Language: in Italian with English and French surtitles
Durée: 2:40 (including an intermission of 25 minutes)
FIGARO HUGO LAPORTE
ROSINA PASCALE SPINNEY
BARTOLO OMAR MONTANARI
COUNT ALMAVIVA ALASDAIR KENT
BASILIO GIANLUCA MARGHERI
BERTA BRIDGET ESLER
FIORELLO MIKELIS ROGERS
AN OFFICIER JAMAL AL TITI
AMBROGIO (SILENT ROLE) THOMAS LUSSIER
CONDUCTOR PEDRO HALFFTER
STAGE DIRECTOR JOAN FONT
CHOREOGRAPHER XEVI DORCA
SET AND COSTUMES DESIGNER JOAN GUILLEN
ORIGINAL LIGHTING DESIGNER ALBERT FAURA
LIGHTING DESIGNER FOR MONTREAL ANNE-CATHERINE SIMARD-DERASPE
Orchestre Métropolitain
Opéra de Montréal Chorus
September 28, October 1 and 3 at 7:30 p.m and October 6 at 2 p.m. SALLE WILFRID-PELLETIER, PLACE DES ARTS
This production of Barber of Seville was originally a coproduction between: Canadian Opera Company, Houston Grand Opera, Opera National de Bordeaux and Opera Australia.
Public partners
The Opéra de Montréal sincerely thanks the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the City of Montreal.
Experience the magic of the Opera
BMO is excited to present magical moments of the Montreal Opera. Prepare to be enchanted by captivating stories and incredible vocal performances.
Dear friends of opera,
Welcome to the new season, welcome to our production of The Barber of Seville, a timeless masterpiece that unites comedy and musical virtuosity! Tonight, as we bask in Rossini's lightness and rebellious spirit, we also celebrate something more essential: the energy, passion and creativity of youth.
Our production features several talented artists in the early stages of their careers, some of them graduates of our Atelier lyrique, who embody the future of opera. Their commitment and hard work testify to the strength of a new generation ready to give life to both the traditions and aspirations of an ever evolving artform.
So, tonight, I invite you to experience not only the genius of Rossini, but also the future of opera that lies before us.
Enjoy the evening, and may the magic of opera stay with you long after the curtain falls.
Patrick Corrigan
Complice de l’Opéra de Montréal
Count Almaviva remembers!
Last season kicked off with a marvellous staging of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. Hugo Laporte, surrounded by a brilliant young cast, made his debut as Count Almaviva. This season, we find him in the role of his accomplice, the barber Figaro.
Rossini’s work, although composed 30 years after The Marriage of Figaro, is based on a comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais written before the one that inspired Mozart’s famous opera. But genius doesn’t care about chronology, since both works are equally successful and popular, and have weathered all subsequent eras.
Both operas depict the Ancien Régime, then in its twilight years, with accuracy, humour and elegance. Their points of view and vocal choices are different, however: Mozart’s Count is a baritone, while Rossini associates the same character with a tenor voice; the Countess’ soprano voice becomes a mezzo to the Italian composer’s ear—but Rossini’s view is also more bemused, even caricature-like, than that of the Austrian composer.
At the Opéra de Montréal, the two works have one thing in common: beyond the titular character and the musical direction—we welcome back Maestro Pedro Halffter, who conducted Madama Butterfly in 2023—they provided, and provide, an opportunity to showcase our wonderful homegrown talent, allowing young artists to work alongside their internationally renowned peers.
Let us applaud them all and celebrate this first part of the 2024–2025 season.
Enjoy the show!
Michel Beaulac
Act I
Count Almaviva has fallen in love with Rosina, whom he first saw in Madrid— he’s followed her all the way to a house in Seville, where she is kept by her old guardian, Doctor Bartolo. Bartolo also wants to marry Rosina so that he can claim her family wealth.
Accompanied by his servant Fiorello and some musicians, a disguised Count Almaviva arrives to serenade Rosina, but he gets no response. As daylight breaks, the barber Figaro appears and promises that he can help the Count—for a suitable reward. Serenading Rosina again, the Count claims to be a poor man named “Lindoro” because he wants Rosina to love him for himself rather than his money. Figaro comes up with an idea: the Count should pretend to be a soldier assigned to Doctor Bartolo’s household to force his way inside the closely guarded home.
Meanwhile, Rosina has been stirred by the Count’s lovely serenade; she’s determined to find the man behind the voice. Bartolo enters with the music master Basilio, who warns him that Count Almaviva is a rival for Rosina’s hand. Bartolo decides to marry Rosina right away, but Figaro overhears the plan and warns Rosina. Figaro promises to carry a letter from her to her beloved “Lindoro.”
Bartolo can tell that something is afoot and tries to get Rosina to admit she has written to a suitor. Suddenly the Count, disguised as a drunken soldier, bursts in and passes Rosina a note, which she hides. A loud quarrel ensues when Bartolo claims he’s exempt from having soldiers assigned to his household. As a curious crowd forms outside, police try to take the troublemaker into custody, but the Count confides his true identity to the Sergeant, who lets him go amidst the pandemonium.
Intermission (25 min.)
Act II
Bartolo suspects the intruder was a spy sent by Count Almaviva, who once again appears in disguise—this time as Alonso, a music teacher substituting for a supposedly sick Basilio. “Alonso” claims he is staying at the same inn as the Count and that he has found a letter there from Rosina. He offers to tell Rosina that her beloved is cheating on her with another woman. Reassured, Bartolo allows “Alonso” to give Rosina her singing lesson. Bartolo still plans to observe the lesson, but Figaro arrives to shave him and even manages to steal the key to the upstairs balcony.
