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Francais (French)
On Wednesday December 20, Opéra de Montréal presented its Talent Gala, featuring 11 finalists in the company’s annual Atelier lyrique entrance competition. Adrian Rodriguez, Justin Bernard and Wah Keung Chan attended this decisive final for the future careers of these young artists. Here are their impressions.
Heidi Duncan, soprano
AR: A great all-around talent with a beautiful mastery of her middle voice.
– Adrian
JB: Solid technique, but lacking the vocal personality that makes her stand out.
– Justin
Tessa Fackelmann, mezzo-soprano
Ready to embark on a full-on operatic career. Her large lyric mezzo voice effortlessly filled the acoustically challenging Wilfrid Pelletier. It’s clear why she won the Jury Prize.
– Adrian
Has the level of an international singer in the Wagner repertoire. Powerful voice unlike any I’ve heard before at Wilfrid-Pelletier. However, can she learn anything from a young artist program that she doesn’t already know?
– Justin
She has the most poise of all the singers. I would have like to hear a more thoughtful aria that would have shown whether she could really touch the audience.
– Wah Keung
Ellita Gagner, mezzo-soprano
A bold choice of aria for a competition, but sometimes simplicity is the best approach. She sang with great poise and intention.
– Adrian
Voice didn’t stand out. Voi che sapete didn’t give her the opportunity to shine. Too much acting for this kind of recital.
– Justin
Natasha Henry, soprano
Winner of the People’s Choice Award, and with good reason! A solid talent with intriguing high notes
– Adrian
Definitely a rising star. Shows lots of potential in every aspect of singing, charisma, and acting.
– Justin
She sounded a bit tired, but she sang Manon’s aria very musically.
– Wah Keung
Queen Hezumuryango, mezzo-soprano
Remarkable stage presence and excellent French diction. She also showcased a lovely low register.
– Adrian
Standard mezzo voice for the role of Carmen. Could have given more colours and highlight to her performance.
– Justin
She showed great presence and drama in her voice. But the aria seemed too short to carry the day.
– Wah Keung
Rose Lebeau Sabourin, soprano
Very well-prepared. Tackling “Chacun le sait” is a formidable challenge, even for seasoned singers. She deliveed a commendable rendition.
– Adrian
Great stage presence and interaction with the audience. Lacking some energy at the very end but still a wonderful contestant to join the Atelier lyrique.
– Justin
She sang clear and precise notes throughout her register.
– Wah Keung
Colin Mackey, baritone
Chose a challenging aria for a young baritone and managed it well. That said, I would be intrigued to hear him sing something belonging to the contemporary English repertoire.
– Adrian
Best baritone of the night. Deserves a place in the Atelier lyrique. Great choice of repertoire (“Avant de quitter ces lieux”) even though his pronunciation showed he’s an English speaker.
– Justin
Mackey sang a credible Valentin’s aria from Faust. With more seasoning, he would be able to sing an even tone through his range.
– Wah Keung
Dante Mullin Santone, baritone
Delivered a nuanced performance, proving that interpreting Wagner isn’t all about singing loud. His artistry gave me shades of Dieskau.
– Adrian
Good voice, but not enough presence and intention in the phrasing and diction. Plain interpretation.
– Justin
The serenade from Wagner’s Tannhauser seems to fit well Mullin’s voice. His performance could have used more rubato to shape the lines.
– Wah Keung
George Theodorakopoulos, baritone
Brought an Italianate quality to his aria and demonstrated impressive coloratura skills.
– Adrian
Very young voice. Bound to evolve from that point. However, showed less refined technique than others.
– Justin
Hillary Tufford, contralto/mezzo-soprano
Proved that big voices can also come in small bodies, showcasing a surprising volume that defied expectations.
– Adrian
A bit stiff in her performance and body language. Not the best repertoire to showcase her talent (Das Rheingold) but already is at a high singing level for a young artist.
– Justin
Her voice has the potential for Wagner which is rare at this level. The Das Rheingold aria didn’t show off her musicality and left her off the podium.
– Wah Keung
Spencer VanDellen, tenor
Possesses that unmistakable “fuoco di tenore” and an abundance of squillo. The next five years of honing his technique will be critical for getting ahead in his career.
– Adrian
Young artist in the true sense of the word. Great intention and passion for singing, great potential. However, technique still to be harnessed to not give way to any luck.
– Justin
Gripes
by Wah Keung Chan
For the Audience Prize, the organizers didn’t give enough time for the voting and they didn’t turn the lights on long enough which made it difficult to vote. Also, the contestants in the voting page were ordered alphabetically whereas it should have been listed in the order of appearance to match the program sheet.
It would have been nice to see the hometowns of each singer in the program and on the screen.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
Francais (French)AR: A great all-around talent with a beautiful mastery of her middle voice.
Winner of the People’s Choice Award, and with good reason! A solid talent with intriguing high notes
