RAVEL

Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In the 1920s and 1930s Ravel was internationally regarded as France’s greatest living composer. His work, modest in quantity (eighty-six original works, twenty-five orchestrated or transcribed works), is the fruit of varied influences ranging from Couperin and Rameau to the colours and rhythms of jazz, including the recurring influence of Spain.

An Orientalism trend had swept through Western art music at the end of the 19th century. Maurice Ravel responded by writing an opera based on the Thousand and One Nights. He produced the Overture, completed in 1898 and given its public premiere six months later, to a mixed reaction of applause and cat-calls. In 1903, on the same theme and re-purposing some of the music from his Overture, he created a song cycle for soprano (or high-register mezzo-soprano) setting poems by Tristan Klingsor and bearing the title of Shéhérazade

L’ENFANT LUCIE ST-MARTIN SOPRANO

Soprano Lucie St-Martin possesses a distinctive stage presence that captivates audiences. This year, her recent experiences included covering the roles of Jeanne Boitel ( La Beauté du monde , OdM), Inès ( Il Trovarore , OdM), Papagena ( La flûte enchantée , OdM) and Armide/ narration ( L’Enfer des lumières , Atelier Lyrique). Lucie St-Martin is a grant recipient of the Jacqueline Desmarais, McAbbie, and Desjardins foundations, Jeunesses Musicales Canada, and the Opéra Bouffe du Québec.

Lucie St-Martin is generously sponsored by Sue Wehner.

Credit : Tam Photography

MAMAN / LIBELLULE / TASSE / PÂTRE / ENSEMBLES SYDNEY FRODSHAM CONTRALTO

Canadian American contralto Sydney Frodsham explores her roles through the lens of raw emotions and poetic sensitivity. Recent performances include Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Third Lady in La flûte enchantée , Irene in Theodora, and Bradamante in Alcina sydneyfrodsham.com

Sydney Frodsham is generously sponsored by Colleen and Mirko Wicha.

Credit : Tam Photography

BERGÈRE / CHOUETTE / PASTOURELLE / ENSEMBLES

Emma Fekete Soprano

Emma Fekete spent five years in the Netherlands where she graduated cum laude from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam’s Master of Music. During 2021–2022, Emma performed with TOBS and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. Emma will make her debut with Opéra de Montréal in May as The Cousin in Madama Butterfly emmafekete.com

Emma Fekete is generously sponsored by Isabelle Murray and Dominic Chalifoux.

Credit : Tam Photography

FEU / PRINCESSE / ROSSIGNOL / ENSEMBLES KAROLINE PODOLAK SOPRANO

Karoline won First Place at the 2021 Polish Academy of Music Tournament, confirming as the best soprano student in the country. In 2022, Karoline made her debut as Violetta in La Traviata at the National Opera and Ballet of Bulgaria. She is a winner of the TorontoBuffalo District at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

Karoline Podolak is generously sponsored by Emmelle and Alvin Segal. karolinepodolak.com

Credit : Tam Photography

ARITHMÉTIQUE / RAINETTE / ENSEMBLES MARC-ANTOINE BRÛLÉ TENOR

Marc-Antoine Brûlé enjoys exploring various channels of expression. He performed the roles of Eisenstein ( La Chauve-Souris , Strauss), Prince Charming (Cendrillon, Massenet) and Pluto (Orphée aux enfers , Offenbach). He received the Stingray Rising Star Award 2020. This season, he sings the role of Camille in Une veuve Joyeuse on tour with Jeunesses Musicales Canada.

Marc-Antoine Brûlé is generously sponsored by Claude Leblanc.

Credit : Tam Photography

FAUTEUIL / ARBRE / ENSEMBLES

Matthew Li Basse

Matthew Li recently held the leading role in the world premiere of the opera Chinatown with City Opera Vancouver. His was also a Passenger in Le Flambeau de la nuit , Colline ( La Bohème), Sarastro ( The Magic Flute), Masetto and Il Commendatore ( Don Giovanni ), Simone (Gianni Schicchi ), and Henry Davis ( Street Scene).

Matthew Li is generously sponsored by the Andrea Alacchi Family.

Credit : Tam Photography

CHAT / HORLOGE / ENSEMBLES MIKELIS ROGERS BARITONE

Mikelis completed his undergraduate studies in voice performance in 2022, studying under Jean MacPhail and earning the Bachelor of Music degree in Performance, Voice. Mikelis made his entrance on the Canadian opera scene by winning the Stingray Rising Star prize at Opéra de Montréal’s 2021 Talent Gala national competition.

Mikelis Rogers is generously sponsored by Marie-Hélène Fox, in loving memory of Claude Morin.

Credit : Tam Photography CHATTE

/ ÉCUREUIL / CHAUVE-SOURIS / ENSEMBLES // ASIE, L’INDIFFÉRENT (SHÉHÉRAZADE)

Martina Myskohlid

MEZZO-SOPRANO

A finalist in the OSM Competition 2021, Martina Myskohlid also received the Encouragement Award of the Metropolitan Opera National District Competition. In 2021, she sang with the Orchestre Métropolitain and the Orchestre symphonique de Laval, and was the official cover for the Second Lady in Opéra de Montréal’s The Magic Flute . She will travel to Paris in June to take part in the Génération Opéra international competition.

Martina Myskohlid is generously sponsored by Pascal Lépine. martinamyskohlid.com

Credit : Tam Photography

THÉIÈRE / ENSEMBLES ANGELO MORETTI TENOR

Angelo’s natural vocal projection and remarkable stage presence led him to many opportunities and successes at a young age. Recent experiences include the role of Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge in The Bells of Baddeck , a musical drama created by Lorna MacDonald and Dean Burry, and making his professional operatic debut at the Opéra de Montréal as Ruiz in Verdi’s Il Trovatore angelomorettitenor.com

Angelo Moretti is generously sponsored by Joan Vogelesang and Fred Heese.

