Second Row (l – r): Mireille Asselin, Timothy Cheung, Neil Craighead, Ambur Braid
First Row (l – r): Simone Osborne, Jacqueline Woodley, Philippe Sly, Jenna Douglas, Rihab Chaieb
Soprano Mireille Asselin is a new member of the COC Ensemble Studio. Recent credits include Galatea in Acis and Galatea and Servilia in La clemenza di Tito with Opera Atelier, understudying the title role in Niobe with Boston Early Music Festival and concert appearances throughout North America and England, including her Carnegie Hall debut in April 2011. Other operatic credits include the title role in Theodora with the Bach Collegium San Diego, Michal/Merab in Saul with the Britten-Pears Baroque Orchestra, Adele in Die Fledermaus with Opera Hamilton, First Witch in Dido and Aeneas with Opera Atelier on their tour to Seoul and Pamina in the feature film Magic Flute Diaries. She completed her bachelor of music at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music and her master’s degree through Yale University’s opera program. This season with the COC Ms Asselin appears as Second Priestess in Iphigenia in Tauris, and Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto, and shares the title role in the Ensemble Studio performance of Semele. She understudies roles in Iphigenia in Tauris, The Tales of Hoffmann, Gianni Schicchi and Semele.
Toronto-based soprano Ambur Braid recently appeared with the COC as Amore in Orfeo ed Euridice, the Queen of the Night in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Magic Flute and the Danish Lady in Death in Venice, and understudied roles in The Magic Flute, La Cenerentola and Ariadne auf Naxos. She holds her bachelor of music degree from The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music and her master of music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Previous operatic credits include Diane in Iphigénie en Tauride with Opera Atelier; Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, Princess/Fire in L’enfant et les sortilèges and Peaseblossom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the San Francisco Conservatory; and, Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with The Glenn Gould School. She has won the East Bay Opera Competition, the San Francisco Conservatory Concerto Competition, and the Palm Beach Opera Competition. This season with the COC Ms Braid appears as a Greek Woman in Iphigenia in Tauris, Stella in The Tales of Hoffmann and shares the title role in the Ensemble Studio performance of Semele. She understudies roles in Rigoletto, Love from Afar and Semele.
AMBUR On PARLANDO, the coc blog
Tunisian-born mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb recently appeared with the COC as Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Second Secretary to Mao in Nixon in China, the Third Lady in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Magic Flute and the French Mother in Death in Venice. She understudied roles in The Magic Flute and Ariadne auf Naxos. She graduated from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University with a bachelor of music in vocal performance, where she performed the title role in Carmen, Baba the Turk in The Rake’s Progress, Sister Mathilde in Dialogues des Carmélites and Suzy in La Rondine. Operatic credits include Dido in Dido and Aeneas with the McGill Chamber Orchestra and Third Spirit in Die Zauberflöte with Opéra de Montréal. She has studied at the Franz Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien (Austria), Opera Nuova in Edmonton and the International Vocal Art Institute in Tel Aviv. This season with the COC Ms Chaieb appears as La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi and Juno/Ino in the Ensemble Studio performance of Semele, as well as understudying roles in Iphigenia in Tauris, Rigoletto, Love from Afar and Semele.
Born in Hong Kong, pianist Timothy Cheung is a new intern coach with the COC Ensemble Studio. Mr. Cheung holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance and a master’s degree in collaborative piano from the University of Western Ontario (UWO). During his time at the university, he also studied instrumental and choral conducting, voice and composition. He was a coach and assistant conductor for UWOpera and a winner of the university’s concerto competition. Mr. Cheung has trained as a vocal pianist and répétiteur at the Music Academy of the West, Canadian Operatic Arts Academy, Queen of Puddings Theatre Program, Halifax Summer Opera Workshop, and the Merola Opera Program.
