heidelberg. On April 26, he will present a recital at the Club musical de Québec and, a few days before that, will sing Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte at the Maison symphonique. La Scena Musicale spoke to…

Shira Gilbert. Photo: Tam Photography

CMIM: Big Changes for 2025 Vocal Edition

By Gianmarco Segato on 31 March 2025 Art Song, Interviews, Montreal, Music Competition, Opera, Vocal

The 24th edition of the Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM) will once again be dedicated to voice. For its 2025 iteration, 348 singers—including 74 Canadians—applied from 43 countries. A preliminary jury has already winnowed the number down to 24 competitors, ages 25 to 32, who will gather in Montreal from May 25-June 6 to compete for prizes valued at $160,000. In terms of its place within the firmament of international voice competitions, Artistic Director Shira Gilbert points to CMIM’s position near the top “both in terms of prize money which includes our career development grant, which is significant, the…

Marie-Nicole-Lemieux in the role of Carmen at the Chorégies d'Orange. Photo: Christophe Agostinis

Marie-Nicole Lemieux as Carmen: A Canadian first

By Justin Bernard on 31 March 2025 Interviews, Opera, Romantic

If Marie-Nicole Lemieux’s arrival in Canada—and in Quebec, in particular—is always an event, what can we say about her local debut in Bizet’s Carmen, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025! Her very first take on the role dates back to 2017, in Paris, alongside tenor Michael Spyres. “I was ready to sing Carmen long before I did it,” she says. “I was waiting for a conductor to have the courage to entrust me with the role, and that was Michel Franck, general director of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Let’s face it, Carmen is mostly given to tall brunettes, which…

Caring For Voices And Singers: Dr. Françoise Chagnon, ENT

By Viktor Lazarov on 31 March 2025 Arts Industry, Canadian Music, Interviews, Montreal, Musique populaire, Opera, Vocal

If you are a singer in Quebec, you likely know Dr. Françoise Chagnon. A specialist in otorhinolaryngology (commonly referred to as ear, nose and throat medicine) and cervico-facial surgery for nearly 40 years, Dr. Chagnon takes care of professional voices in both opera and popular music. Some of her patients have sung on the most prestigious stages in the world and, with her guidance, have learned to better understand, master, and maintain their hidden vocal instrument. Her affinity for musicians’ health developed through medicine and, first and foremost, her fascination with the larynx, vocal cords, and the physiology of the…

Samuel Mariño. Photo: Diana Gomez

Samuel Mariño: From Prejudice To Pride

By Adrian Rodriguez on 31 March 2025 Classical Music, Interviews, Opera, Toronto, Vocal

Maricón! Parchita!! Mamita!!! (an alluvium of homophobic and demeaning insults)—these were the sort of taunts Samuel Mariño endured daily in school while growing up in Venezuela. His unusually high voice made him a target of constant ridicule. As a 14-year-old, desperate to fit in, Mariño visited the ENT, tried vocal therapy, and even considered surgery to lower his larynx. Each failed attempt to change his voice felt like another rejection of who he was. At the end of his rope, a laryngologist asked him a question that shattered his despair: “Why don’t you sing soprano?” The suggestion sparked a joyful…

Lucas Debargue: When Music Becomes Conversation

By Heather Weinreb on 31 March 2025 Classical Music, Interviews, Montreal, Piano

On April 13, renowned French pianist and composer Lucas Debargue will be coming to Montreal’s Salle Pierre Mercure to perform as part of Pro Musica’s Cartes Blanches series. When the artist programs a recital, he thinks of “putting together a party” between different composers. Just as a party consists of a variety of different people talking with each other, Debargue “would like the pieces to talk with each other in the ear of the listener.” The Montreal program includes music by Ravel, Fauré, Scriabin, and the pianist himself. These composers—aside from Debargue—were all active in the late 19th and early…

Midori Marsh. Photo: Daniel Welch

Midori Marsh: The Fast-Rising Soprano Explores Sisterhood & Animal Rights

By Denise Lai on 31 March 2025 Classical Music, Interviews, Opera, Toronto, Vocal

Ever since American-Canadian soprano Midori Marsh won First Prize and the Audience Choice Award at the 2019 Canadian Opera Company Centre Stage competition, her career has been on a remarkable upward trajectory. After graduating from the COC Ensemble Studio in 2023, she has twice made her way to the semifinals of the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. This year, she was one of two Canadians who competed in the semifinals of that prestigious Met competition. Marsh is drawn to a wide range of repertoire, and her two upcoming performances in Toronto represent her diverse artistic styles and interests.…

Festival de la Voix: A Celebration of Cultural Diversity

By Adrian Rodriguez on 20 March 2025 Arts Industry, Folk, Indigenous, Interviews, Jazz, Montreal, Musique populaire, Vocal, World Music

Since its inception, Le Festival de la Voix has been dedicated to showcasing the beauty of the human voice, offering audiences a rich variety of vocal music from classical to jazz, folk, and world music. For its 12th edition, the festival continues to spotlight artistic diversity and meaningful cultural collaborations. One of its highlights is Nikamu Mamuitun (Songs That Unite Us), a project uniting Indigenous and Quebecer singer-songwriters to explore shared histories and musical traditions by blending French and Innu lyrics to reinforce connection and reconciliation. Eight emerging artists will present the results of their work at the Beaconsfield High…

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. Photo: Cody Pickens

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser: Living a Gesamtkunstwerk Life

By Kaitlyn Chan on 31 January 2025 Classical Music, Interviews, Orchestral

Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser’s name has become synonymous with diversity of programming. In 2019, he was featured in the CBC documentary Disruptor Conductor in which he brings orchestral music to young people, the LGBTQ+ community, people on the autism spectrum and prison populations. And in recent years, he has conducted numerous shows that aim to educate, connect, and celebrate the unique communities in every city where he works. Bartholomew-Poyser is currently the Barrett principal education conductor and community ambassador at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO). In this role, he often conducts relaxed performances for the neurodiverse and disability communities. He encourages…

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