| Suzie LeBlanc |
Introduction “The evening’s success is due above all to soprano Suzie LeBlanc with her fresh and melodious voice. Her appearance and personality perfectly convey themselves on the opera stage in the roles of German girls, gentle and dreaming, of whom the prototype is Mozart’s Pamina.” La Stampa, Turin BiographyFollowing her Mozart recital in Turin, La Stampa’s music critic wrote: “The evening’s success is due above all to soprano Suzie LeBlanc with her fresh and melodious voice. Her appearance and personality perfectly convey themselves on the opera stage in the roles of German girls, gentle and dreaming, of whom the prototype is Mozart’s Pamina… This small masterpiece (Alma grande e nobil core) demands from the singer a bit of aggressiveness… Mrs. LeBlanc’s interpretation was perfect in this regard.” Internationally renowned, Acadian soprano Suzie LeBlanc has established an extraordinary career specializing in Baroque and Classical repertoire; exploring and recording a substantial amount of previously unpublished material while resident in Europe. Her thirst and curiosity for new vistas now lead her toward the repertoire of French mélodies, lieder and Acadian folk music as well as exploring the art of improvisation with Helmut Lipsky and « Au parfum de Tango ». She has worked with many of the world’s leading early music ensembles in concert and opera performances as well as on film and on disc. Concerts have taken her to Festivals all over the world as well as to the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), the Wigmore Hall and the Konzerthaus in Vienna. On the opera stage, she has performed for De Nederlandse Opera, Festival de Beaune, Opéra de Montréal, the Boston Early Music Festival, Tanglewood, Festival Vancouver and Early Music Vancouver. The film « Lost Song » directed by Rodrigue Jean, in which she plays the lead character, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and won the City TV Best Canadian Feature Award. She can also be seen on film in “More than a thousand kisses” (Bach’s Coffee Cantata) and “Suzie LeBlanc and a man named Quantz”, both produced by the late Robert Chesterman for Prometheus Productions. Her contribution to Acadian culture with the CDs « La Mer Jolie » and « Tout passe » and with the documentary « Suzie LeBlanc : A Musical Quest », directed by Donald Winkler, along with her performances of Early Music have earned her honorary doctorates from King’s College University in Halifax and Mount Allison University in New Brunswick. In recent seasons, she recorded Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Pamina) with La Petite Bande (Bayer records) and Mozart lieder with Yannick Nézet-Seguin (ATMA) and returned to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for Bach’s St-Matthew Passion as staged by Jonathan Miller. Other recent recordings include Thésée’s Lully (CPO), Gluck’s Orphée (Naxos), Buxtehude motets with Emma Kirkby, Peter Harvey and the Purcell Symphony (Chandos) and a Handel Portrait (ATMA). Past highlights include performances of Carissimi’s Jephte and Rameau’s Pygmalion in Ottawa and Vancouver, a recital with Daniel Taylor for the Toronto Summer Music Festival and concerts with Helmut Lipsky and « L’Art de Passage » in Kingston and Québec. Her 2008/2009 season included the launch of her new recording of works by Olivier Messiaen, titled « Chants de terre et de ciel », and a recital tour with pianist Robert Kortgaard. This launch and tour was followed by Monteverdi’s Orfeo in Edmonton, Bach Cantatas in Vancouver, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with the Calgary Symphony and the St-Matthew Passion in Madrid and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, staged by Jonathan Miller. She was also heard in the premiere of Vigneault’s Grand-messe in Québec for Festival de musique sacrée with Orchestre symphonique de Québec. In 2009-2010, engagemented include a recital with Yannick Nezet-Seguin, performances of Purcell’s The Faerie Queen at the Elora Festival and for Vancouver Early Music, Purcell’s King Arthur with Toronto’s Tafelmusik, Messiah with Handel and Haydn Society of Boston and she collaborated with Kent Nagano and the Montreal Symphony in a programme of traditional Japanese songs. In addition, her schedule called for Handel’s Israel in Egypt for the Mendelssohn Choir with Noel Edison, selected Bach Cantatas for Symphony Nova Scotia and later for Chicago’s Music of the Baroque with Jane Glover, Johannes Passion for the Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival, the B Minor Mass for the Grand Philharmonic Choir of Kitchener, Fauré’s Requiem with the Windsor Symphony and a tour of France, England and the U.S. with Daniel Taylor and the Theatre of Early Music. Further tour destinations include Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo and Buenos Aires. In the summer of 2010, festival activities included recitals and masterclasses at Festivoix in Trois Rivieres, Orford and Musicfest Vancouver under the auspices of Early Music Vancouver. In 2010-2011, she returneed to the Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival for Bach’s Coffee Cantata and Mass in B Minor, a unique programme with Montreal’s Arion featuring music with chalumeau, St. Matthew Passion in the Netherlands, Messiah with Symphony Nova Scotia and the initial concert in a series of events surrounding the life and work of Elizabeth Bishop, again with Symphony Nova Scotia. She made her Minnesota Symphony debut this season as soloist in Messiah and was heard in the same work with the Toronto Symphony. Suzie LeBlanc is artistic director of Le Nouvel Opéra (www.lenouvelopera.com) which is ensemble-in-residence at the Montreal Conservatory and co-chair of the Elizabeth Bishop Centenary Festival (2011) in Nova Scotia (www.elizabethbishopns.org). January 2012
For further information, please visit www.suzieleblanc.com Full RepertoireOpera
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Reviews“Soprano Suzie LeBlanc took the act of persuasion in a whole other direction; she was enjoying herself. Her luminous clear voice was larger, rangier than the standard baroque practice the other performers seemed to be following. She produced golden moments, sounding more intimate and personalized. It was refreshing to hear someone have a good time. LeBlanc sounded genuinely glad it was Christmas time, and grateful for the quality of the room and for the people she performed with.” National Post – John Keillor
“LeBlanc’s singing is as inflected as impassioned speech. Her voice is dulcet, clear and free but, a voluptuous catch that shows most in the upper register can instantaneously pull that lovely sound into areas of seduction or pain and she takes advantage of every ornament in the 17th century toolkit to enhance the meaning of the words. She can weep or laugh in a ripple of passagework, twirl a melody with gypsy wantonness or sizzle like a torch singer.” The Globe and Mail – Elissa Poole“Suzie LeBlanc, the first soprano is a famed performer of this kind of music and this instance certainly suggested that she deserves every bit of that: she has a beautiful voice, is utterly accurate and has a wonderfully human delivery. (I select her account of ‘Ich will dir mein Herze schenken, with Mason and George again in the obbligato parts, as perhaps the showstopper of the day.) The Record – Jan Narveson“LeBlanc’s scrupulous care for legato, arching phrasing and faultless rhythmic control…her ability to soar sensuously and inflect with the most delicate subtlety was always apparent.” The Toronto Star – Geoff Chapman“Charming, intense and charismatic…vocally everything is there… Suzie LeBlanc possesses Monteverdi, as she demonstrated with inspiration, expression and great conviction.” La Presse – Guy Marceau“LeBlanc’s voice lends itself to the songs with a clarity and emotion that only a superb and extremely astute artist can achieve. LeBlanc merits to be congratulated for having both the artistic talent and courage to interperet this music. ‘La mer jolie’ is an illuminating, moving recording to treasure.” Wholenote – Tiina Kiik“Suzie LeBlanc showed superb skill and agility…a rich luster to her tone.” The Oregonian – David Stabler“Suzie LeBlanc’s…clear acoustic allowed for many intimate highlights, caress of her tone, curvaceous suppleness of her line – where nothing ever reduces to formula – and for the pristine filigree of her coloratura.” The Globe and Mail – Elissa Poole“…Suzie LeBlanc astonished with her huge, effortless resonance…The splendour of her sound – its voluptuousness and rich elegance—made it easy to imagine the original atmosphere.” The Vancouver Sun – John Keillor“Suzie LeBlanc sang the title role gracefully, with both a sweet tone and clarity in the more florid writing.” The New York Times – Allan Kozinn“Suzie LeBlanc sang the role of Amour with a bright, pure sweetness—radiance personified.” Washington Post – Tim Page“LeBlanc…displayed her supple yet powerful voice over the chorus…and was splendid in selections for the closing CARMINA BURANA by Orff.” The Record – Colleen Johnson“LeBlanc has a superb ability to take the wonderfully pure sound she can make, over which she has consummate control and wrap it in something luscious and special before giving it to you.” The Sydney Morning Herald – Peter McCallum“…a singer of the highest quality, she dazzled and entranced with her impeccable vocal control and a sound of wonderful beauty, bringing this relatively neglected repertoire to vivid, exciting life. This was music-making to live for.” The Australian |