Rosina recognizes “Alonso” as her serenader “Lindoro,” who proposes to her. But as the shaving is about to begin, Basilio appears, which threatens to unravel the whole scheme. The Count quickly bribes him to play sick and rushes him out of the house.
Figaro shaves Bartolo, distracting him while the lovers make their plans to elope, but Bartolo overhears the word “disguise” and sends for Basilio.
Bartolo realizes that “Alonso” is actually Count Almaviva in disguise. To outplay his rival, he decides to marry Rosina that very night. Bartolo shows her a note that says “Lindoro” has deceived her and plans to win her for his master, the Count Almaviva. Rosina, feeling betrayed, agrees to marry Bartolo instead. She also tells him that Figaro and “Lindoro” plan to enter the house by way of the balcony, using the key that Figaro stole.
Figaro and the Count come in through the window, only to be spurned by Rosina, who accuses “Lindoro” of wooing her for his master Count Almaviva. “Lindoro” reveals his true identity as the Count himself, which delights Rosina. They try to escape together, but realize Bartolo has thwarted their plan by removing the ladder from the balcony. Basilio enters with a notary to finalize the marriage between Rosina and Bartolo, but he is swayed by a bribe from the Count, who signs the marriage contract with Rosina instead.
Rosina is free at last—young love has won the day!
February 28, 1792 – November 13, 1868
The son of professional musicians, Rossini learned music by playing the viola or horn in the orchestras of provincial theatres in which his mother sang. Almost selftaught, he began to compose at a very young age, producing Sonate a quattro written at 12 and his first opera at 20. After his official debut in Venice in 1810, Rossini gradually made a name for himself throughout Italy, in both the dramatic (Tancredi, 1813) and comic (The Italian Girl in Algiers, 1813) genres. He soon triumphed in all of the major European cities and, at 23 years of age, was considered the greatest living composer. At the height of glory, Rossini drew inspiration from Shakespeare (Otello, 1816), Walter Scott (The Lady of the Lake, 1819), Racine (Ermione, after the play Andromaque, 1819), Perreault (Cinderella, 1817), and even the bible (Moses in Egypt, 1818). He then settled in Paris, where he was appointed official composer to the King. He first offered Parisians a comic work, Le comte Ory (1828), followed by a great Romantic opera based on Schiller, William Tell (1829), famous to this day, primarily for its brilliant Overture. Then, to everyone’s surprise — perhaps due to what we would call burnout today —, he withdrew from the stage. Rossini had always masked his anxiety with his bon vivant nature, but was, nevertheless, relentlessly hard-working, turning out not less than 39 operas in 19 years, constantly revising, correcting, and adapting them. He came out of retirement to compose a few additional works, mainly his Stabat Mater, a Petite messe solennelle, and some piano pieces which he named Sins of Old Age. He died in 1868, an idol showered with honours. But his work fell into relative obscurity for close to a century, before its revival in the 1950s thanks to several singers — from Marilyn Horne to Cecilia Bartoli — who specialized as Rossinians. Only The Barber of Seville (1816), an undisputable and universally acclaimed comic masterpiece, has remained uninterruptedly — in spite of its somewhat chaotic beginnings — a pillar of the repertoire.
Gioachino Rossini
THE ARTISTS
FIGARO
Hugo Laporte
BARITONE CANADA
A winner of several competitions, including the Belvedere Competition in Austria and the OSM Competition in Canada, Hugo Laporte recently made his debut at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala (Les contes d’Hoffmann) alongside such artists as Marina Viotti, Vittorio Grigolo and Luca Pisaroni. M. Laporte has appeared in more than 25 roles, notably as Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Malatesta (Don Pasquale), Marcello (La Bohème) and Escamillo (Carmen). A highly active performer in Canada, Mr Laporte frequently performs at Opéra de Québec and Opéra de Montréal, as well as with the country’s major orchestras, ensembles and festivals. Internationally, he has performed in France, Italy, Germany, Russia, China, and Belarus. Laporte holds a master’s degree in Music (Vocal Studies) with honours from Université Laval, Quebec. He studied with soprano Patricia Fournier, and also trained with several other renowned teachers such as Ghinka Radilova, Antonio Carangelo, Benita Valente and Jean-François Lapointe. Last ODM appearance: The Marriage of Figaro (2023)
Rosina
Pascale sPinney
In 2023-24, Canadian mezzo-soprano Pascale Spinney made several significant debuts. She premiered the role of Ebba in La Reine-garçon with L’Opéra de Montreal, returned to Boston with White Snake Projects as Donna Elvira in Domme + Giovanni, and is reprising her role as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at L’Opéra de Montreal, followed by the title role in Pinocchio with the St. Petersburg Opera. Last season, Pascale was the understudy for the role of Sally in The Hours in concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She also filmed the aria “O God That I Were a Man” from Joseph Summers’ iconic opera, Much Ado About Nothing, and delivered standout performances as Carmen with the Glacier Symphony and Dorabella in Cosi! Men are Like That with White Snake Projects. She received critical praise for her successful debut as Jane in the Canadian premiere of Laura Kaminsky’s new opera FEBRUARY at Opera on the Avalon. Last ODM appearance: La Reine-garçon (2024)
A graduate of the Conservatorio “Gioachino Rossini” in Pesaro, baritone Omar Montanari is celebrated for his refined interpretations of buffo and brillante roles of the bel canto repertoire. Winner of the Concorso Europeo “A. Belli” in Spoleto, he has performed in prestigious venues worldwide. Notable roles include Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro in Tokyo and Beijing, and Don Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia in Rome, Venice, and Florence, to name just a few. He has performed in major opera houses such as Teatro La Fenice, Rossini Opera Festival, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Semperoper Dresden, Staatsoper Hamburg, and Oper Köln. He has collaborated with esteemed conductors including Riccardo Muti, Omer Meir Wellber, Ivor Bolton, Michele Mariotti; highlights include Don Giovanni (Leporello) at Teatro La Fenice in Venezia, Don Pasquale (title role) at Opéra de Lausanne, and Il barbiere di Siviglia (Bartolo) at Opéra de Lille. ODM debut.
