Praised for “his deep stentorian bass voice” and “his powerful stage presence”, French Canadian bass Alain Coulombe is one of the most commanding and exciting singers of his generation. Admired for his musical and dramatic versatility, as well as for his unique basso profondo voice, Mr. Coulombe is a favourite of critics and public alike. His passion for the singer-actor’s craft has won him numerous acclaims over the years, his sheer dedication to each one of his roles being his widely recognized trademark. An alumni member of l’Opéra de Montréal, the Canadian Opera Company and the Tanglewood Music Center’s Young Artists Programs, Alain was the recipient of several career grants for artistic excellence from l’Opéra de Montréal and the Canadian Opera Company’s Boards of Directors, from the Vancouver Opera Judith Forst’s Foundation, as well as from the Canada Council for the Arts. Having completed his vocal training with Marlena Malas, Patricia Kern, Martin Isepp, Craig Rutenberg and the late Robert Savoie, he has worked with famous conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Richard Bradshaw, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Hervé Niquet, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Jonathan Darlington, Helmut Rilling, Bernard Labadie, Paul Nader, Edoardo Muller and Richard Bonynge.
Mr.Coulombe’s 2010/11 opera calendar will feature him in two productions of AIDA, as the King of Egypt with the Canadian Opera Company and as Ramfis with the Calgary Opera Association. He will also be Sparafucile in RIGOLETTO with Michigan Opera Theatre, Le Bailli in WERTHER with l’Opéra de Montréal, as well as the bass soloist in Verdi’s REQUIEM with the Vancouver Symphony.
This season, Mr.Coulombe was singing Oroveso in Bellini’s NORMA with Vancouver Opera, Le Comte des Grieux in Massenet’s MANON with Ottawa Opera Lyra, Il Commendatore in Mozart’s DON GIOVANNI with l’Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, Zuniga in Bizet’s CARMEN with the Canadian Opera Company and Manitoba Opera, as well as Montano in Verdi’s OTELLO with the COC. On the concert stage, he performed at the Vancouver Opera’s 50th Anniversary Gala, as the bass soloist in Beethoven’s NINTH SYMPHONY with L’Orchestre Symphonique de l’Estuaire, as well as in Mozart’s REQUIEM with the Pasadena Symphony, California.
Last season, Mr.Coulombe performed the role of Raimondo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR with Cincinnati Opera and L’Opéra de Montréal, The Bonze in MADAMA BUTTERFLY with Cincinnati Opera, Zuniga in CARMEN with Vancouver Opera, as well as Pietro in SIMON BOCCANEGRA and Count Ilya Rostov in WAR AND PEACE with the Canadian Opera Company. On the concert stage, he was Pater profundus in Mahler’s 8th SYMPHONY at the Brott Music Festival and the bass soloist in Vivaldi’s DIXIT DOMINUS with the National Ballet of Canada.
In recent years, he was Collatinus in THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA with l’Opéra de Montréal and Pacific Opera Victoria, Sparafucile in RIGOLETTO and Oroveso in NORMA with Pacific Opera Victoria, Seneca in THE CORONATION OF POPPEA for Cleveland Opera, Lignière in CYRANO for Michigan Opera Theatre, Don Fernando in FIDELIO and Count Horn in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA for Vancouver Opera, Colline in LA BOHÈME for Edmonton Opera and L’Opéra de Québec, Créon in Charpentier’s MÉDÉE and Hidraot in Lully’s ARMIDE for Toronto Opera Atelier and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. As a regular guest artist at the Canadian Opera Company, he was Sarastro in THE MAGIC FLUTE, The Priest in LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK, Doctor Grenvil in LA TRAVIATA, Le Médecin in PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE, Superintendent Budd in ALBERT HERRING, Zuniga in CARMEN, as well as covering the roles of Il Commendatore in DON GIOVANNI, Arkel in PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE, Wurm in LUISA MILLER, Basilio in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and The Old Convict in LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK.
His recent appearances on the concert stage include Tiresias in OEDIPUS REX with L’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Lord Valton in I PURITANI, Die Heremit in DER FREISCHÜTZ, Nourabad in LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES and Arkel in PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE for Festival Vancouver and Vancouver Opera, Le Roi de Trèfles in L’AMOUR DES TROIS ORANGES with Toronto Opera In Concert, The Mother in THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS with Calgary Opera and Bertran in IOLANTA at Le Festival International de Musique de Lanaudière. He was the bass soloist in THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK for Calgary Opera, A BELLINI GALA with L’Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, Christos Hatzis’ KYRIE for CBC Radio, Schubert’s A FLAT MASS with The CBC Orchestra for Festival Vancouver, and in Mozart’s REQUIEM with The Elora Festival, Orchestra London and the Symphony Orchestras of Windsor, Thunder Bay, Victoria and Edmonton. He also performed at the Opening Ceremonies of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, new home of the Canadian Opera Company and in Berlioz’s L’ENFANCE DU CHRIST with the Boston Symphony and the Dresdner Philharmonie, Germany.
