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SUZY SMITH
ALCESTE
Highlights for Suzy Smith include Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges and L'heure espagnole (VOICEBOX), Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Massenet's Manon, as well as the Canadian double-bill pairing John Beckwith's Night Blooming Cereus with the world premiere of Michael Rose's A Northern Lights Dream (SOLT). Other experience includes Cosí fan Tutte and L'Amico Fritz for the San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera program as apprentice coach under Mark Morash, Warren Jones, and Ari Pelto; Bolcom's A Wedding as a fellow in Marilyn Horne's Music Academy of the West; as well as, music direction and vocal coaching for the Centre for Opera Studies in Sulmona Italy (COSI), the Southern Alberta Vocal Experience (SAVE), and the Canadian Operatic Arts Academy (COAA). Suzy earned her Master of Music Degree at Western University training with John Hess and her Bachelor of Music at the University of British Columbia training under Jane Coop. She has also trained at The Banff Centre, Opera NUOVA, and Morningside Music Bridge programs.
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NARMINA AFANDIYEVA
LA RONDINE
Pianist, Music Director
Studied at the Bülbül Specialized musical school and Azerbaijan State Conservatory under the guidance of professor Adelya Vekilova. Graduated in the Collaborative Piano Program at the University of Toronto, where she studied with Professor Steven Philcox.
She was awarded the Gwendolyn Koldofsky Prize in Accompanying (University of Toronto, Faculty of Music).
Narmina worked as Music Director and Pianist for I CAPULETI E I MONTECCHI, THE MAGIC FLUTE, MADAME BUTTERFLY (Summer Opera Lyric Theatre), and as a pianist for zarzuela SAUCY SEÑORITA, THE MIKADO, EARNEST, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING (Toronto Operetta Theatre), borodin's PRINCE IGOR and Weill's STREET SCENE (Opera in Concert).
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HELEN BECQUÉ
ROBERT LE DIABLE
Belgian pianist Helen Becqué gave her European début at the age of nine, and has since been noted for her consistently thoughtful and emotionally-committed performances which have made her an increasingly sought-after artist in Europe and North America. Helen is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory in Brussels Belgium, where she studied with Boyan Vodenitcharov. She also completed post-graduate studies at the München Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Germany under the tutelage of Helmut Deutsch and Fritz Schwinghammer. Contemporary music has featured frequently in Helen's collaborations and programming. She has been involved in many world premieres and recordings of new music, including Maarten Van Ingelgem's Pianoconcerto with the Kortrijks Symfonisch Orkest, Three Songs from the Tang Dynasty by Alice Ping Ye Ho, and Sur Incises by Pierre Boulez with the Royal Conservatory New Music Ensemble. Helen has been a faculty member at the Hochschule for Music und Theater Nürnberg-Augsburg in Germany and currently is a doctoral candidate studying with Steven Philcox at the University of Toronto. |
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ROBERT COOPER, C.M.
VOICEBOX CHORUS DIRECTOR
Mr. Cooper has served as President of both Choirs Ontario and the Association of Canadian Choral Communities. He was on the Board of Chorus America and the Advisory Board of the International Federation of Choral Music and is Canada's representative on the World Choir Council.
He has been a member of the Jury of the international choral competition Let The Peoples Sing, as well as adjudicating the World Choral Games in Shaoxing, China (2010), Cincinnati (2012), Sochi (2016) and Tshwane, South Africa (2018).
Recipient of the St. Catharines' Trillium Arts Award, Robert Cooper has also received an Honorary Doctorate from Brock University, the Order of Canada, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for his significant contribution to the Canadian choral community.
In May 2016, he was awarded Choral Canada's Distinguished Service Award. This prestigious national award is given in recognition of significant, transformative, and long-term service in building, nurturing, and promoting choral music in Canada.
In 2018, Robert Cooper, along with Orpheus Managing Director Lisa Griffiths, composer Eriks Esenvalds, and producer Laura Adlers were awarded Choral Canada's Award for Outstanding Choral Innovation for their multi-media presentation, Nordic Light. |
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| Performers |
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TONATIUH ABREGO
Winner of the St. Andrew's Council of the Arts International Aria Competition, Tenor, Tonatiuh Abrego has performed across North America as a leading artist.