MEZZO-SOPRANO
BARTOLO Omar Montanari
THE ARTISTS
COUNT ALMAVIVA
Alasdair Kent
Australian tenor Alasdair Kent is known for “his evenly produced tenor, refined technique and intense expressiveness,” (Opera News) a voice “of great clarity, and of beautiful projection,” (Opera Online) and for marrying “striking good looks with delicious sound.” (San Francisco Classical Voice) An internationally acclaimed interpreter of Rossini and Mozart, his high tenor repertoire also encompasses the Romantic music of Bellini, Donizetti and Bizet, as well as the Baroque and early Classical music of Rameau and Gluck. Recent engagements include performances with the Wiener Staatsoper, Teatro Real Madrid, the Bayerische Staatsoper, Opernhaus Zürich, the Rossini Opera Festival and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. His 2024–2025 season highlights include his house debut at Teatro alla Scala as Marzio in Mitridate, re di Ponto, Narciso in Il turco in Italia at the Opéra national de Lyon, Idreno in Semiramide with Opéra de Rouen and in concert with the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. ODM debut.
BASILIO Gianluca Margheri
BASS-BARITONE
Born in Florence, Gianluca Margheri studied singing at the Cherubini Concervatory in Florence. In 2009, he won the international singing competition Toto Dal Monte di Treviso, whereupon he debuted in the role of Villotto (La vera costanza) under the baton of Jesús López-Cobos at the Teatro Real Madrid, the Royal Opera of Liège and at the theatres of SaintEtienne, Rouen and Reggio Emilia. Many debuts followed, among which Gugliermo (Così fan tutte) in Florence and Rome, the title role in Don Giovanni in Budapest, Siena and Florence, or as Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro) at Theater St Gallen. He sang title roles in Don Carlo and Macbeth in Florence, Jago in Ernani with the Munich Radio Orchestra and Betto in Gianni Schicchi in Parma. He gave his Rossini Opera Festival debut in Pesaro as Asdrubale (La pietra del paragone) and sang Alidoro in La Cenerentola in Palermo. At the Festival Alte Musik Innsbruck, he debuted as Mercurio in L’incoronazion di Poppea, also making his debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, in the role of Garibaldi in Handel’s Rodelinda. In Dublin, London, Ravenna and Lucca, he sang the title role of Vivaldi’s Bajazet. Gianluca collaborated with leading conductors such as James Conlon, Zubin Mehta, Marco Armiliato, Friedrich Haider, Jesús López-Cobos, Daniele Rustioni, Riccardo Frizza, Andrea Battistoni, Roland Böer, Alan Curtis, Jonathan Webb and Gabriele Ferro. ODM debut.
BERTA
Bridget Esler
SOPRANO CANADA
Praised for her “enchanting and expressive singing” (Henley Standard) and her “buoyant charm as an actor” (Georgia Strait), Vancouver-born soprano Bridget Esler joins the Atelier lyrique in the 2024–2025 season. Her recent and upcoming roles include Nightingale/Pastourelle/Owl in L’Enfant et les sortilèges (Opéra de Montréal), Monica in The Medium, the Parrot in the Canadian premiere of Anna Pidgorna’s Plaything (Musique 3 Femmes/ Opera America), and Mary in Street Scene (Opera McGill). Experienced in competitions and on the concert and recital stages, Bridget was named Most Outstanding Canadian Musician at the 2024 Royal Over-Seas League Competition and has performed across Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States with ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra. She is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and of McGill University, and has undertaken further training at the Marlboro Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, and with Samling Artist Programme. ODM debut.
Artist in residence at the Atelier lyrique, generously sponsored by an anonymous donor.
FIORELLO
Mikelis Rogers
Latvian-Canadian baritone Mikelis Rogers is an artist-in-residence with the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal. Role debuts in the 2024–2025 season will include Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Opera de Montréal and Schaunard in La Bohème, also with the Opéra de Montréal. During the 2023–2024 season, Mikelis was called upon at the last minute to perform the role of Germont in the two closing performances of La Traviata with the Opéra de Montreal, stepping in for an indisposed cast member. Winner of the Stingray Rising Star Award at the Opéra de Montréal’s Gala Talent in 2021, Mikelis completed his undergraduate studies in Voice Performance with Jean MacPhail in 2022 at the University of Toronto. Last ODM appearance: La Traviata (2024)
Artist in residence at the Atelier lyrique, generously sponsored by Marie-Hélène Fox.