Further operatic credits include Pistola in FALSTAFF at the Tanglewood Music Festival, The Sacristan in TOSCA and Sparafucile in RIGOLETTO for L’Opéra de Québec, Ashby in LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST for Vancouver Opera, as well as Colline in LA BOHÈME, Collatinus in THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA, Masetto in DON GIOVANNI, Count Horn in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA, Lieutenant Ratcliffe in BILLY BUDD, Lodovico in OTELLO, Talpa in IL TABARRO and Don Prudenzio in IL VIAGGIO A REIMS at the Canadian Opera Company. He was The High Priest in NABUCCO and The Mayor in JENŮFA with l’Opéra de Montréal, as well as Don Basilio in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and Don Magnifico in LA CENERENTOLA for Les Jeunesses Musicales du Canada. He also marked more acclaimed appearances as Cadmus in SEMELE for Toronto Opera In Concert and as Seneca in L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA for Opera Atelier and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
Mr. Coulombe appeared as Leporello alongside Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s Don Giovanni in concert at the George Weston Recital Hall and was featured as Masetto in the Gemini winning Rhombus Media film DON GIOVANNI UNMASKED, again starring Hvorostovsky. He also sang the role of Phinée in the live DVD production of Lully’s PERSÉE under EuroArts with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Opera Atelier.
His recording credits include Ravel’s L’ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES with the Prague Symphony Orchestra for Le Théâtre Sans Fil, Harry Somers’ SERINETTE, CHURA CHURAM and THE DEATH OF ENKIDU for Centrediscs Records, the World Premiere of David DiChiera’s CYRANO for Michigan Opera Theatre, the soundtrack of Rhombus Media’s movie DON GIOVANNI UNMASKED under CBC Records, as well as numerous live radio broadcasts of opera performances and concerts across North America.
August 2010
For further information, please visit www.alaincoulombe.com
“Un autre qui montre sur scène une aisance parfaite, c’est la basse Alain Coulombe (Colline). Il nous régale en plus de sa belle voix de basse, plus franche et plus libre que jamais.”
Le Soleil - Richard Boisvert
“Of the men, the evening’s standout was Alain Coulombe, who as the chaplain was imposing in presence as well as in vocal power.” (Lucie de Lammermoor)
Cincinnati Enquirer – Janelle Gelfand
“Bass Alain Coulombe (Colline), singing to his overcoat, helped build the atmosphere around Mimi’s deathbed nicely. He movingly captured the character’s quixotic wistfulness.”
Opera Canada - Bill Rankin
“Alain Coulombe, with a booming bass voice that got beefier the lower it went, was a Sparafucileas ruthless and malevolent, yet curiously principled, as you’re likely to find this side of a maximum-security prison.”
Robert Jordan, Opera Canada
“Alain Coulombe’s deep basso and breath control as Sparafucile were nothing short of wondrous.”
Review, Vancouver - J.H.Stape
“Alain Coulombe is flawless and disturbing as Sparafucile. His massively deep bass voice probes the theatre like the growl of a lion.”
Times Colonist - Grania Litwin
“With his lush, resonant voice former Ensemble member Alain Coulombe was as magisterial a Sarastro as one could wish. His bass plumbed the challenging depths of In diesen heil’gen Hallen with full security of tone.”
Stage Door - Christopher Hoile
“Alain Coulombe dans Phinée…ravit sans doute la première place…assurément par le style et l’engagement du chanteur. Il revêt le costume du rival malheureux qui lui sied bien. Le rôle dePhinée, tout comme celui de Mérope, deux êtres blessés, déchirés, équidistants de leur amour, est exigeant et demande de vivre intensément le drame.”
www.resmusica.com - Jacques Hétu
“The star had to be Toronto-based bass Alain Coulombe, whose rich, commanding basso was tailor-made for the role of the King of Clubs.”
The Toronto Star - John Terauds
“The smaller roles were sharply etched, especially Alain Coulombe, his deep bass resonating with the stentorian authority essential to Oroveso.”
Opera Canada - Robert Jordan
“The beautiful deep bass of Alain Coulombe brought the wisdom and serenity of the aged Arkel to calm the storms of passion or to comfort melancholy and sadness.”
Review, Vancouver - Jane Penistan
“From the pungent opening chords of L’Opéra de Montréal’s THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA, one sensed immediately that this was going to be a performance of special merit…above all Alain Coulombe, a superb Collatinus, with a voice most Wotans would envy…”
Opera News - Robert Markow
"Alain Coulombe, as Collatinus, conveyed deep emotion with his velvety, powerful bass voice."
The Globe and Mail - David Lasker
"Alain Coulombe as Seneca gives the kind of assured, refined performance we've come to expect from him. Even as his sonorous bass lends gravitas to the philosopher's great final scene, he suggests a man forcing his emotion to bend to his will."
Stage Door - Christopher Hoile
"Alain Coulombe tended to dominate the proceedings through sheer physicality when he was onstage as Pistola."
The Berkshire Eagle - Andrew L. Pincus
"The best work is by Alain Coulombe as the duplicitous King Créon. He's a real singing actor who uses all the tools at hand to create a memorable character."
NOW Magazine - Jon Kaplan
