Spread Your Wings: The Career Launch Program

In the summer of 2022, many of you supported a new initiative to help Atelier lyrique "graduating" artists: the Career Launch Program. Here's some good news following this campaign.

Thanks to the generosity of 130 donors, the new program, designed to support artists in residence in the crucial years following their time at the Atelier, raised over $25,000. 

This amount was automatically matched by Colleen and Mirko Wicha, who have sponsored Atelier artists for several years. This season, Pascal Lépine, Vice-President of our Board of Directors, wanted to ensure the continuation of this initiative and support artists in their professional transition following their residency at the Opéra de Montréal. 

Thanks to the funds contributed, several artists have been able to access the resources they need to "spread their wings" and boost their budding careers. Among them are :

Kirsten LeBlanc, soprano, was able to take part in the prestigious George London Competition in New York in 2022. 

Matthew Dalen, ténor, was able to prepare for the role of Alfredo in La Traviata (Edmonton Opera 2023) under the coaching of Anthony Manoli in New York: "Being able to work with Tony Manoli enabled me to prepare for this role in a meticulous and particularly thorough way. I have seen significant advances in my singing technique. Tony's experience in preparing top singers from all over the world has been absolutely invaluable in unlocking my own abilities."

Andrea Núñez, soprano, was able to prepare for the role of Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro (Opéra de Montréal 2023) with voice teacher Ariane Girard: "My lessons with Ariane were incredibly beneficial for my preparation. Finding the funds to access regular lessons as an independent artist can be a challenge. This meticulous preparation was necessary to get my voice where it needed to be for the role."

Rachèle Tremblay, mezzo-soprano, was able to work with coach Giancarlo Scalia in preparation for two roles in fall 2023: "I was lucky enough to benefit from financial assistance to prepare for my roles in The Marriage of Figaro and The Coronation of Poppea at Opéra de Montréal. I took advantage of the freedom to work on my roles in depth with pianist Giancarlo Scalia without financial limitations, both in terms of the Italian diction and musical preparation. This will enable me to make a strong comeback to opera, after a few less busy pandemic years."

It's worth remembering that a career in opera is comparable to a career in elite sports: a self-employed job characterized by enormous demands (and many sacrifices), considerable (and international) competition, and an equally considerable personal and financial investment. The new program ensures that the emerging professional, so vulnerable in the early stages of his or her career, is given the right resources to access the best opportunities.

To all of you, dear donors, who are committed to the development and success of our young opera artists, we say a heartfelt:

THANK YOU!