AN OFFICIER
Jamal Al Titi is a Belorussian-Canadian whose passion for music spans early works to opera. In 2023, he made a notable impression by becoming the District Winner for Western Canada at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. He was also awarded the Rumbold Vocal Prize and won the Toronto Mozart Vocal Competition as well as the Stingray All-Star Award at the Opera de Montréal Talent Gala. For the 2024–2025 season, Jamal joins the Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier lyrique program. During the 2023–2024 season, he was a Rebanks Fellow in the prestigious Rebanks Family Fellowship Program. His appearances include the title role in Don Giovanni and Tom in Adoration at the Banff Centre’s Opera in the 21st Century, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore at the Highlands Opera, and various roles at the Brott Opera Festival, such as Masetto in Don Giovanni, Schaunard in La Bohème, and Cascada in The Merry Widow ODM debut.
Artist in residence at the Atelier lyrique, generously sponsored by Dr. Joyce Fung.
CONDUCTOR
Pedro Halffter
SPAIN
Spanish conductor and composer Pedro Halffter is Principal Guest Conductor of the Nürnberger Symphoniker and Principal Conductor of the Bayreuth Festival Youth Orchestra, as well as Artistic Director of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, the Real Orquesta Sinfónica of Seville and the Teatro de la Maestranza. He has worked in Vienna, Berlin, London, Paris, Madrid, Beijing, Moscow, Tokyo, Shanghai, Salzburg, Munich, Barcelona, Essen, Mannheim, and Toulouse, conducting orchestras such as London Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, New Japan Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Berlin, Dresdner Philharmonie, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Orchestra Strasbourg Philharmonic, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, San Antonio Symphony, Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Bayerische Staatsoper, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, among others. Highlights have included the premiere at the Teatro Real of his new orchestration of Viktor Ullmann’s opera Der Kaiser von Atlantis and his symphonic versions of Wagner’s works, including Tannhäuser, Götterdämmerung, Parsifal and Siegfried, performed by leading orchestras in Spain, Italy and France. As a composer, he has made recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, Warner Music and Warner Classics. Last ODM appearance: Madama Butterfly (2022)
STAGE DIRECTOR
Joan Font
Joan Font Pujol is the founder of the Comediants theatre company in Barcelona, which he has also directed since 1972. He has presented over thirty theatre productions as well as over fifteen street performances on five continents, in more than 50 countries. Director of the closing ceremony of the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 and of the Cavalcade La Magie du Temps (Expo ’92) in Seville, he also contributed to the revival of Carnavals de Venise at the Biennale du Théâtre in 1980. Since 1999, he has created and directed operas in Spain, Europe and North America, including The Magic Flute, Orpheus and Eurydice, La Cenerentola, La Verveine de la Paloma, La Italiana d’Alger, El Barbero de Séville, and El Duo de l ’Africana He also founded Barcelona’s Petit Liceu, creating operas for all audiences, especially children. Joan Font has also worked on numerous books, records, CDs, films, exhibitions, television programs and artistic and educational objects. Last ODM appearance: La Cenerentola (2017)
CHOREOGRAPHER Xevi Dorca
Xevi Dorca is returning to the Opéra de Montréal as associate director/ choreographer of The Barber of Seville, which was premiered at the Houston Grand Opera and has been presented in revival productions at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, Gran Teatre del Liceu, and Canadian Opera Company, where he earned an Outstanding Choreography nomination for Canada’s prestigious Dora Mavor Moore Award. Other works created with stage director Joan Font include La Cenerentola, La Monnaie, La Italiana in Alger, and Faustball. Dorca studied at Barcelona’s Institut del Teatre. His award as Best Dancer at the Madrid Choreography Competition enabled him to work with the Transitions Dance Company at London’s Laban Centre. As a dancer and actor, Dorca has worked with major choreographers and stage directors in Spain. Last ODM appearance: La Cenerentola (2017)
SPAIN
SPAIN
THE DESIGNERS
SETS AND COSTUMES DESIGNER
Joan Guillén
SPAIN
Joan J. Guillén (Spain). Guillén is the author of numerous sets, costumes, masks and artefacts for theatre and opera. He has received the following awards: GOLD MEDAL FOR COSTUME DESIGN at the IX Quadrennial of Architecture and Scenography, Prague 1999; NATIONAL CULTURE PRIZE from the Generalitat de Catalunya for his work as a set designer, satirical draughtsman and painter; and twice, the CITY OF BARCELONA PRIZE for his contributions to the press. Most of his satirical drawings are preserved in the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SPAIN, and all his theatre designs were donated to the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CATALONIA. Guillén has been a professor of scenography for forty years, and has given courses and lectures at universities in several countries. Last ODM appearance: La Cenerentola (2017)
ORIGINAL LIGHTING DESGINER
Albert Faura
SPAIN
Albert Faura is the original lighting designer for this production of Cinderella, which HGO also staged in 2007. His lighting designs also have been seen at HGO in The Barber of Seville (2018, 2011) and The Italian Girl in Algiers (2012). He designed the lighting for The Magic Flute (Barcelona), Turandot (Valencia), Madame Butterfly (Venice), Carmen (Palermo), Tristan and Isolde (Lyon), and many other productions. As a member of Barcelona’s Els Comediants theater collective, he has worked with such distinguished directors as Núria Espert, Nicolas Joël, Rafael Durán, Sergi Belbel, Alfredo Arias, and Frédérico Alagna. Faura has designed lighting for Alan Ayckbourn’s House and Garden at Teatro Bartrina and Teatro Fortuny; Gani Mirzo’s 1,001 Nights (Syracuse, Perelada, Cordóba); The Magic Flute (Opéra National de Paris, Teatro Real, Ruhr Triennale Festival); Bretón’s La verbena de la Paloma (Granada’s International Festival of Music and Dance, Bilbao’s Teatro Arriaga, Perelada Festival). He has won three Butaca Awards, a Max Award, and two Barcelona Critics’ Awards. Last ODM appearance: La Cenerentola (2017)
Trained over twenty-five years ago at the National Theatre School of Canada, and having started her career in the performing arts, Anne-Catherine Simard-Deraspe has become a specialist in opera and museum exhibition lighting. A professor at the NTSC since 2008, she contributes to the training of new generations of stage artisans. In opera, she has designed the lighting for various productions, including Porgy and Bess, Rigoletto, Svadba, Die Fledermaus, Werther, Don Giovanni, Lakmé, and many others. Recently, she has collaborated on productions of Albertine en 5 temps (the opera), Le Flambeau, and Madama Butterfly. Last ODM appearance: Enigma (2024)
The Atelier lyrique of the Opéra de Montréal ensures that the artists develop to their full potential, while fostering their autonomy, leadership, and self-achievement. In partnership with RBC Emerging Artists, we support organizations that provide the best opportunity to advance an artist’s career.
