The recipient of several awards, both in the United States and in Europe, Nicole Cabell is currently one of the most highly sought-after sopranos on the opera scene, winning critical acclaim for her bright and rich tone. She has made a number of role debuts at the Metropolitan Opera: Pamina (The Magic Flute), Micaëla (Carmen), Adina (The Elixir of Love), and Musetta (La bohème). She has portrayed Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) at the Deutsch Oper Berlin, and Leïla (The Pearl Fishers) at the Royal Opera House-Covent Garden. Familiar with the role of the Countess, which she has performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Cincinnati Opera, Nicole Cabell also appears on the concert stage and on record, her first solo album having won several awards. Company debut.

Trained at the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio and at the Royal Opera House-Covent Garden’s young artists program, Robert Gleadow is enjoying a dazzling start to his career. Among his recent achievements are Colline (La bohème) and Angelotti (Tosca) at the Royal Opera House, and Theseus (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Colline again at the Canadian Opera Company. Following a European tour with Le Concert d’Astrée, during which he sang Anténor in Rameau’s Dardanus, he trod the boards at Glyndebourne, successively appearing as Guglielmo (Così fan tutte) and Leporello (Don Giovanni). Robert Gleadow is also active on the concert stage and on record (I Capuletti e i Montecchi by Bellini, on Deutsche Gramophone). Company debut.

Julie Boulianne is fast becoming recognized as one of the most gifted mezzos of her generation. An alumna of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, she made her big debut at the Metropolitan Opera this year, singing Diane (Iphigénie en Tauride) and Stéphano (Roméo et Juliette). Having already won applause in the American metropolis for her portrayal of Lazuli (L’étoile) at the New York City Opera, she went on to sing the title role of La cenerentola at the Florida Grand Opera, at Glimmerglass, and at Pacific Opera Victoria. She has also appeared on European stages: following an appearance in the title role of Cendrillon in Marseille, she made her debut at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in the role of Fragoletto (Les brigands). She can be heard on recordings of Shéhérazade and L’enfant et les sortilèges, on the Naxos label. Last company appearance: Cendrillon (2010).

A native of Montmagny, Hélène Guilmette won the second prize at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Belgium in 2004. Highly sought-after on European stages, she has appeared in the roles of Pamina (The Magic Flute) and Sophie (Werther) at La Monnaie in Brussels, in those of Mélisande (Ariane et Barbe-Bleue) and Amour (Orphée et Eurydice) at the Opéra National in Paris, as Thérèse (Les mamelles de Tirésias) in Lyon and at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, Sister Constance (Dialogues des carmélites) in Nice and Munich (Bel-air DVD), and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) in Lille and at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées. On record, she can be heard in a recital of works by Poulenc, Hahn, and Daunais on the Ambroisie label, as well as on two recordings devoted to Handel, alongside Andreas Scholl, on the Harmonia Mundi label. Last company appearance: La clemenza di Tito (2006).

One of the world’s most respected conductors, he has led over 50 performances at the Metropolitan Opera—including Rigoletto, A Masked Ball, Aida, The Barber of Seville, Tannhäuser, Don Carlo, Andrea Chénier, La traviata, Carmen, and Fidelio—conducting stars such as Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Karita Mattila, Bryn Terfel, and Ben Heppner. He has also collaborated with renowned soloists Garrick Ohlsson, Emmanuel Ax, and Misha Dichter. He is Music Director Emeritus of the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Filarmonica de Stat Iasi (Romania), co-director/founder of the International Vocal Arts Institute, and founder of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. Last company appearance: Tosca (2010).

Well-known as a judge on the Bravo television series Bathroom Divas, Tom Diamond directs both opera and theatre, in addition to being a renowned teacher. He has directed no less than nine productions for the Canadian Opera Company, including Giasone and La Calisto by Cavalli, Giuseppe Gazzaniga’s rare Don Giovanni, and Giulio Cesare by Handel. A frequent guest of Pacific Opera Victoria, he has directed The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, Manon Lescaut, and La cenerentola for the company. Last fall, he directed The Magic Flute at Opera Lyra Ottawa. He has taken part in several productions with Tapestry New Opera in Toronto, creating the design and stage direction for The Shadow, an opera by Omar Daniel and Alex Poch-Goldin. Company debut.

Allen Charles Klein’s accomplishments—in either set or costume design—have been applauded in Canada, England, Spain, Austria, and Germany. Also very active in the United States, he has collaborated with the Florida Grand Opera on some twenty separate occasions. Recent engagements include La traviata in Miami, Carmen in Pittsburgh, Rigoletto in West Palm Beach, and Otello in Cincinnati. His Carmen will soon be revived in Philadelphia, as will his Traviata in Dallas. Last company appearance: Turandot (2004).

For theatre, she has designed the lighting for Romeo and Juliet (Théâtre Denise-Pelletier), Le caillou de saturne (Théâtre du p’tit loup), Le père Léonidas and La Réaction (Montreal Arts Interculturel), Ce fou de Platonov (Théâtre Prospero), Molière en hiver (Bain St-Michel), and Théâtre sans animaux (Théâtre La Licorne). At the opera, she has designed the lighting for Il tabarro/Suor Angelica, Rigoletto, Tosca, Lucia di Lammermoor (Opéra de Montréal), Macbeth (Opera Australia), and was the assistant lighting designer for Thaïs (Palm Beach Opera). She teaches at the National Theater School of Canada. Last OdM appearance: Werther (2011).