He is a graduate of the Calgary Opera Emerging Artist program and a grant recipient from Jeunesses Musicales du Canada. Previous credits include Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (Jeunesses Musicales); Maurizio - Adriana Lecouvreur (VOICEBOX OIC); Male Chorus - The Rape of Lucretia & The Witch Hansel and Gretel (Calgary Opera); Nemorino - L'Elisir d'amore (Opera York); Count Almaviva - Il barbiere di Sviglia (Capital City Opera), Don Ottavio - Don Giovanni (The Banff Centre); Frederick - Pirates of Penzance (Opera North). Upcoming performances: Lancelot - Camelot (Victoria Playhouse Theatre)
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CESAR BELLO
Mexican-Canadian baritone Cesar Bello started his vocal training with Professor Enrique Jaso at the Conservatory of Music of Mexico. He was selected by the Accademia d'Arte Lirica Osimo in Italy in 2019.
Recent credit include at Toronto Operetta Theatre's La Verbena de la Paloma (Festival of the Dove) as Tabernero, Teatro dell'opera di Roma in the production of NOS (The nose) by Shostakovich, Donizetti's L'elisir d'Amore as Belcore, Perosi's La Passione secondo Marco, Beethoven's Choral Fantasy as well as in Mexico, Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana as Alfio, Leoncavallo's Pagliacci as Tonio, Rossini's Barbiere di Siviglia as Firgaro and Fiorello, Carmen as Morales, Don Giovanni as Masetto, Rigoletto as Ceprano, Carmina Burana by Orff, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Requiem by Fauré and Requiem by Mozart.
In Canada, he sang La Serva Padrona by Pergolesi, La Boheme as Schaunard at Brott Music Festival and Romeo et Juliette as Mercutio, and Rossini's Cenerentola as Alidoro.
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BELLE CAO
Belle Cao is a Toronto based soprano. Her previous stage credits include Donna Elvira in Summer Opera Lyric Theatre's Don Giovanni, chorus roles with Opera in Concert: VOICEBOX and Toronto Operetta Theatre. She has been a featured soloist with Guelph Chamber Choir, and has sung with Orpheus Choir of Toronto, Chorus Niagara, Sechnust, Myriad Ensemble, and Arcady Ensemble. She currently studies with Dr. Charlene Pauls. Belle is also a practicing family physician and surgical assistant in the GTA.
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ALEXANDER CAPPELLAZZO
Born on the auspicious Feast Day of Bach, Handel and Purcell, it was surely fated that Alexander Cappellazzo would immerse himself in music!
Starting with Strauss' Die Fledermaus in 2017, he has since performed roles like Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Lensky (Eugene Onegin), Acis (Acis & Galatea), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), and many more with companies across Canada including: Toronto City Opera, Opera By Request, OperOttawa, Nóżki Opera, Opéra Queens, and Opera McGill. Opera Canada describes Alex as 'a stunning Tamino, with clarity and richness of voice, natural ease onstage, and a credible portrayal of innocence and determination'.
Alexander is also the founder of Apocryphonia, and the Diapente Renaissance Vocal Quintet: two Toronto-based groups dedicated to creating concerts of rare and underperformed music.
Alex holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Vocal Performance and Opera from Montreal's McGill University.
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VANIA LIZBETH CHAN
Vania Lizbeth Chan is a versatile artist, active in the fields of vocal performance and academia (M.M., Manhattan School of Music, PhD, York University). A lyric coloratura soprano, Vania's voice has been described as "gently shimmering" (Opera News, NY) and "lovely and agile" (@KarasReviews).
She made her Carnegie Hall debut as a 1st prize winner in the Barry Alexander International Competition (NY). In 2022, Vania completed a European tour with Soundstreams, premiered the role of Wenli in City Opera Vancouver's production of CHINATOWN, and performed in The Glenn Gould Foundation's Celebration of Gould's 90th Birthday Anniversary, singing the music of Alma Deutscher. Upcoming: Vivaldi: But "Not the Seasons" (Rezonance Baroque Ensemble).
www.vaniachan.com |
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HOLLY CHAPLIN
Holly Chaplin is a coloratura soprano based in Toronto. Holly obtained her bachelor's degree in Voice Performance (2014) from York University where she studied, and continues to study with Stephanie Bogle.
