Mireille Asselin (soprano) - A singer deemed “a treasure” by the Toronto Star, Canadian soprano Mireille Asselin enjoys a diverse, international career spanning concert, opera and recital work. To date, Mireille has sung five seasons at the Metropolitan Opera, where she debuted as Poussette in MANON. She then made waves by jumping in as Adele for opening night of DIE FLEDERMAUS giving a performance that critics raved “stole the show”, hailing it as one of New York’s “most enchanting” of the season. Mireille obtained her Master of Music from Yale University’s Opera Program and was a member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio. Prior to her studies at Yale, she completed a Bachelor of Music at the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music. For Mireille’s full biography and further information, visit her website at mireilleasselin.com Ryan McDonald (countertenor) has been seen on stage across Canada and Europe in a variety of operatic and concert roles. Opera Canada hailed Ryan’s performance in Dido and Aeneas: “McDonald has a voice of luminous, fresh colour, combined with natural musicality and an exciting sense of narrative drama”. Ryan is currently pursuing a DMA at the University of Toronto where they are researching the life of Klaus Nomi and investigating the ever expanding queer performance practice guide. Ryan is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of OperaQ, a company focused specifically on presenting queer theater, by queer artists for queer audiences. OperaQ’s first commissioned work, Medusa’s Children, has been named a finalist for the 2023 Awards for Digital Excellence in Opera presented by Opera America. Jonathan Monro (tenor) is honoured to be back home in St. John’s with the NSO to take part in his first-ever Messiah. A multi-faceted performer and writer, Jonathan has been featured on stages all over the world as an actor, pianist, and singer, including at Carnegie Hall, the Stratford Festival, and on Broadway. He has been a repeat soloist with the NSO, most recently headlining New York, New York, and was last seen in Newfoundland conducting the hit musical Come From Away in Gander. St. John’s audiences might remember him as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables or as Ted in 2 Pianos 4 Hands. Jonathan is currently a doctoral candidate at McGill, where he studies voice with John Mac Master. He is also the head of voice, speech, and singing at Dawson College in Montreal, and has taught voice at Concordia University and at the National Theatre School. He would like to dedicate this performance to his former choral conductor, Susan Quinn, who had him singing tenor solos in Bach cantatas in his teens and early twenties. For Jonathan’s full biography and further information, visit his website at jonathanmonro.com Gregory Dahl (baritone) is one of Canada’s most in demand performers for the works of Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, and Strauss. Dahl has appeared with the Canadian Opera Company, with highlights including the title role of Wagner’s Der Fliegende Hollander (Opéra de Québec), Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca (Calgary Opera, Opéra de Montréal, Manitoba Opera), and the title role of Verdi’s Rigoletto (Calgary Opera, Opéra de Québec). Equally at home on the concert stage, he has performed across Canada, from Symphony Nova Scotia to Vancouver Symphony, as a featured soloist. A consummate musician, Dahl has premiered roles with great acclaim, including Rolfe’s Beatrice Chancy and Estacio’s Filumena. This year, Gregory performed and directed a new, filmed production of Filumena with Brott Music Festival. Dahl is currently on the voice faculty of the University of Toronto. For Gregory’s full biography and further information, visit his website at gregorydahl.com
Marc David (conductor) - Prior to being appointed Music Director of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra in June 2011, Marc David spent 19 seasons as the NSO’s Principal Conductor. He has now stepped down from the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil where he was Artistic Director for 25 years and was Music Director and Conductor of the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra from 1988 to 1995. As guest conductor, Marc David has worked with orchestras across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Switzerland and Asia. His engagements include concerts with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Canada), the Masan Philharmonic (Korea), the Orquesta Sinfonica de Yucatan (Mexico), the Orquesta Sinfonica de la Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico), the Fribourg Youth Orchestra (Switzerland), and many more. In October 2007, Marc David received the Tribute to a Builder of the Arts award at the first Cultural Gala of the City of Longueuil. Also, recipient of grants in conducting from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Quebec Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and l’Université de Montréal, he received the Heinz Unger Conducting Award in 1984. David obtained his Bachelor of Music at McGill University in 1983 and has since continued his studies in orchestral conducting at Hartford University (Connecticut) and at l’Université de Montréal where he completed a doctoral degree (new music conducting). He also studied at the Aspen Music Festival and several years at the Pierre Monteux School (Hancock, Maine), where he was Maestro Charles Bruck’s assistant. In 2002, Marc David was appointed Adjunct Professor at the School of Music of Memorial University (Newfoundland). Other activities have involved jury work for various competitions and festivals such as the Canadian Music Competition, Prix d’Europe and Jeunesses Musicales Montreal International Competition, as well as sitting on the Artistic Committee of Les Jeunesses Musicales du Canada (2002 to date), the Boards of Orchestras Canada (1997-2003), and chairing the Quebec regional council of the Canadian Music Centre (2002-03).
WAYS TO SUPPORT THE NSO You don’t have to be a musician to play your part in the NSO. NSO supporters make an investment in one of this province’s most important educational, musical, and cultural resources. The NSO performs nearly 20 times each season and reaches over 20,000 people across all demographics. This would not be possible without the support of the community, local businesses and people like YOU! There are many different ways to support your NSO and help us continue to grow orchestral music in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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