THE MUSICIANS
FIRST VIOLINS
Yukari Cousineau, concertmaster
Oleg Larshin, associate concertmaster
Johanne Morin, assistant concertmaster
Marcelle Mallette
Ryan Truby, Monica Duschênes
Carolyn Klause
Florence Mallette
Alexandre Lozowski
Ariane Bresse
SECONDS VIOLINS
Nancy Ricard, principal
Lyne Allard, associate principal
Dominic Guilbault, assistant principal
Lucie Ménard
Lizann Gervais
Claudio Ricignuolo
Marie-Claire Vaillancourt
Sylvie Harvey
VIOLAS
Elvira Misbakhova, principal
ThierryLavoie-Ladouceur,associateprincipal
Julie Dupras, assistant principal
Élisa Boudreau
Gérald Daigle
Suzanne Careau
CELLOS
Christopher Best, principal
Agnès Langlois, associate principal
Vincent Bergeron, assistant principal
Thérèse Ryan
DOUBLE BASSES
Marc Denis, principal
Catherine Lefebvre, associate principal
FLUTES
Caroline Séguin, principal
Jocelyne Roy
OBOES
Marjorie Tremblay, principal
Mélanie Harel
Kirsten Zander
CLARINETS
Simon Aldrich, principal
François Martel
BASSOONS
Michel Bettez, principal
Gabrièle Dostie-Poirier
HORNS
Louis-Philippe Marsolais, principal
Simon Bourget
TRUMPETS
Antoine Mailloux, principal
Charles-Antoine Solis
TIMPANI
Julien Bélanger, principal
PERCUSSIONS
Alexandre Lavoie, principal
Vincent Séguin
Corinne René
HARPSICHORD
Christopher Gaudreault
GUITAR
Steven Craig Cowan
Opéra de Montréal Chrorus
TENORS
Marc-Antoine Brûlé
John Davey-Hatcher
Phil Dutton
Éric Gauvin
Julien Girard
Mike Melino
Jaime Sandoval
BARITONES
Jonathan Bédard
Claudel Callender
Alexandre Duguay
Clermont Tremblay
Actors 3rd role
Jérémie Gariépy
Olivier Hardy
Antoine Hatem
Thomas Lussier
Charles-Olivier Maltais
Vincent Millard
Camille Petit
Jeanne Plourde
Loic Thomas
Pauline Tessadri
Gaétane Vincent
BASSES
Jordan Delage
Michel Duval
Luc Saucier
Thank you, dear donors, for supporting the Opéra de Montréal with such passion and generosity!
DIRECTOR CIRCLE
$1 000 000 +
Mrs. Vanda Treiser and in memory of M. Benjamin Treiser*
$250 000 +
René Branchaud*
Elizabeth Wirth
$100 000 +
Dr François Loubert*
$50 000 +
Succession Lise Beauchamp
Fondation Sandra & Alain Bouchard
CGI
Tony & Betty Infilise Family Foundation
Succession Jacques Lareau
Claude Leblanc*
Pascal Lépine
Carolyn & Richard J. Renaud
Colleen & Mirko Wicha
Vickie Zhao & Alex Ionescu
$25 000 +
Famille Andrea Alacchi
Naomi & Eric Bissell
Antoine Chagnon & Antonio Vieira*
Dre Francoise P. Chagnon VOCALEX INC.
Famille Dupont
Ossama el Naggar
Marie-Hélène Fox*
Julius Frohlich, à la mémoire de Ted & Jolan Frohlich
Joyce Fung, in memory of Theodore Fung*
Montréal Hôtel & Suites Inc.
Isabelle Murray & Dominic Chalifoux*
Québecor inc.
Monique Roy*
Ruth & David Steinberg Family Foundation
Nestor Hugo Valencia
Vogelesang Dancik Family
Joan Vogelesang & Fred Heese†*
This list celebrates the generous donors who made gifts between September 1, 2023, and August 31, 2024.