Holly has interpreted the roles of Madamme Goldentrill from Der Schauspieledirektor (Co-Operative 2015), Olympia in TALES OF HOFFMANN (SOLT 2016), Frasquita in CARMEN ON TAP (2016), Ample Bliss in A Convenient Lie; the James Bond Opera (Malfi 2016, Abridged Opera 2017, Savoy Society 2018), Zerlina in DON GIOVANNI Odd Opera 2017), Micaela in CARMEN (37Ace 2017) and Cunegonde in CANDIDE (TIFT 2017) and Susanna in I DUE FIGARO.
Ms. Chaplin has been featured as a soloist with Pax Christi Chorale, Celebrity Symphony Orchestra, Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Operetta Theatre (Galop Offenbachien), Opera in Concert (Shakespeare 400, Chorus Fire) and with Summer Opera Lyric Theatre as the title role of Handel's SEMELE. She will be performing Fiordiligi in COSI FAN TUTTE (OA Henfenfeld, Germany) and Queen of the Night in MAGIC FLUTE in the fall of 2018. |
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AMY MOODIE
Amy Moodie is thrilled to be singing Giunia in this season's production of Lucio Silla and Dircé in Médée. Earlier this year, Ms. Moodie joined Toronto Operetta Theatre as Franzi in A Waltz Dream and Glita in the world premiere of A Northern Lights Dream.
She began the year by revisiting the role of Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance with COSA Canada and then performed contemporary opera scenes with Tapestry Opera for their Songbook XI Concert. In the fall of 2021, Ms. Moodie collaborated with A Good Mess Opera Theatre for their A Good Haunting virtual haunted house.
She has been a prizewinner at various competitions including, first place at the Toronto Mozart Competition, The American International Czech and Slovak Competition and the NATS Artists Awards. Other Recent performances include: Despina (Cosi fan Tutte), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Emma (Fierabras) and Semele (Semele).
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RYAN DOWNEY
A proud Newfoundlander, tenor Ryan Downey is quickly gaining nationwide recognition for his “nimbleness of voice” (Bachtrack) and “attractive lyric tenor colour” (Edmonton Journal). Ryan recently appeared with his hometown Newfoundland Symphony as tenor soloist in MESSIAH, as Goro in Windsor Symphony Orchestra’s MADAMA BUTTERFLY and covering the lead tenor role of Pinkerton, and will be making his National Arts Centre debut reprising his role of John in Opera on the Avalon’s OURS by John Estacio. Ryan has recently been a regular with several opera companies and symphonies, including Vancouver Opera, Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and Guelph Symphony Orchestra, Confluence Concerts and more. Recent select credits include Rodolfo in LA BOHEME, Danilo in THE MERRY WIDOW, the Witch in HANSEL AND GRETEL, Rinuccio in GIANNI SCHICCHI and much more. For concert credits and more detailed information on upcoming performances and recent news, please visit www.ryanpauldowney.com |
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NATALYA GENNADI
Ukrainian-Canadian singer Natalya Gennadi brings her "pure, strong, liquid soprano" to a wide range of repertoire. Natalya caused a sensation in her debut in the title role of Oksana G, Tapestry Opera's harrowing tale about human trafficking, earning a Dora Award nomination.
During the pandemic, Natalya led the cast as Adriana in a fully staged digital performance of Adriana Lecouvreur with VOICEBOX:Opera in Concert and appeared in several Opera Breaks cinematic videos produced by Domoney Artists. Natalya's opera roles include Violetta (La Traviata) and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) with Opera York, Countess Almaviva with Southern Ontario Lyric Opera's Le Nozze di Figaro, and Mimi in La bohème with Brott Opera.
In 2022, Natalya performed with Tapestry Opera's summertime outdoor Box Concerts, and was a guest artist with Toronto Concert Orchestra in a concert of opera favourites.
Natalya looks forward to her debut in 2023 with Pacific Opera Victoria as Gerhilde in Wagner's Die Walküre.
