Soprano Jocelyn Fralick, who recently returned to Toronto after two years’ study in Amsterdam, will have to pack her bags again for three days in New York. On Friday, October 15, she was named recipient of the coveted Career Blueprint, in the fourth edition of Ten Singing Stars – The New Generation, presented by the International Resource Centre for Performing Artists.
The announcement was made at the conclusion of the Ten Singing Stars concert at Toronto’s Zoomer Hall, broadcast live on The New Classical 96.3 FM and streamed on the station’s website and YouTube channel. The singers performed operatic arias ranging from the baroque to the present day with pianist Rachel Andrist, introduced and interviewed by Zoomer Media host Jean Stilwell, herself a mezzo-soprano and an alumna of IRCPA programs.
Ms. Fralick was chosen by celebrated baritone Brett Polegato, who had mentored the singers in a daylong Encounter two weeks earlier, offering pointers and valuable career advice. The Career Blueprint will give Ms. Fralick three days of intense career advice and promotional materials at The National Opera America Center in New York.
Jocelyn Fralick, Soprano
Hailing from Ontario’s Niagara region, soprano Jocelyn Fralick recently completed her master’s degree with honours from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she studied with Don Marrazzo and Nathalie Doucet. She also holds degrees from the Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School and the University of Toronto. She has performed with some of the most prominent organizations in Niagara, making her Niagara Symphony debut at the new FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in Niagara and returning to the PAC as the soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C with Chorus Niagara.
This was Ms. Fralick’s second appearance in Ten Singing Stars. She took part in the 2018 Encounter/Concert with soprano Adrianne Pieczonka as mentor. As she said at the time, “Getting to work with someone of her calibre is really influential and important at this stage in the career.”
She attended the 2021 Encounter on a scholarship honoring artist manager and IRCPA founder/artistic director Ann Summers Dossena, contributed by the IRCPA’s Board of Directors. Each participant received a scholarship in the name of an important Canadian musical artist or arts patron past or present, donated by private individuals through the IRCPA’s fourth Name a Scholarship campaign. This year’s other honorees were sopranos Clarice Carson, Suzie LeBlanc and Lois McDonall, baritones Theodore Baerg, Brett Polegato and Louis Quilico, violinist/Tafelmusik founder Jeanne Lamon, conductor Eugene Kash, composer R. Murray Schafer and arts patron Florence Richler.
The IRCPA received 24 applicants for this year’s Singing Stars program. From these, the IRCPA’s vocal advisory group winnowed the list to 10 plus one chosen as a cover in the event of a cancellation. The vocal advisory group, all well experienced artists, consisted of singers Adrianne Pieczonka and Brett Polegato, and artist manager Kathy Domoney. After mentoring the singers in the October 1st Encounter, Polegato observed, “Each year the Encounter is better and more difficult for decisions…the singers were very professional and willing to try everything I requested, no matter how strange or difficult.”
The 2021 IRCPA Ten Singing Stars – The New Generation Participants
The 2021 Ten Singing Stars were:
- Sopranos: Mélissa Danis, Jocelyn Fralick, Jaclyn Grossman, Ana Toumine
- Mezzo-sopranos: Rachel Miller, Camila Montefusco, Hillary Tufford
- Countertenor: Ryan McDonald
- Tenors: Ross Mortimer, Ryan Nauta
- Baritone: Nicholas Gryniewski
The October 15 concert will be available for streaming from the IRCPA’s website in the coming weeks.
Here are comments from the participants in the IRCPA Encounter with Brett Polegato, and the Ten Singing Stars – The New Generation Concert.
- “Thank you also for your financial support and all you have done to make this experience possible for me. Brett is a passionate and inspiring mentor and I learned so much from working with him and from watching him work with all the singers. I look forward to the concert and the opportunity to perform for the public through such a great platform!”
– Rachel Miller - “Thank you again for your support and organization of the IRCPA events that we got to participate in this month. It truly was a wonderful experience, and I am extremely grateful for the support, education and exposure opportunities that we received.”
– Hillary Tufford - “I had such a wonderful time last week!” – Ryan McDonald
- “I wanted to say how enjoyable the experience was at the Encounter and that I am so grateful for the opportunity.” – Nicholas Gryniewski
- “I wanted to let you know how grateful I am for this experience. It has meant more than you know. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
– Ana Toumine - “Thank you again for having me at the Encounter today. It was a lovely experience.”
– Ryan Nauta - “I’m so appreciative and grateful for this opportunity, and I want to make sure the Donors know how important their contribution is for young artists. The support of organizations such as the IRCPA is what allows us to keep advancing and dreaming big.” – Camila Montefusco