*Multi-year gift
Vickie Vouloumanos
Sue & Soren Wehner*
Dre Nathalie Zan*
Anonyme (1)
$15 000 +
Sigrid & Gilles Chatel
Fondation Stéfane Foumy
The Morris & Rosalind Goodman
Family Foundation
Carlos Idarraga
Monique Lebuis Lachapelle
François Leclair & John Farrell
Marc-André Nantais
Mike & Valeria Rosenbloom Foundation
Sanders Family
Emmelle & Alvin Segal
Lillian Vineberg-Goodman
Alysia Yip-Hoi Martin
$10 000 +
Felicia and Arnold Aaron Foundation
Doron Altman
American Iron & Metal
Jocelyne & Louis Audet
Nick Bakish
Fondation Famille Carré-Tremblay
Bita & Paolo Cattelan
Patrick Corrigan & Marc Poliquin
Andre Ferraro
Laurent Ferreira & Leslie Silver
Cynthia Fish
Fondation Lise & Richard Fortin
Stella Gignac & Patrick Ouellet
JSVB Investments Inc.
Daniel Labrecque & Lise Laberge
Fondation Famille Lavigne
Debbie & Peter Letko
Fondation Famille Lupien
Francis Malka &
Marie-Claude Poupart
Fondation René Malo
Luc Maurice & Roxanne Vachon
Marcia McKenzie
Groupe Immobilier Joseph Montanaro Inc.
Patrimonica
Giuseppe Racanelli & Lise Daigle
Fondation Élaine & Réal Raymond
Christian Salbaing & Geneviève Tardif
Nadia & David Sela
Succession Denis Sirois
Fondation Lorraine & Jean Turmel
AMBASSADORS' CIRCLE
DIRECTEUR
$5 000 +
Antje Bettin, en l'honneur de Chantal Lambert
R. Boisvert & A. Imamedjian
Normand Cardella
François Carrier & Isabelle Westwick
Fondation Pierre Desmarais
Belvedère
Jean Duclos & Isabelle Beaudin
Bruno-Étienne Duguay
Fondation Sibylla Hesse
Rhona & Irwin Kramer
Joanie Lapalme, Alexandre
McCormack & Beth McCormack
Guillaume Marion & Sylvie Samson
Sylvie Marois
Eunice Mayers
Patrick Menda
Robert Nadeau
Ronald Ouellette
Dr. W. Mark Roberts & Roula Drossis
Louise Roy O.C., O.Q.
Jane M. Skoryna
Merle & Bernard Stotland
Third Bridge
Daniel Turp
Haroutioun Varjabedian
Christopher Winn
$3 000 +
Louis Arseneault & Maurice Côté Lucille Beauchemin
Danielle Blouin
Jill Bodkin
Jill de Villafranca & Dr. David Kostiuk
Nathalie Labrecque
Hubert Lemelin & Michel Larose
The Irving Ludmer Family Foundation
À la mémoire de Monique Lussier
Mario Ménard & Jean-Pierre Le Clerc
Vincent Picard-Dufresne & Amélie Michaud
Jean-Pierre Primiani & Christine Paulino
Thérèse & Peter Primiani
Marie-José Verreault
Martin Watier
Anonyme (1)
$1 200 +
Louise Ahdoot
Karyn Allen & Peter Van Den Heuvel
Munirah Amra
Raymond Bachand & Micheline Brazeau
Daniel A. Beaulieu
Dr. Lorraine Bell & Ralph Thompson
Bunny Berke & Larry Lusko
Carole & Myer Bick
Hy & Joan Bloom
Pierre-Yves Boivin
Louis Bouchard
Me Luc Bourbonnais
Michelle & Guy Bouthillier
Fondation Pierre R. Brosseau
Jean Charbonneau Toxicologue Inc.
Jacques L. Charuest
Dr J.P. Chiasson, MD, F.A.S.A.M.
Francis Choinière
Dr Richard Cloutier
Sandro D'Annibale
Richard de Blois
Isabelle Demers
Alain Desmeules
James Dorff & Laurent Thibault
Michel Drapeau
Fondation Martineau Drapeau
David Essiambre CPA
Pierre Filiatrault
Stephen J. Fogarty
Claire Fournelle
Pascale Garneau
Antoine Gervais, à la mémoire de Raymond Gervais
Mouna & Elias Ghannoum
Émile Ghattas & Mona Latif-Ghattas†
THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY (CONTINUED)
Frédéric Godbout & Annie Guay
Me Julius H. Grey
Marina Gusti
Adele Hébert
Shuki Ho
Michel Hogue & Richard Raymond
Linda Houle
Peter Hunt
Dr. Calvin Kalman
Denise Lambert
Nan & Bill Lassner
Raymonde Lavoie
Christiane LeBlanc
Martin Lépine
Thomas Leslie, MMM, CD
Stéphane L'Espérance &
Carmen Hernandez
Dr André Levasseur
Tina Liu
Éric Martel & Josiane Lamy
Dr. Jacqueline McClaran & Dr. Jonathan Meakins
Joanne & Guy McLean
Caroline Montminy
Maria Morse MBA, CPA & Martin Roberge
Amin Noorani
Antonella Pagano, thanks to Vanda Treiser
Famille Pierre Provencher
Ginette Quintal
Louis Racine & Marie-Christine Torchio
Drs. Alexandra & Mark Reich
Évangéline Richard
Lesley & Mark Robinson
Catherine Rowe & John Di Gironimo
Madeleine Roy
Henriot M. Sabourin & Pierrette Couture
Dr. Jinder Sall
Frank Schlesinger
Jean-François Séguin
Howard Stotland
Bernard St-Pierre-Marcotte & Francine Ouellette
Karim Talaat
Dr Jean-Pierre Talbot
Ruth & Tony Terenzi
Robert Thibaudeau
Famille Vossos
Diana C. Wall
Dre Marie Youssef
Linda & Joe Zalter
Dr. Mark Zoccolillo
Anonyme (1)
FRIENDS OF THE OPERA DIRECTEUR
$600 +
Philippe Alcouffe
Yves Boulanger
Dre Suzanne Dubé &
Dr Laurence Green
Lucy Fellowes
Margaret & Bernd Filzer
In loving memory of Kappy
Flanders
Mona Golfman
Jocelyne Langevin
Robert J. Leroux
George E. Lovick
Sophie Massicotte
Serge B. Melançon
Eric & Jane Molson
Famille Morisset Noppen
Mariella Pandolfi
Jean-Pierre Paradis
Louise Paré
Sonnie Park
Colette Pilon & Howard Bergman
Kate Puxley
Dr. Elsa Quiros-Calinoiu
SDBL Administration & Comptabilité inc.
