OCTOBER 27 – NOVEMBER 3, 2012
Artists’ Biographies
Max
For Opera Atelier: Titles include: Idomeneo, 2008, Iphigénie en Tauride, 2009, and La Clemenza di Tito, 2011.
Elsewhere: He regularly appears in major opera houses, concert halls and festivals and Operatic repertoire under conductors: William Christie, Marc Minkowski, Hartmut Haenchen, Christian Zacharias, Kent Nagano, Phillip Herreweghe, Myung-Whun Chung, Yuri Temirkanov, Thomas Hengelbrock, Fabio Luisi, Paul Daniel, Andrew Parrot, Rene Jacobs etc. Highlights include: Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, Strauss’s Die Aegyptische Helena, Mozart’s Il re pastore, Händel’s Ariodante, Händel’s Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Monteverdi’s Ulisse, Le Rossignol, Oedipus Rex by Strawinsky, Die Fledermaus by Strauss.
Etcetera: The Croatian tenor Krešimir Špicer finished his singing studies at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. His international breakthrough took place at the Aix-en-Provence festival 2000 with an outstanding Ulisse in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse. The success of this production resulted in a world tour, as well as in a much-acclaimed DVD recording.
Wise Hermit
For Opera Atelier: Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio.
Elsewhere: Philippe in Don Carlos (Hamburgishe Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper am Rhein). Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin (San Francisco Opera, The National Symphony). Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio (Opéra Atelier, Boston Lyric Opera, Vlammse Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Wolftrap Opera). 50th Anniversary performance of Blitch in Susannah (Orlando Opera). Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress (Toledo Opera). Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte (New York City Opera) Commendatore in Don Giovanni (Florida Grand, Cincinnati Opera, Deutsche Oper, Boston Baroque, Oper Graz). Sparafucile in Rigoletto (Deutsche Oper, Cincinnati Opera) Shostakovich’s 13th Symphony Babi Yar (Seattle Symphony). Mozart Requiem (Atlanta Symphony). Ghost of Hector in Les Troyens (Boston Symphony Orchestra). Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress (Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra). Ramphis in Aïda (Anton Coppola’s final performance with Opera Tampa)
Upcoming: Ramphis in Aïda (Cincinnati Opera), Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlo (Austin Lyric Opera).
Kaspar
For Opera Atelier: Vasil’s 2012-2013 season begins with a return to Opera Atelier in Der Freischütz as the villain Kaspar. Highlights from recent seasons include Leporello in Don Giovanni with both Opera Atelier and Opera Columbus; Aronte in Armide with Opera Atelier.
Elsewhere: A debut and world premiere of The Inventor at Calgary Opera. As an Emerging Artist with Calgary Opera Vasil sang Don Alfonso in Cosi fan Tutte, moving on to the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera on the Avalon.
Upcoming: He continues the season singing Pistola in Michael Cavangh’s production of Falstaff at Calgary Opera. Concert appearances include Brahm’s German Requiem with Regina Symphony.
Etcetera: Macedonian baritone, Vasil Garvanliev began singing professionally at the age of seven in his native country, achieving celebrated status. He moved to Toronto in 2004 completing his studies at the Glenn Gould School and the University of Toronto. He then spent the 2010/11 Season as a member of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Young Artist Program.
Äanchen
For Opera Atelier: Susanna, Blonde, Zerlina, Papagena, Minerva, Drusilla, Actéon.
Elsewhere: Carla began her career in Italy and France singing Teatro La Fenice (Venice) in Gershwin’s Lady, Be Good! and Cherubini’s Anacreon. She sang Angelica in Handel’s Orlando and the title role in Purcell’s Fairy Queen in Marseille, also performing in Aix, Tarascon, Toulon, Avignon and Chartres. Carla sang with the UK’s Garsington Opera – Lisetta in La Gazzetta and Serpetta in La Finta Giardiniera and with London’s Mostly Mozart series at the Barbican. Other European highlights include Bernstein’s Candide with the BBC Concert Orchestra, The Valletta festival in Malta, and a concert tour of the UK and Germany with the Royal Philharmonic.
