Artists’
PROFILES
(in order of vocal appearance)
Peter Dala Conductor
Peter Dala began his conducting career 30 years ago with the Basel Ballet. He conducted for seven years at the Hungarian State Opera and the National Ballet of Hungary. As Edmonton Opera’s chorusmaster from 1996 to 2012 and resident conductor from 2001 to 2012, he prepared the chorus for roughly 40 operas, has played over 50 operas as repetiteur and has conducted over 30 operas. In 2001 he began his affiliation with Alberta Ballet and was named music director in 2005. He has conducted over 40 different productions for them.
Maria Lamont Director
Maria Lamont’s directing credits include the world creation of the First Nations opera Giiwedin (Native Earth Performing Arts) and Enoch Arden in the Hope Shelter (Theatre Centre in Toronto). She also directed Maria Stuarda for Pacific Opera Victoria, which she will revive for Edmonton Opera this spring. She has worked as an assistant and as a revival director for opera companies all over the world, including La Scala Milan, La Monnaie Brussels, Theater an der Wien Vienna, Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris, De Nederlandse Opera Amsterdam, Le Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, Opéra du Rhin Strasbourg, Canadian Opera Company, English National Opera and Hyogo Performing Arts Festival Japan.
Geoffrey Sirett
Morales/Dancaïre | baritone Geoffrey Sirett continues to impress musicians and audiences in debut performances in opera, concert and recital repertoire. Recent career highlights include William Dale in Kevin Puts’ Silent Night (Opéra Montréal), Adams’ The Wound Dresser (Victoria Symphony) and Messiah for the orchestras of Winnipeg and London. He premiered The Bells of Baddeck in Nova Scotia and looks forward to Brander in Damnation of Faust for Calgary Symphony. Geoffrey holds degrees from the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario. The Kingston native is the winner of the Jim and Charlotte Song Prize, and his solo album, Vagabond, is devoted to Art Songs in English.
Lida Szkwarek Micaëla | soprano
A graduate of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Development Program, Lida recently competed as a semi-finalist with the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. Other recent performances include Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) and Micaëla (Carmen) with Saskatoon Opera, Susanna (Susanna’s Secret) with Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Development Program as well as her debut with the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra. Past performances include Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Rusalka (Rusalka), Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro) and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni). Upcoming performances include the Guelph Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem. Lida will also be returning to Calgary Opera to perform Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte.
Jeffrey Gwaltney Don José | tenor
Jeffrey Gwaltney has appeared in London at the Royal Albert Hall as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, at Opera Holland Park as Dick Johnson in La Fanciulla del West and as Luigi in Il Tabarro, at the Scottish Opera as Erik (George) in The Flying Dutchman and at Opera Ireland as the Prince in Rusalka. He has appeared with Opera on the James, Opera North and PORT Opera as Rodolfo in La bohème, Opera Idaho and Opera North as Don José in Carmen, and Mobile Opera as Pinkerton. This season, he will appear at the Wexford Festival in Ireland as Simon Perez in Frederick Delius’ Koanga and make debuts with Opera Carolina (Canio in Pagliacci) and Edmonton Opera.
Aaron Dimoff
Zuniga | bass-baritone Ontario native Aaron Dimoff is making his Edmonton Opera debut as Zuniga. He previously debuted at Calgary Opera as the Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly, and went on to sing there as British Major in Silent Night, Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro and Zuniga in Carmen as part of the Emerging Artist Development Program. As an Emerging Artist, he also sang Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia and Des Grieux in Le portrait de Manon. Aaron’s recent concert appearances include Mendelssohn’s Elijah and as Sciarrone in the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s production of Tosca.
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