Soprano Mireille Asselin last appeared with the COC as Second Priestess in Iphigenia in Tauris and Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto. She also shared the title role in the Ensemble Studio performance of Semele and understudied roles in Iphigenia in Tauris, The Tales of Hoffmann, Gianni Schicchi and Semele. Recent credits include Phénice/Lucinde in Armide with the Glimmerglass Festival, Galatea in Acis and Galatea and Servilia in La clemenza di Tito with Opera Atelier, Flore/Proserpine in Boston Early Music Festival’s Orphée, and concert appearances throughout North America and England, including her Carnegie Hall debut in April 2011 as well as her solo recital debut there in January 2012. 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 shares the role of Adele in Die Fledermaus and sings Servilia in La clemenza di Tito. She also understudies Constance in Dialogues des Carmélites.
Toronto-based soprano Ambur Braid recently appeared with the COC as a Greek Woman in Iphigenia in Tauris, Stella in The Tales of Hoffmann and she shared the title role in the Ensemble Studio performance of Semele. She understudied roles in Rigoletto, Love from Afar and Semele. Ms Braid holds a 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 sortileges, 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 is the winner of the East Bay Opera Competition, San Francisco Conservatory Concerto Competition, and the Palm Beach Opera Competition. Recently, Ms Braid participated in the Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival, and sings the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte at Opera Atelier in the 2012/2013 season. This season with the COC she shares the role of Adele in COC’s new production of Die Fledermaus and sings Vitellia in the Ensemble Studio performance of La clemenza di Tito.
AMBUR On PARLANDO, the coc blog
Mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb recently appeared with the COC as La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi and Juno/Ino in the Ensemble Studio performance of Semele. She understudied roles in Iphigenia in Tauris, Rigoletto, Love from Afar and Semele. Ms Chaieb has studied at the Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival, Franz Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien (Austria), Opera Nuova in Edmonton and the International Vocal Art Institute in Tel Aviv. She graduated from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University with a bachelor of music in vocal performance. While there 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. Other operatic credits include Dido in Dido and Aeneas with the McGill Chamber Orchestra and performances with Opéra de Montréal. This season with the COC Ms Chaieb appears as Inez in Il Trovatore, Sister Mathilde in Dialogues des Carmélites, and Sesto in the Ensemble Studio performance of La clemenza di Tito. She understudies roles in Die Fledermaus, La clemenza di Tito, and Salome.
Born in Hong Kong, pianist Timothy Cheung is an intern coach with the COC Ensemble Studio. Last season, in addition to working as an intern opera coach on Rigoletto, Tosca and Love from Afar and joining the COC music staff for the double bill of Florentine Tragedy/Gianni Schicchi, he served as the music director for the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour for the production of Isis and the Seven Scorpions. 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 (UWO Opera Workshop program) and a winner of the university’s concerto competition. Mr. Cheung has trained as a vocal pianist and répétiteur at the Merola Opera Program, Music Academy of the West, Canadian Operatic Arts Academy, Queen of Puddings Theatre Program and the Halifax Summer Opera Workshop. This season, Mr. Cheung reprises his role as music director for the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour for the production of The Brothers Grimm. In addition, Mr. Cheung serves as an intern opera coach with the COC for La clemenza di Tito and Salome, and joins the COC music staff for the production of Die Fledermaus.
Bass-baritone Neil Craighead was born in Cape Town, South Africa, but grew up and began singing in Calgary. He attended the University of British Columbia and graduated in 2009 with a bachelor of music in opera. With the COC last season he appeared as Sciarrone in Tosca and Pinellino in Gianni Schicchi and understudied roles in Iphigenia in Tauris, Rigoletto, Tosca and Semele. Mr. Craighead graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2009 with a bachelor of music. Operatic credits include Leporello and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni at the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy; Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with Opera NUOVA; and Pistola in Falstaff, Dr. Furtwängler in The Dream Healer and Colline in La Bohème with University of British Columbia Opera Ensemble. This season with the COC Mr. Craighead appears as A Cappadocian in Salome, the Jailer in Dialogues des Carmélites, and Publio in the Ensemble Studio performance of La clemenza di Tito. He understudies roles in Il Trovatore, Tristan und Isolde, La clemenza di Tito, Salome, and Dialogues des Carmélite.