Upcoming: Brian Current’s Airline Icarus, a western Canada tour of Sokolovic’s Svadba, performances with New Music Concerts (Feb.3) and Talisker Players (Mar.5/6).
Etcetera: Carla performs regularly with Opera Atelier, Queen of Puddings, Soundstreams and Continuum Ensemble in Canada.
Kuno
Olivier LaQuerre
Bass-Baritone
For Opera Atelier: Médée, Iphigénie en Tauride, Don Giovanni, Persée, Armide, Orfeo, Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, Idomeneo, L’Incoronazione di Poppea, Le Nozze di Figaro.
Elsewhere: Canadian Opera Company, Cleveland Opera, Boston Early Music Festival, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Symphony Nova Scotia, etc.
Upcoming: Monteverdi’s Orfeo with the Boston Early Music Festival (November 24-25 2012; Mozart’s Magic Flute with Opera Atelier (April 2013).
Etcetera: Olivier Laquerre is a laureate of the Paris and the Verviers (Belgium) international voice competitions, and has been in great demand as a soloist since winning the Joseph-Rouleau Award (First Prize) at the Jeunesses musicales national voice competition. He performed with some of the best orchestras and vocal ensembles in North America. He is a regular guest soloist at the Boston Early Music Festival, with whom he has recorded 4 CD’s under the CPO label (Germany).
Agathe
For Opera Atelier: Meghan Lindsay begins the 2012/13 season with the role of Agathe in Opera Atelier’s Der Freischütz. Last year, she made her Opera Atelier debut in 2011 as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with what the Toronto Star described as a “stunningly attractive stage presence married to the kind of crisp, clear sound that gives the role its true place in the score.” She continued the 2012/13 season with the role of Sidonie/Nymphe des Eaux in Lully’s Armide in Toronto, The Royal Opera of the Palace of Versailles, and the Glimmerglass Festival.
Elsewhere: Meghan was a young artist with Opera Studio Nederland, where she made her international debut as Euredice in Pierre Audi’s production of Monteverdi’s Orfeo and her Concertgebouw debut performing excerpts from Don Giovanni and Le Nozze di Figaro. Other recent highlights include Fiordiligi in Opera Studio Nederland’s Cosi fan Tutte, Contessa in Opera on the Avalon’s Le Nozze di Figaro, the title role in Massenet’s Cendrillon at Koerner Hall, and Richard Danielpour’s Sonnets to Orpheus under the baton of Paul Nadler.
Killian / Prince Ottokar
For Opera Atelier: Baritone Michael Nyby is making his debut with Opera Atelier.
Elsewhere: He has performed with the Vancouver Opera, Burnaby Lyric Opera, the Vancouver Bach Choir, the Santa Fe Opera, Minnesota Opera, The Schubert Club, the Caramoor Festival, and the Duluth Festival Opera. Michael was a member of the 2007–2008 Vancouver Opera in Schools touring ensemble with whom he sang 138 performances of Figaro in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia.
Upcoming: Michael will be appearing this season as the baritone soloist in Carmina Burana with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
Etcetera: A native of Hamilton, Ontario. In 2011, he created the role of William Dale in Minnesota Opera’s world premiere production of Kevin Putz’s Pulitzer Prize winning Silent Night. He was recently singled out in The New York Times for his “standout performance as the shepherd Leuthold” in Caramoor’s production of Guillaume Tell.
Samiel
For Opera Atelier: During his long association with Opera Atelier, Curtis has played diverse roles for the company including Dr. Bartolo and Count Almaviva The Marriage of Figaro, Aeneas Dido and Aeneas, Neptune Idomeneo, Masetto, and Commendatore Don Giovanni to audiences in Canada and the U.S., as well as in cities as far ranging as Singapore, Seoul, Yokohama, and Tokyo.
Elsewhere: A performer of the stage, concert hall, film, and TV, some stage highlights include Cascada The Merry Widow (San Francisco Opera), Schaunard La Bohème (Calgary Opera), Harold Hill The Music Man (Port Hope Festival Theatre), Petruchio The Taming of the Shrew (Pacific Opera Victoria), Sky Masterson Guys & Dolls (Port Hope Festival Theatre), Billy Bigelow Carousel (Drayton Ent.), Giorgio Passion (Canadian Stage), Dancairo Carmen (Vancouver Opera), Henry Higgins My Fair Lady (Toronto Operetta Theatre), Giuseppe Palmieri The Gondoliers (Stratford Festival) and the title role in the North American tour of Tchaikovsky Discovers America.