Fondation St-Germain Kavanagh
Anonyme (2)
$300 +
Jocelyne Antille
Paul Benoit
Nicole Brodeur
André Canakis
Sylvain Collette
Jean-Pierre Deschamps
Hélène-Louise Dupont Élie
Léopold Ferron
Daniel Filion
Thérèse Gagnon Giasson
Jacques Gagnon
Denyse Gautrin
Richard Gut
Eren Halil
Louise Julien
Berthe Kossak
Gilles Lanctôt
Jean-Charles Le Brun &
Normand-G. Robert
Allan Marr
Suzanne Masson
MJ Fiscalité inc.
Andrée Noël
Jennifer Paquet
Zephya & Gianluca Passarella
Fondation Philantra
Marie-Soleil Pichette
Denise Pilote
Carmen Reid
Dr Patrick Simard Médecin Inc.
Heidy Simonin
Dre Suzanne Venne & Dr Jan De Smet
Anonyme (6)
$120 +
Patricia Abbott
Alexandre Barradas
Sylvain Barrette
Michel Perrault & Joanne Bazinet
André Beauchamp
Robert Belanger
Claudette Belliveau
À la mémoire de Jean-Guy Benoit
Francesco Biondi Morra Di Belforte
À la mémoire de Normand Blais
Marie Blouin
Eileen & Herb Borsuk
Mathieu Bouchard
Robert Boulanger
Danielle Bourget
Gisele Chevrefils
Peter Chiotis & Anthi Balafoutis
Elena Chirokova
Linda Cochrane
Teodor Gabriel Crainic
Richard Crête
Michael Davis
Normand Denault
Micheline Desgagné
Colette Desrochers
Luc Doray
Myriam Douville
Jacques Dussault
Janice Fetsch
Christiane Fortin Langevin
Louise Fraser
Eveline-Louise Gagné
John Galaty
Amy Grainger
Jocelyne Guay
Helen Haslam
Suzanne Hebert Vaillant
Sherley Henry
Irena Iwanyckij
Thomas Kelly
Daniel Kinsella
Christoph Laeer
Louise Lafontaine
Pierre Lajoie
Akbar Lalani
Denis Lapierre
Suzanne Laplante
Gerard Lavelle
Marie-Claude Le Clair
Marcel D. Legault
Barbara Lewis
Leslie Lubin
Lucie Malenfant
Marion Malon
Serge Marceau
René Marineau
Maryse Martin
Jocelyne Morin
Lourdes Olguin Zuniga
Alain Orvoine
Alfred Ouellet
Jean Ouellette
P.K. Pal
Desiree Park
Vladimir Perez
Lise Pierre Pierre
Serge Poisson-de-Haro
Catherine Potvin
Jean-Pierre Racette
Renée & Joseph Rouleau
Yolanda Sabetta
Bahjat Salem, à la nourriture de l'âme
Caroline Samson
Lucie Sanfaçon
Richard Shedleur
V. Sirois
Suzanne Spinelli
Raymonde St-Pierre
À la mémoire de Raoul & Helene Tessier
Mathilde & Simon Tinawi
Suzanne Vadboncoeur
Ziko & Jadwiga
Gerald Zion
Anonyme (17)
Un soutien bienveillant et visionnaire pour la relève de l’opéra
Nurturing and visionary support for future opera stars
Merci aux Initiatives Vanda Treiser de contribuer à propulser les carrières des jeunes artistes de l’Atelier lyrique !
Thank you to Vanda Treiser Initiatives for helping propel the careers of emerging artists at the Atelier lyrique!
La Fondation Azrieli est fière de soutenir l’Opéra de Montréal dans la découverte, l’élévation et l’amplification de nouvelles voix.
The Azrieli Foundation is proud to support Opéra de Montréal in discovering, elevating and amplifying new voices.