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EVAN KORBUT
Evan Korbut is a Toronto-based Anishinaabe baritone, born in Sault Ste. Marie, ON who is quickly garnering praise for his work in traditional, and particularly, new opera. His lyric baritone has been called "beautiful" and his command of the stage "complete" (Operaramblings, 2019).
Evan's season included the title role of Louis Riel/ Robideau in Manitoba Opera's world premiere of Li Keur - Riel's Heart of the North, a workshop with Art Impacts Inc. for the theatrical song cycle American Patriots, and in concert for Handel's Messiah with the Regina Symphony. His 2022-23 season included multiple roles in Anchorage Opera's Missing, by Métis playwright Marie Clements and Juno-winning composer Brian Current, and in recital with the Women's Musical Club of Toronto. 2021-22 saw the baritone appear in a variety of live and digital presentations including Bird in Ian Cusson's Indians on Vacation as part of Edmonton Opera's 'Wild Rose Project' of new Canadian operas, and as Virgil Thompson in The Mother of Us All and Michonnet in Adriana Levouvreur, both for Toronto's VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert.
Evan is a Dora Award winner for his roles as Simms/Spirit Chorus in Shanawdithit by Dean Burry, produced jointly by Tapestry Opera and Opera on the Avalon. The Stuart Hamilton Memorial Award Winner starred as Jamie Paul in the world premiere of The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, followed by the Canadian premiere of Schubert's Fierabras for VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert. Other career highlights include Owl in the premiere of Vancouver Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria's production of Flight of the Hummingbird by Maxime Goulet, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Danilo in The Merry Widow, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Marcello in La bohème, Tarquinius/Junius in The Rape of Lucretia, Dandini in La cenerentola, Figaro/Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Taddeo in L'italiana in Algeri, Publio in La clemenza di Tito, and Moses in Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.
Evan studied voice at the University of Western Ontario where he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees.
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JULIA MACVICAR
Julia MacVicar; Soprano (She/They) is an opera singer and interdisciplinary artist based in Tkaronto. Hailing from Epekwitk (PEI), and an alumnus of the Fountain School of Performing Arts, Dalhousie University (B.A.Mus 2020), MacVicar has been described onstage as "impressive dramatically and vocally… a big stunning sound" (Barczablog.com). As a neurodivergent individual, they are passionate about increasing inclusivity within creative spaces and exploring different narratives. Performance highlights include: Diana - Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld (Toronto Operetta Theatre 2022); Dido - James Rolfe's Aeneas and Dido (Dal Opera 2020); The Queen of the Night, The Magic Flute (Dal Opera 2017) |
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LAUREN MARGISON
Lauren Margison is making her mark as an exciting emerging soprano. She returns to the mainstage of Opéra de Montréal this season as Mimi in Puccini's La bohème and looks forward to debuting the title role of Alceste with Toronto's VOICEBOX Opera in Concert.
This past season, Lauren revisited the roles of Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci and Anna in Puccini's Le villi, and debuted the role of Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, all with Staatstheater Mainz. Lauren's recent engagements include Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen with Pacific Opera Victoria, Tatyana in Highland Opera Studio's production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 for Orchestre symphonique de Québec, The Csardas Princess with Toronto Operetta Theatre, and the titular role of Barber's Vanessa with Opera in Concert.
Margison has been featured as Mïcaela in Carmen with the Brott Music Festival, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Highlands Opera Studio, and appeared in concert with the PRISMA Festival in Strauss's Four Last Songs. She also appeared as Mimi in a special presentation of La Bohème with Artists of the COC Ensemble at The Four Seasons Centre and was featured in the COC's Elektra. |
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JULIE NESRALLAH
The dazzling Julie Nesrallah performs for leading opera companies, symphonies, festivals and chamber music ensembles across Canada and around the world.
Miss Nesrallah sang God Save the Queen for Will and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, for Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill in a performance that was viewed by millions. She also sang for An Evening for Peace for Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan in Montreal.