Etcetera: His passion for new work has taken him to lead roles in numerous Canadian and world premieres with such companies as Tapestry New Opera, Vancouver New Music, and The National Arts Centre.
PRODUCTION TEAM
For Opera Atelier: Conductor Lully: Armide; Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, La Clemenza di Tito; Monteverdi: Orfeo, L’incoronazione di Poppea; Il Ritorno d’Ulisse; Purcell: Dido and Aeneas; Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice; Rameau: Pygmalion; Handel: Acis and Galatea, Il pastor fido, La Resurrezione; Charpentier: Actéon.
Elsewhere: Glimmerglass Festival, Toronto Consort, Houston Grand Opera, Luminato Festival, Utah Opera, Elora Festival, Symphony Nova Scotia, Symphony New Brunswick, Festival Vancouver, and more.
Upcoming: Soundstreams: Murray Schafer The Love that Moves the Universe, Orchestra London: Handel Messiah, Toronto Consort: Cavalli Gli Amori d’Apollo e di Dafne, Opera Atelier: Mozart The Magic Flute.
Et cetera: Mr. Fallis was the historical music producer for the TV series “The Tudors” and is currently the historical music producer for “The Borgias”. He directs Choir 21, dedicated to contemporary choral music, and he teaches in the Graduate Department of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto.
For Opera Atelier: Resident set designer Gerard Gauci has worked with the company since its inception in 1986. Since then, he has designed sets for all of Opera Atelier’s repertoire including Orfeo, The Coronation of Poppea, Persée, Medée, Iphigénie en Tauride, Idomeneo, The Marriage of Figaro, La Clemenza di Tito, Don Giovanni and Armide.
Elsewhere: In 2010 he designed the exhibition “Drama and Desire” at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Etcetera: Gauci also pursues a career as a painter, exhibiting in Toronto at the Katzman Kamen Gallery and in Montréal at the Galerie de Bellefeuille. (Photo by Jim Allen.)
Bonnie Beecher
Lighting Designer
For Opera Atelier: Der Freischutz is Bonnie’s 6th production with Opera Atelier.
Elsewhere: Bonnie has designed over 250 productions for theatre, opera and dance both in Canada and internationally. Canadian companies include Canadian Stage, The Canadian Opera, Stratford, The Shaw Festival, Tarragon Theatre, Soulpepper, Ballet British Columbia, and The National Ballet of Canada. International work includes productions for The Dutch National Ballett, Pacific Northwest Ballet, New Zealand Opera, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The American Ballet Theatre, The Stuttgart Ballett, and over 12 new productions for the Kevin O’Day Ballett – Mannheim in Germany.
Recent productions include Private Light (The American Ballet Theatre), Rilke (The Kevin O’Day Ballett,) The Missalliance and Come Back Little Sheba (Shaw Festival), The Small Room at the Top of the stairs ( Tarragon) and Death of a Salesman (Soulpepper).
Etcetera: Bonnie has received 12 Dora nominations and has won the award twice.
For Opera Atelier: Don Giovanni (2011); The Marriage of Figaro (Dora Award Winner, 2010).
Elsewhere: The Mikado and Intermezzo (Glimmerglass Festival); You Never Can Tell (Shaw Festival); MacBeth and Julius Caesar (Stratford Festival); Intermezzo (New York City Opera); Aida and Don Carlos (Boston Lyric Opera); Sullivan and Gilbert (St. Lawrence Centre, National Arts Centre and the Kennedy Centre). In film and television she is best remembered for her Anne of Green Gables. As well she has designed Amazon; Salem Witch Trials; One Tough Cop and a further number of TV movies.
Upcoming: Rest, recreation and reading.
Etcetera: Martha Mann has been a designer in Toronto for many years. Her work has taken her to Stratford, New York, Washington, Boston, Baltimore, Milwalke, Oklahoma, Florida, Princeton, Vermont, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, London and Ottawa.