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, bass-baritone Neil Craighead was raised in Calgary. With the COC last season Mr. Craighead appeared as the First Priest in the mainstage and the Speaker, First Priest and Second Armed Man in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Magic Flute, the Russian Father in Death in Venice and reprised the role of Japanese Envoy 2 in The Nightingale and Other Short Fables at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He understudied roles in Aida, The Magic Flute, La Cenerentola and Ariadne auf Naxos. Mr. Craighead graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2009 with a bachelor of music. Operatic credits include Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with Opera NUOVA, the bass solo in St. John’s Passion with Vancouver Voices and Pistola in Falstaff, Dr. Furtwängler in The Dream Healer, Colline in La Bohème with University of British Columbia Opera Ensemble, and Il Commendatore and Leporello in Don Giovanni at the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy. This season with the COC Mr. Craighead appears as Sciarrone in Tosca, Pinellino in Gianni Schicchi and Cadmus/Somnus in the Ensemble Studio performance of Semele. He understudies roles in Iphigenia in Tauris, Rigoletto, Tosca and Semele.
A native of Barrie, Ontario, pianist Jenna Douglas is a new intern coach with the COC Ensemble Studio. Ms Douglas completed her studies as a collaborative pianist at the University of Western Ontario (UWO). She continued as a faculty coach and répétiteur at Oberlin College Conservatory and as an assistant répétiteur on L’elisir d’amore at the San Francisco Opera Center’s Merola Opera Program, Frobisher with the Banff Centre’s Opera as Theatre Program and Street Scene with UWOpera. She is a passionate supporter of contemporary music, recently collaborating with artistic director Jonathan Field for the American premiere of José Evangelista’s Exercices de style in Oberlin, Ohio. A student of Dr. John Hess, Ms Douglas has also worked under conductors Martin Katz, Dean Williamson, Alexander Platt and Steven Philcox, and has performed in public masterclasses led by Warren Jones, Margo Garrett, Marilyn Horne and Michael McMahon.
Born in Manitoba, tenor Christopher Enns recently appeared with the COC as Scaramuccio in Ariadne auf Naxos, Tamino in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Magic Flute and an American, a Strolling Player, and the Glass Maker in Death in Venice. He understudied roles in Aida and The Magic Flute. He holds his bachelor of vocal performance from the University of Manitoba and graduated from the University of Toronto with a diploma in operatic performance. Recent performances include the title role in Candide, Ecclitico in Il mondo della luna and Gonsalve in L’heure espagnole with the University of Toronto’s Opera Division, Alfred in Die Fledermaus with Highlands Opera Studio and Gastone in La Traviata with Saskatoon Opera. Mr. Enns has performed with the Toronto Summer Music Academy, Opera NUOVA, the Winnipeg Symphony and the Aldeburgh Connection. This season with the COC Mr. Enns appears as Nathanael in The Tales of Hoffmann and Apollo in Semele. He also sings the role of Jupiter in the Ensemble Studio performance of Semele, and understudies roles in Iphigenia in Tauris and Rigoletto.
Born in Guelph, Ontario, baritone Adrian Kramer recently appeared with the COC as the Wig Maker in Ariadne auf Naxos, Papageno in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Magic Flute, the Hotel Waiter in Death in Venice and Japanese Envoy 3 in COC’s The Nightingale and Other Short Fables at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He understudied roles in Death in Venice, The Magic Flute, Nixon in China, La Cenerentola and Ariadne auf Naxos. Mr. Kramer holds a bachelor of music from the Juilliard School of Music and a master’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he studied with Marlena Malas. He previously sang Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande with Curtis Opera Theatre and Sid in Albert Herring with the Châteauville Festival and Castleton Festival Opera. He has performed with Glimmerglass Opera, the Chautauqua Institution, Mendelssohn Club and the Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival. In 2005, he was the winner of the Juilliard Honors Recital Competition. This season with the COC Mr. Kramer appears as Marullo in Rigoletto and a Jailer in Tosca. He understudies roles in Iphigenia in Tauris, Love from Afar and The Tales of Hoffmann.