Soprano Sasha Djihanian is a new member of the COC Ensemble Studio. A native of Montreal, she is a graduate of the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal with honours of First Prize and Great Distinction. She is also a winner of the Third Prize at the Czech and Slovak International Competition, and Second Prize at the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition. Ms Djihanian was a national finalist in the 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a semi-finalist in the 2011 Queen Elisabeth Competition and the 2012 Montreal International Musical Competition, and a finalist in the 2011 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. Recent credits include Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and Micaëla in Carmen at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, Italy and at the Castleton Festival, with Lorin Maazel conducting. This season with the COC she sings Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor and Annio in the Ensemble Studio performance of La clemenza di Tito. Ms Djihanian understudies roles in Die Fledermaus, Il Trovatore, La clemenza di Tito and Dialogues des Carmélites.
A native of Barrie, Ontario, pianist Jenna Douglas is an intern coach with the COC Ensemble Studio. Her recent COC credits include Iphigénie en Tauride, Tosca and Semele. Ms Douglas completed her studies as a collaborative pianist at the University of Western Ontario (UWO). Other credits include faculty coach and répétiteur at Oberlin College Conservatory and 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 (UWO Opera Workshop program). 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. This season with the COC she serves as the music director for the Xstrata Ensemble Studio School Tour production of Hansel and Gretel. Ms Douglas is also an intern opera coach on productions of Il Trovatore, Die Fledermaus and La clemenza di Tito, and joins the COC music staff for the production of Lucia di Lammermoor.
Born in Manitoba, tenor Christopher Enns recently appeared with the COC as Nathanaël in The Tales of Hoffmann and Jupiter in the Ensemble Studio performance of Semele. He understudied roles in Iphigenia in Tauris and Rigoletto. He holds a bachelor of vocal performance from the University of Manitoba and graduated from the University of Toronto with a diploma in operatic performance. Recent credits include a workshop of The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G with Tapestry New Opera; 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 he shares the title role of Tito in the Ensemble Studio performance of La clemenza di Tito and understudies roles in Die Fledermaus, Il Trovatore, La clemenza di Tito, Salome, and Dialogues des Carmélites.
Tenor Owen McCausland, a native of Saint John, New Brunswick, is a new member of the COC Ensemble Studio. He is a multi-year winner at the New Brunswick Competitive Festival of Music and studied music at Dalhousie University. His recent credits include Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi with Opera on the Avalon in Newfoundland, Juan in Don Quichotte at Opera Nova Scotia, Spoletta in Tosca with Maritime Concert Opera, as well as Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas with Dalhousie Opera. Mr. McCausland was also recently featured in an opera recital at the Indian River Music Festival in PEI. This season with the COC he sings the Messenger in Il Trovatore, Second Nazarene in Semele, and shares the title role of Tito in the Ensemble Studio performance of La clemenza di Tito, as well as understudying roles in Die Fledermaus, Tristan und Isolde and Lucia di Lammermoor.
Baritone Cameron McPhail is a new member of the COC Ensemble Studio. Recent credits include the title role in Don Giovanni, Ford in Falstaff and the title role in Gianni Schicchi with UBC Opera; Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Marcello in La Bohème, Riccardo in I puritani and George in Of Mice and Men with the Yale Opera Studio; Mercutio in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette and Ford in Falstaff with Opera NUOVA; Il Conte in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera on the Avalon; Schaunard in La Bohème with Highlands Opera Studio; and, Nick Shadow in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress as a fellow at Marilyn Horne's Music Academy of the West. Mr. McPhail was a regional finalist in the 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. A native of Brandon, Manitoba, he completed his master of music through Yale University’s opera program. This season with the COC Mr. McPhail appears as Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor and an Officer in Dialogues des Carmélites. He understudies roles in Die Fledermaus and Dialogues des Carmélites.
Soprano Claire de Sévigné, a native of Montreal, is a new member of the Ensemble Studio. She received her master’s degree in opera from the University of Toronto and a bachelor’s degree from McGill University, with additional training at the Aspen Opera Program, Tafelmusik Institute, the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy, Institut Canadien d’Art Vocal, Brevard Opera and Opera NUOVA. Recent appearances include Musetta in a concert staging of La Bohème, Act III with the Aspen Festival Philharmonic; the title role in a workshop of The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G with Tapestry New Opera; Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare with Thirteen Strings Orchestra; Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, Flaminia in Il mondo della luna, and Cunegonde in Candide at the University of Toronto. She is a regional finalist of the 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a 2012 finalist in the Marcello Giordani International Vocal Competition. This season with the COC, Ms de Sévigné appears as Ida in Die Fledermaus, A Slave in Salome and Un Voix in Dialogues des Carmélites. She also sings Servilia in the Ensemble Studio performance of La clemenza di Tito and understudies the same role in the mainstage production.