Portrait Karoline Podolak, soprano

KAROLINE PODOLAK, SOPRANO
ATELIER LYRIQUE 2022-2023

Text: Véronique Gauthier

Photos: Marianne Charland

After an uncommon early career that took her from Toronto to Poland, soprano Karoline Podolak joined the ranks of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal in the autumn of 2022. A year later, she is saddened to leave the adventure behind, but will return to her home city with a wealth of experiences and many cherished memories.

What impact did her time within the institution make on this ambitious, romantic, and determined artist? She looked back with us on a busy and eventful year.

Music: A Family Heritage

A native of Toronto, Karoline comes from a close-knit family with five children. Though keenly invested in the arts, her parents, who are both immigrants from Poland, earned a living working at a hospital. “My mother is a nurse, but when I was younger, she also sang and played guitar in a band with her twin sister and friends, and they would go on tour. My father was more of a visual arts enthusiast. It has always been important for my parents that we be musically involved, though not necessarily make a career of it. For them, it was more like a tool to help us develop and grow.”

As a child, Amadeus was the focus of some memorable movie nights as a family. “It was our favourite movie! We would eat pizza in front of the television while watching it. I loved the scene where we hear one of Mozart’s soprano arias, and I would enjoy singing it in a booming tenor voice,” she recalled with a chuckle.

Capitalizing on a children’s rebate to attend dress rehearsals by the Canadian Opera Company, Karoline enjoyed her early contact with opera, even while the idea of singing in one hadn’t yet crossed her mind. Having grown up playing violin and guitar, and singing for fun, she became sure of one thing: she would definitely embrace a life in the arts.

From Communications Studies to the Stage

In her earlier youth, this artist’s heart was torn between theatre (still younger, she dreamed of being an actress), radio, and television. She discovered a program offered by the RTA School of Media that enabled her to touch upon her broad range of interests. Music and singing were continually present throughout her studies: she took lessons with a Polish Canadian soprano with whom she explored music, theatre, and opera.

Her bachelor’s degree in hand, Karoline quickly landed a job she loved in the media field, in radio and television. Around the same time, she gave her first concert performances as a soloist, with a choir her parents sang in. These contracts brought her to stages in Toronto and the United States, as well as to Poland, where her career took an unanticipated turn.

“We went to sing at a festival that featured several Polish choirs from all over the world. It was just amazing. My aunt who still lives in Poland was there, and she suggested I sing for a teacher she knew, so he could give me some guidance. I had a very long meeting with this teacher, he was impressed, and he recommended me to go do my master’s in Poland. I was given this opportunity on a silver platter, all educational expenses paid, and it changed my life. I was able to concentrate full-time on music, and being in Europe, I had many opportunities to perform in public. I’m a believer in destiny, and that moment was a turning point in my life. It was my once-in-a-lifetime break!”

Coming Home to Sing

When she returned to Canada, Karoline felt she needed to build a new professional nexus. “I sang in several productions in Europe, but back in Canada, people didn’t really know me. So I set a goal to grow my network while continuing to refine my voice. I enrolled in competitions and in various programs.”

That’s when fortune knocked again, and she was welcomed to the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. “I am so happy I came to Montreal! Here, young artists are supported in several respects. Financial support—to be able to devote oneself to the art—, is an undeniably important factor, as is all the training available to them. The program is truly a blessing for young artists. It comes at such a crucial time in our careers and our lives.”

In the supportive and caring framework of the Atelier lyrique, this soprano honed her technique, developed repertoire, “especially in French!” and for the first time, worked on a regular basis with a collaborative pianist, which helped her to advance significantly in certain areas.

“It relieves a lot of pressure. I felt I could afford to take risks, to try and seize certain opportunities because I was supported, and I was in a stable context. That changes everything.”

Transformative Encounters for the Artist

When speaking about the meaningful experiences and encounters during her year in Montreal, Karoline smiled at the memory of Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges and how much she found herself enjoying the process. “The ambiance was amazing; it was an experience I’ll never forget. Since there’s footage, it’s a memory I’ll be able to share some day with my grandchildren!”

With the project Emily, this opera devotee (who would gladly sing the role of Violetta for the rest of her life) stepped out of her comfort zone. “Honestly, lieder and art songs are not my specialty. So that was a challenge, but it was incredible to work with Christopher Allen and Johnathan McCullough. They were very inspiring and taught me always to think with intention. You can have a beautiful voice and be well prepared, but if there’s no intention behind what you sing, it’s pointless.”

In a similar vein, her work with acting coach Tom Diamond led her to realize that opera is singing and acting in tandem, and that rather than try to be perfect, one needs to fully dive in. The masterclass with Barbara Hannigan was also an inspiring experience for this singer. “It was truly a privilege to get to hear her and watch her work. I also really appreciated her career advice overall.”

Flying Off to Come Back Even Stronger

The year Karoline spent in Montreal made an enduring impression on her. “Such a wonderful community was built among the singers, and with the teachers too. I have never felt such a tight connection within a group before. We’re like family! It was a totally positive experience; I am so grateful for my time here and sad that it must end. But I hope to stay in touch with the Atelier lyrique. It would be a dream for me to come back and sing on the Opéra de Montréal stage!”