Mission
As an artist residency for Canadian opera singers and pianist-vocal coaches, the Atelier lyrique is an advanced professional development launch pad. It is the only program of its kind in Quebec (in terms of duration, remuneration, and resources), offering training and on-stage experience for Canadian opera artists with the best prospects for a career in the industry. The Atelier seeks to adequately equip each of its participants, enabling them to reach their full potential, while promoting their entry into the professional sphere.
The only program in Canada to train its members in both official languages, it facilitates networking and furthers its members’ reach in French-speaking countries and around the world. The Atelier also plays a key role in enhancing Montreal’s artistic vitality, developing productive partnerships with orchestras, artists/artisans, and Québécois/Canadian companies.
In 2018/19, 9 singers and one pianist take part in the journey!
Over 30 productions presented by the Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal residents artists.
2018-2019 : 27 (Gordon & Vavrek)
2017-2018: Svadba (Sokolovic); Le Royaume de Michabous (Balfour)
2016-2017: Amahl and the Night Visitors (Menotti); Carmen (Bizet); Poperetta
2015-2016 : L'elisir d'amore (Donizetti) ; Petite messe solennelle (Rossini) ; Trilogie de la Séduction
2014-2015 : Tournée Les Amoureux célèbres, Zémire et Azor (Grétry);
La Voix humaine (Poulenc) & Trouble In Tahiti (Bernstein); Messiah (Handel); Casse-noisette et opéra; L'Operette
2013-2014 : Hänsel et Gretel (Humperdinck)
2012-2013 : The Old Maid and the Thief / Amahl and the Night Visitors (Menotti)
2011-2012 : Rossini et ses muses
2010-2011 : Le Consul (Menotti)
2009-2010 : Nelligan (Gagnon)
2008-2009 : Cosi fan tutte (Mozart)
2007-2008 : L’heure espagnole (Ravel) / Le secret de Suzanne (Wolf-Ferrari)
2006-2007 : Il mondo della luna (Haydn)
2005-2006 : The Turn of the Screw (Britten)
2004-2005 : Didon et Énée (Purcell)
2004-2005 : L'Arche (Isabelle Panneton) World Premiere
2003-2004 : Elia (Silvio Palmieri) World Premiere
2003-2004 : La bohème (Puccini)
2002-2003 : La flûte enchantée (Mozart)
2001-2002 : Amelia Goes to the Ball (Menotti)
2000-2001 : Il segreto di Susanna (Wolf-Ferrari)
1999-2002 : Opéra (extraits d'opéras)
1998-1999 : Soirée à l'opérette
1997-1998 : Soirée à l'opérette
1996-1997 : Un amour fou pour l'opéra
1995-1996 : Operafollia
1994-1995 : Extraits d'opéras
1993-1994 : Resurrezione (Handel), The Telephone (Menotti), The Old Maid and the Thief (Menotti)
1992-1993 : La cantate du café (Bach), Il segreto di Susanna (Wolf-Ferrari)
Training
Artists accepted into the Atelier lyrique undergo intense training and acquire extensive experience in the profession while taking advantage of musical, theatrical, and linguistic resources offered in collaboration with the Opéra de Montréal. Training is centred on individual and group rehearsals led by renowned coaches. Each week, the young artists work with trainers—rehearsal pianists, voice teachers, or conductors—for an average of thirty hours. This year, opera coaches Marie-Ève Scarfone (Head Vocal Coach), Louise-Andrée Baril, Martin Dubé, Esther Gonthier, Francis Perron and Claude Webster as well as stage directors Alain Gauthier and Oriol Tomas will be working with the Atelier members. In addition, each year, young artists benefit from master classes, held privately or before an audience, led by guest opera artists such as Denise Massé, Liz Upchurch, Margaret Singer, Richard Margison, Valérie Kuinka, Tom Diamond, John Norris, David Lefkowich, Lena Hellström-Färnlöf, Ariane Girard, Melody Moore etc. Classes in French conversation are also offered. The young artists have a personal allocation for voice lessons and specific musical coachings, fitness, lyric diction, language, etc. The Atelier offers career management seminars.
Performance experience
To familiarize themselves with the workings of the profession, the young artists of the Atelier lyrique take part in Opéra de Montréal productions. In doing so, not only do they learn the great works of the operatic repertoire, they also get the chance to make their professional debut in roles suited to their ability. At the same time, they become more at ease with working their way into the professional milieu. Each year, opera fans thereby have the pleasure of discovering Atelier lyrique members in various productions. In addition, in order to give members the opportunity to appear on stage as often as possible, the Atelier will be collaborating with a number of renowned orchestras and choirs in 2017-2018: Chœur Métropolitain, Orchestre symphonique de l’Agora, Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil et l’Orchestre symphonique de la Vallée du Haut-Saint-Laurent. For the past 7 years, the Atelier has also been involved in a fruitful exchange with the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio in Toronto: Concert Collaborations. The Atelier also gives school matinees and interactive introduction-to-opera workshops for young audiences, as well as being an active participant in the Opéra de Montréal’s coOpera project. Lastly, the Atelier arranges auditions with opera company directors—allowing members to gain some recognition in the artistic community—, along with meetings and seminars with resource people who provide advice on career management.