Credit : Tam Photography

ENSEMBLES / LA FLÛTE ENCHANTÉE (SHÉHÉRAZADE) MISHAEL EUSEBIO

TENOR

Mishael Eusebio is fascinated by the creation of new works. His recent portrayal of Young Harvey in the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’s world premiere of Harvey Milk Reimagined was recently featured in Opera America Magazine . He was a Passenger ( Le Flambeau de la nuit ) and sang the Navigator/Manoj ( A Space of Sky, Houston Grand Opera workshop).

Mishael Eusebio is generously sponsored by Dr. François Loubert.

Credit : Tam Photography

Nicolas Ellis Conductor

Nicolas Ellis is the Artistic Director, Conductor and Founder of the Orchestre de l’Agora and currently serves as Artistic Partner to the Orchestre Métropolitain and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He was recently named Principal Guest Conductor of Les Violons du Roy starting in the 2023–2024 season. Mr. Ellis has performed as guest conductor with numerous Canadian orchestras including the Vancouver Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Orchestre de chambre

I Musici de Montréal, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

Credit : Maxime Girard-Tremblay

Sylvain Scott

Stage Director And Set Designer

Since graduating from the professional theatre department at Collège Lionel-Groulx in 1988, Sylvain Scott has made a name for himself as an actor, singer, stage director, and composer. He is also the co-founder and artistic co-director of Théâtre Le Clou, a company that creates shows for youth and adult audiences in Quebec and in Europe. For the company, he has directed works including Faire crier les murs , Le chant du Koï, and Océantume. His productions of Je suis William and Le Scriptarium 2019 won critics’ awards for Best Young Audience Show from the Quebec Theatre Critics Association.

MARC SÉNÉCAL COSTUME DESIGNER ( L’ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES )

Marc Senécal has worked as a set and costume designer in the theatre world for over thirty-three years. He has contributed to several critically and popularly acclaimed productions, the products of enriching collaborations, including Les Voisins and Le dîner de con, both directed by André Robitaille, Des souris et des hommes , directed by Vincent-Guillaume Otis and Bonjour, là, bonjour and Métamorphose by Claude Poissant. Marc is a faithful collaborator of several highly distinguished stage directors. Last fall marked his ninth collaboration with Lorraine Pintal in Le roman de Monsieur Molière presented at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. His work earned him public recognition at the 2018 Prix Gascon-Roux, and an award for his costume designs for Les fourberies de Scapin

ÉLYSABETH DAIGLE COSTUME DESIGNER (SHÉHÉRAZADE )

A graduate of the Theatre School of the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe in 2009, Elysabeth Daigle was introduced to the worlds of the circus, theatre, opera, and dance through collaborations in various projects as a costume designer and wardrobe assistant. In 2022, she designed the costumes for L’enfer des lumières staged by François Racine, a collaboration between the Orchestre de l’Agora and the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. She also works as a seamstress, project manager and wardrobe specialist.

ALEXANDRE PILON-GUAY LIGHTING DESIGNER

After graduating from the theatre program at Collège Lionel-Groulx in 2003, Alexandre quickly became involved with the Montreal professional dance scene. An artist who is continually developing, he draws his inspiration from performers’ gestures and their relationship to the space around them. His work fully embraces the interplay between the body and light. His approach could be characterized as giving primacy to light in its pure state. Nothing in his work is a futile detail: shadow and darkness are not the result of an oversight or an error, but the complement of directed light.

JUSTINE DENONCOURT-BÉLANGER HAIR AND MAKEUP DESIGN

A resourceful and self-taught adept in her field, Justine DenoncourtBélanger began as an assistant to makeup artist Amélie BruneauLongpré in productions including Roméo et Juliette (Juste pour rire and the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde) and the opera Carmen (OSM). A truly versatile craftsperson, her track record also includes several collaborations with photographers. While her field of expertise is theatre, she frequently forays into the worlds of television, fashion, music, and more recently, circus arts. Her work is particularly esteemed by theatre artists.

Credit : Juliette-Clémentine Aubin

REBECCA KLASSEN-WIEBE REHEARSAL PIANIST

Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe is a pianist whose attention to detail and ability to learn and adapt quickly make her an invaluable collaborator. Rebecca is the recipient of a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She won the 2014 Verna Mae Janzen Competition and upon graduation, received the prestigious President’s Medal from this institution.

Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe is generously sponsored by Carolyn Vogelesang and Robert Dancik.

Credit : Tam Photography

Christopher Gaudreault Pianist And Assistant Conductor

Canadian conductor and collaborative pianist Christopher Gaudreault seeks to foster an environment in which the qualities of each individual voice can be heard. Christopher is the recipient of a major scholarship for his master’s degree, the Constance Willey Prize, the Paul-Marcel Gélinas et Verna-Marie Parr Gélinas Piano Award, as well as the Ellen Ballon Piano Scholarship.

Christopher Gaudreault is generously sponsored by Normand Cardella.

Credit : Tam Photography

Through the support of the Vanda Treiser Initiatives, artists-in-residence with the Atelier lyrique have access toaccess to some of the finest resources available to them for achieving their full vocal and artistic potential. This includes the masterclass, given on December 9, 2022, with distinguished Canadian soprano and orchestral conductor Barbara Hannigan . An intensely fruitful moment of sharing and artistic exchange.