Programming and Production Partners
Civic Impact and Education Partners
Québec Creation Partner
Presenting Partners
National Audition Partner
MRS. VANDA TREISER and in memory of M. BENJAMIN TREISER
DoubleTree by Hilton Montréal
LaCité Le Mille Neuf
Permanent Team
Patrick Corrigan, General Director
Michel Beaulac, Artistic Director
Louis Bouchard, Strategic Operations Director
PRODUCTION
Pierre Massoud, Production Director / Marie Hélène Larivière, Production Coordinator / Patrick Belzile, Technical Director / Drew Lyall, Technical Director Assistant / Laurence Pronier, Head of Stage Management Department / Thomas Lussier, Stage Management Project Manager / Dominique Guindon, Head of Wardrobe / Sonya Bayer, Associate Head of Wardrobe / Sandra Chirico, Wardrobe Supervisor
ATELIER LYRIQUE DE L’OPÉRA DE MONTRÉAL
Jennifer Szeto, Director of the Atelier Lyrique / Marie Maous, Program Manager / Geneviève Lessard, Production Manager
Jean-Pierre Primiani, Chief Philanthropy Officer / Antoine Gervais, Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager / Amy Grainger, Philanthropic Operations and Communications Manager / Marion Malon, Project Manager, Philanthropic Events / Géraldine Leong Sang, Philanthropic Operations and Communications Coordinator
CIVIC IMPACT AND EDUCATION
Pierre Vachon, Director, Civic Impact and Education / Charlotte Gagnon, Manager, Social Impact and Education / Béatrice Beaudin-Caille, Coordinator
FINANCES
Maria Morse, Finances Director / Marie-Claude Lagacé, Accounting Agent
Current Production Team
PRODUCTION
Pierre Massoud, Production Director / Marie Hélène Larivière, Production Coordinator / Patrick Belzile, Technical Director / Drew Lyall, Technical Director Assistant
STAGE MANAGEMENT
Laurence Pronier, Head of Stage Management Department / Chloé Ekker, Stage Manager / Léa Touzé, Caroline Nowacki, Assistant Stage Managers
Dominique Guindon Head of Wardrobe / Sonya Bayer, Associate Head of Wardrobe / Sandra Chirico, Wardrobe Supervisor / Cassandre Josépovic, Wardrobe Technician and Seamstress / Mélanie Richard, Pattern Maker / Richard Provost, Hat Maker / Marie-Claire Doyon, Sandrine Moreau, Christine Tremblay, Mireille Tremblay, Seamstress / Geneviève Fortin, Head Dresser (ODM) / Joël Boudreault, Head Dresser (PDA Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier)
PROPS
Madeleine Saint-Jacques, Philippe Pointard, Head Props
HAIR
Pierre Lafontaine, Head of hair department / Manon Alexandre, Karine Deest, Nathalie Perreault, Kimberley Murphy, Guylaine Sant, Hair stylist
MAKE-UP
Julie Casault, Head of makeup department / Alexandre Deslauriers, Camiel McLean, Marianne Bobet, Stéphanie Villemaire, Jacques Besner, Alexe-Rose Francoeur, Johanne Doyon, Makeup Artists
RUNNER
Tyler Parent Technical Staff
Daniel Masse, Head Carpenter / Julie Latulippe, Martin Jannard, Assistant Head Carpenters / Pierre Veniot, Head of Sound / André Corbeil, Assistant Head of Sound / David Leblanc, Prop Master / Martin Turgeon, Assistant Prop Master / Charles Denis, Head Fly Man / Eric Piché, assistant Head Fly Man / Saturnin Goyer, Head of Lighting / Martin Dussault, Assistant Head of Lighting Stage technical services are provided by: IATSE section locale 56
THANK YOU TO OUR COLLABORATORS:
Omnison : Sound and Lighting
Trans Québec : Audiovisual
Les Entreprises Truck'N Roll
Designers
Joan Guillen, Set and Costume designer / Albert Faura, Original Lighting Designer / Anne-Catherine Simard-Deraspe, Ligthing designer for Montréal
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT René Branchaud Lavery
VICE-PRESIDENT
Elizabeth Wirth Wirth-Brand Inc., Wirth Rail
SECRETARY
Alysia Yip-Hoi Martin Maison Alysia
TREASURER
Sylvie Marois
Banque Nationale Gestion privée 1859
MEMBERS
Louis Arseneault Consultant in Communications and Public Affairs
François Carrier Desjardins Marché des capitaux Bruno-Étienne Duguay NOVACAP
Joanie Lapalme Fasken
François Loubert Clinique médicale Angus Guillaume Marion Sagard
Louise Roy, O.C., O.Q. CIRANO
Bernard Stotland, FCA, FCPA Richter
Vanda Treiser
Philanthropist
Daniel Turp Université de Montréal
Joan Vogelesang
Joan Vogelesang (JV) Consultants
Vickie Zhao Philanthropist
OCTOBER 8, 2024 AT 7:30.P.M.
Salle Pierre Mercure
CONCERT
La Serva Padrona & Le Medium
PERGOLESI
Come and enjoy an intimate, lively performance of two chamber operas performed by the rising stars of the Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal. La Serva Padrona by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's Serva Padrona, a light, comic interlude delight the audience's senses with amusing misunderstandings and pretense. The Medium, a one-act opera by Gian Carlo Menotti, transports us the macabre world of murder and chaos.
Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
Hamlet
THOMAS NOVEMBER 16 TO 24, 2024
OPERA
Ambroise Thomas’s Hamlet is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s iconic play. Through Alain Gauthier’s masterful staging, audiences behold the anguish and tragic spiral of resentment that plague victims of a system in which corruption prevails. The masterful conductor Jacques Lacombe will lead the Orchestre Métropolitain.
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
SALLE WILFRID-PELLETIER
Every year, hundreds of young artists from across the country audition for the Atelier lyrique, our training program and professional development stepping stone. Come enjoy the final audition rounds on the stage of the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, complete with a festive and stylish gala. Savour operatic arias and culinary delights while contributing to our mission of training and supporting the next generation of opera performers.