Opéra de Montréal

Karina Gauvin - Pamina

Karina Gauvin has impressed audiences and critics with her luscious timbre, profound musicality, and wide vocal range. Her repertoire ranges from Johann Sebastian Bach to Luciano Berio. Career highlights include Mozart’s Requiem and Bach’s Magnificat with the Chicago Symphony, Bach’s B minor Mass at Carnegie Hall, Iole (Hercules) with Akademie für alte Musik Berlin, Eurydice (Orphée et Eurydice) with Les Violons du Roy, and the title role in Alcina with the Gabrieli Consort. She won Juno Awards in 2001 and 2003 for recordings of Silete Venti / Apollo e Dafne and Mozart’s Requiem, and her Ariadne on the CPO label was nominated for a Grammy in 2006. Last OdM appearance: The Pearl Fishers (2008).

Aaron St. Clair Nicholson - Papageno

Established as an artist of the first rank, who has won praise for his superb vocal gifts and the dramatic integrity of his performances, highlights of his recent seasons include Schaunard (La bohème) and Papageno (The Magic Flute) at the Metropolitan Opera, Figaro (The Barber of Seville) at Glimmerglass Opera, Don Giovanni at Opéra de Montréal and New York City Opera, and Valentin (Faust) at Vancouver Opera. In 2008-2009, he sang Athanaël (Thaïs) at Pacific Opera Victoria, Frédéric (Lakmé) and the Count (The Marriage of Figaro) at Florida Grand Opera, and Figaro (The Barber of Seville) at Calgary Opera. Last OdM appearance: The Barber of Seville (2008).

Aline Kutan - The Queen Of The Night

Leading a career in Europe and in America, she is closely associated with the roles of Lakmé and the Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute), which she has sung at companies including Opéra d’Avignon, Opéra de Toulon, Opéra de Montréal, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opéra de Tours, New York City Opera, and Opéra de Québec. Other roles include Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos) at Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, and Opéra de Montréal, Olympia (Les contes d’Hoffmann) at Opéra Royal de Wallonie and Grand Théâtre de Genève, Blumenmädchen (Parsifal) at Opéra de Paris-Bastille, and Semele (Europa riconosciuta) at La Scala. Last OdM appearance: Le Gala (2007).

Reinhard Hagen - Sarastro

Reinhard Hagen is fast becoming a regular fixture with some of Europe’s leading opera companies and orchestras. Career highlights include Sarastro (The Magic Flute) at the Hamburg and Munich State Operas, Teatre Liceu in Barcelona, Los Angeles Opera, Opéra National de Paris-Bastille, and Metropolitan Opera; Rocco (Fidelio) at the Glyndebourne Festival, the Dallas Opera, and San Diego Opera; Fasolt (Das Rheingold) and Hunding (Die Walküre) at San Francisco Opera; and the King (Aïda) at the Metropolitan Opera, among others. He is equally at home on the concert platform, and has recorded, among others, Sarastro for the Erato label, and several Bach cantatas for DGG Archiv. OdM debut.

Alain Trudel - Conductor

Alain Trudel has established himself as a truly remarkable musician. Principal Conductor of the CBC Radio Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, he is also Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Music Director and Conductor of the Orchestre symphonique de Laval. He has also been invited to conduct numerous orchestras at home and abroad including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy, Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montreal, the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, Orquestra Sinfonica de Guatemala, the Tokyo Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, and the Northern Sinfonia in the UK, among others. OdM debut.

Kelly Robinson - Director

Director of the Opera as Theatre Programme and Director of Theatre Arts at the Banff Centre, Kelly Robinson leads a career that spans opera, theatre, film, and television. His credits include works ranging from Les pêcheurs de perles and Eugene Onegin to The Turn of the Screw and La Cenerentola in Edmonton, Victoria, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Vancouver, as well as world premieres of Filumena and Frobisher in Calgary, and record-breaking productions of The Sound of Music and Guys and Dolls at the Stratford Festival. In the U.S., he has directed acclaimed productions of The Magic Flute, La bohème, and La belle Hélène for the Dallas, Utah, Portland, and Arizona opera companies. OdM debut.

David Hockney - Sets and costumes

David Hockney’s vast body of work includes paintings, portraits, photography, and print design for magazines, books, films, and videos, as well as several celebrated series of etchings, and other works including computer-assisted art. He began creating for the stage in 1966, designing sets and costumes for London’s Royal Court Theatre. He has designed productions of The Rake’s Progress, Die Frau ohne Schatten, L’enfant et les sortilèges, The Magic Flute, Tristan und Isolde, Le rossignol, and Les mamelles de Tirésias for companies including Glyndebourne, the Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and San Francisco Opera. OdM debut.

Anne-Catherine Simard-Deraspe - Lightning

For theatre, she has designed the lighting for Les fourberies de Scapin (Théâtre Denise-Pelletier), Le caillou de saturne (Théâtre du p'tit loup), Le père Léonidas et 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 (Opéra de Montréal, 2006) and was the assistant lighting designer for Thaïs (Palm Beach Opera). Technical Director and Designer for I Musici de Montréal, she is also currently the Technical Director at the Orford Arts Centre. Last OdM appearance: Lucia di Lammermoor (2009).