Miss Nesrallah is the host of Tempo on CBC Music and is also the executive producer and star of Carmen on Tap which performs Georges Bizet's Carmen as dinner theatre. Miss Nesrallah has been the recipient of several distinguished awards including the Canada Council for the Arts Emerging Artist Award & Mid-Career Grant, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for her cultural contribution to Canada's performing arts. |
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ANDREA NÚÑEZ
Praised for her "sumptuous timbre", Canadian soprano Andrea Núñez is establishing herself as a versatile young artist. She was heard as Adele in Die Fledermaus after her 2022 debut with the Toronto Operetta Theatre in O. Straus's A Waltz Dream.
Other 22-23 season highlights include Frasquita in Carmen with Pacific Opera Victoria and her role debut as Juliette in Roméo et Juliette with Québec's Opéra du Royaume. With Opéra de Montréal her roles have included First Lady in The Magic Flute, Kathleen in Riders to the Sea and Alice B Toklas in Gordon's Twenty-seven. Andrea is an alumna of Santa Fe Opera's Apprentice Artist Program and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis' Gerdine Young Artist Program where created the role of Pvt. Sonia Gonzalez in the world premiere of Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang's An American Soldier.
Ms. Núñez completed her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance at the University of Western Ontario under the tutelage of Jackalyn Short. She then went on to complete her Master of Music in Opera Performance at the University of Toronto under the instruction of Nathalie Paulin. She currently studies with Ariane Girard in Montréal.
Ms. Núñez has 11 years of competitive dance training in various styles including ballet, jazz, tap, and lyrical. She is of Peruvian and Chinese heritage and is fluent in Spanish. |
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SCOTT RUMBLE
Tenor Scott Rumble is an emerging dramatic talent making his mark on Canadian stages. Recent appearances include a role debut with Vancouver Opera as Steuermann in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer and with Manitoba Opera in the world premiere of Li Keur - Riel's Heart of the North. Upcoming, he looks forward to his role and company debut as Siegfried in Wagner's Die Walkure with Edmonton Opera and Robert in Meyerbeer's Robert le diable with Toronto's Opera in Concert. On the concert stage, he performs Verdi's Requiem with Chorus Niagara and Beethoven's Ninth with Ensemble Caprice.
Last season, Scott also joined Opéra de Montréal for the world premiere of La reine garçon, the Canadian Opera Company for Cherubini's Medea, and with VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert as Arrigo in Verdi's La battaglia di Legnano.
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HANDAYA RUSLI
Handaya Rusli made his operatic debut as Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte by OperaLab in 2018, and later as Colline in Puccini's La Boheme. He also performed with SOLT as Lescaut in Massenet's Manon, Giorgio Germont in Verdi's La Traviata, John Sorrel in Menotti's The Consul, and the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni. He reprised his role as Giorgio Germont in Toronto City Opera's Verdi's La Traviata. He performed with Opera in Concert as Jimmy in Kurt Weill's Little Mahagonny and as Dikoj in Janacek's Katya Kabanova. He also sang with Toronto Operetta Theatre as Cerberus in Offenbach's Orpheus In The Underworld, and as Frank, the Prison Governor, in Strauss' Die Fledermaus.
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JUSTIN WELSH
British Columbia baritone Justin Welsh's career highlights include appearances as Crown in Porgy and Bess with Kent Nagano conducting l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Queegueg in the Canadian premiere of Moby Dick for Calgary Opera. Justin has also sung Marcello in La bohème for l'Opéra de Montréal and Papageno in The Magic Flute and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro for Pacific Opera Victoria. In the realm of newer opera, he has made notable appearances in Vivier's Musik für das Ende produced by Soundstreams, Flight for Pacific Opera Victoria, and Against the Grain Theatre's on-going project, Bound.
His 2022-23 season included Tim Brady's Backstage at Carnegie Hall in Montreal and continues with Schaunard in Orchestre Philharmonique et Choeur des Mélomanes' La bohème, followed by a return to Pacific Opera Victoria for Weidhoff in Braunfels' Die Vögel and to Tapestry Opera as Izunna in Of the Sea. The 2021-22 season included performances with Tapestry Opera, Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, White Snake Projects, and joining the Canadian Opera Company for their digital production of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. He also joined Pacific Opera Victoria for both digital and in person productions, appearing in Raum's The Garden of Alice and as Leporello in Mozart's Don Giovanni.
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