ADRIAN ON PARLANDO, THE COC BLOG
Originally from Saskatoon, soprano Ileana Montalbetti recently appeared with the COC as Clorinda in La Cenerentola, First Lady in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Magic Flute and the Russian Mother and Newspaper Seller in Death in Venice. She understudied roles in Aida, The Magic Flute and Nixon in China. Previous COC credits include Anna Kennedy in Maria Stuarda, Elettra in the Ensemble Studio performance of Idomeneo, Fiordiligi in the Ensemble Studio production of Così fan tutte and Mavra Kuzminichna in War and Peace. Ms Montalbetti has held two consecutive soprano fellowships at the Tanglewood Music Centre where, most notably, she sang the Celestial Voice in a concert version of Don Carlos under the baton of Maestro James Levine. She is a graduate of the opera diploma program at the University of Toronto, where she performed the roles of Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro and the Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia. She has appeared as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni for Saskatoon Opera and the Toronto Summer Music Academy, and recently understudied the role of Anai in Handel’s Moise et Pharaon in Rome under the baton of Riccardo Muti. This season Ms Montalbetti returns to Rome to perform the role of a Maid in Elektra, and appears with the COC as The Voice of Antonia’s Mother in The Tales of Hoffmann and understudies roles in A Florentine Tragedy/Gianni Schicchi.
Soprano Simone Osborne recently appeared with the COC as Naiad in Ariadne auf Naxos, Pamina in both the mainstage and Ensemble performances of The Magic Flute, a Strolling Player in Death in Venice, the Chorus Solo Soprano in COC’s The Nightingale and Other Short Fables at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and was the understudy for Euridice in Orfeo ed Euridice. Other credits include Laetitia in The Old Maid and the Thief (Wexford Opera Festival), the title role in Mignon (Music Academy of the West) and a dozen roles with the University of British Columbia’s Opera Ensemble. She has been a featured soloist with the symphony orchestras of Vancouver, Edmonton, Prince George, the North Bohemian Opera, Vancouver Opera and the West Coast Symphony, and has presented solo recitals for the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, the Hong Kong International Arts Festival and the Marilyn Horne Foundation in New York. Ms Osborne is a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition and a recipient of the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation and Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation grants. This season Ms Osborne makes her Toronto Symphony debut, singing Mozart’s Requiem, and sings the title role in Vancouver Opera’s Roméo et Juliet. With the COC Ms Osborne appears as Gilda in Rigoletto and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi and understudies a Greek Woman in Iphigenia in Tauris.
Simone on parlando, the coc blog
Bass-baritone Philippe Sly is a new member of the COC Ensemble Studio. He recently won the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions Competition and completed his bachelor of music degree in voice performance at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. Mr. Sly’s recent performances include Marcello in La Bohème and Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress at McGill, Escamillo in Carmen at the Banff Centre, Masetto in Don Giovanni at the University of Ottawa and Joey in Rodgers and Hart’s Pal Joey at Ashbury College, and Bartolo in The Barber of Seville at Merola Opera Program. This season Mr. Sly sings in Bach’s St. John Passion with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Kent Nagano, and appears with the COC as A Scythian Man in Iphigenia in Tauris, Hermann in The Tales of Hoffmann, Ser Amantio di Nicolao in Gianni Schicchi and the High Priest in both the mainstage and Ensemble performances of Semele. He understudies roles in Rigoletto and Tosca.
Soprano Jacqueline Woodley recently appeared with the COC as Papagena in the
Ensemble Studio performance of
The Magic Flute and the Lace Seller in
Death in Venice. She understudied roles in
Death in Venice,
The Magic Flute,
Ariadne auf Naxos and
Orfeo ed Euridice. Ms Woodley holds both her bachelor’s degree and a master in opera performance from McGill University, trained at Opera NUOVA in Edmonton and for three years with the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv and Montreal. Past operatic roles include Lisette in
La Rondine, Helena in
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Miss Wordsworth in
Albert Herring,
Pamina in
Die Zauberflöte, Serpina in
La serva padrona, Despina in
Così fan tutte and Belinda in
Dido and Aeneas. She recently sang in the world premiere of Ana Sokolovic’s
Svadba – Wedding with Queen of Puddings Music Theatre. As a soloist, she has performed in Bach’s
St. John Passion, Handel’s
Messiah and
Dixit Dominus, Fauré’s
Requiem, Mozart’s
Vesperae solennes de confessore and Saint-Saëns’
Christmas Oratorio. This season with the COC Ms Woodley appears as First Priestess in
Iphigenia in Tauris, the page in
Rigoletto and Iris in the
Ensemble Studio performance of
Semele. She understudies roles in
The Tales of Hoffmann and
Semele.
JACQUELINE ON PARLANDO, THE COC BLOG