| Nathalie Paulin |
Introduction "Mozart’s motet ‘Exsultate, jubilate’, which opened the concert, demonstrated Ms. Paulin’s considerable skill in florid coloratura,…(In the Gorecki) Ms. Paulin sang with rich tone and compelling emotion" New York Times, Steve Smith Biography
Soprano Nathalie Paulin has established herself in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Far East as an interpretive artist of the very first rank. Winner of a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Opera Performance, she has collaborated with internationally renowned conductors including Jane Glover, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Antony Walder, Sir Roger Norrington, Andrew Parrott, Jonathan Darlington, Hervé Niquet, David Agler, Richard Bradshaw, Bernard Labadie, Mario Bernardi, Graeme Jenkins, Andrew Litton and Yoav Talmi on both the concert platform and in opera. As well, critics have been lavish in their praise. Reviewing from Chicago, John van Rhein noted that "Paulin in particular is a real find; her rich, agile voice possesses great depth and allure, her manner radiates sensuous charm." Ms. Paulin debuted for L’Opéra de Montréal as Mélisande in PÉLLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE and for Chicago Opera Theater as Galatea in ACIS AND GALATEA. She was re-engaged by Chicago Opera Theater for the title role in SEMELE and for Mary in LA RESURREZIONE, both by Handel. She has also been heard as Constance in DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES for Calgary Opera, Zerlina in DON GIOVANNI for L’Opéra de Québec, and Susanna in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO for Cincinnati Opera. The Dallas Opera featured her in CARMEN and CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN. In the summer of 2010, Ms. Paulin made her Rotterdam Philharmonic debut in L’ENFANT PRODIGUE with Nezet Sequin, who was also her conductor for Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and Place des Arts in Montreal. She was featured in the Elora Festival’s Beethoven Mass in C with Noel Edison in and begins the fall season as Susanna in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO for Opera Hamilton, followed immediately by the title role in RODELINDA for Pacific Opera Victoria. Highlights of her concert schedule include MESSIAH in Portland Trois Rivieres, Bach’s Wedding Cantata and Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate for the Victoria Symphony and a French programme for Toronto’s Aldeburgh Connection. Summer activities in 2009 included a number of events built around the Congres Mondiale d’Acadien in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, while further into the season, she sang the title role in Massenet’s MANON for Calgary Opera and reprised the role for Opera Lyra Ottawa. She rounded out her fall with MESSIAH for the Brott-McGill Chamber Orchestra. The balance of the season was an exciting lineup including Haydn’s DIE JAHRESZEITEN for the Calgary Philharmonic (Taurins), performances for Opera Lafayette in Washington D.C. and New York (LES ARTS FLORISSANTS and ARMIDE) and MESSIAHs in Montreal and works of Graupner for Les Idees Heureures The 2008-2009 season was notable for her Atlanta Symphony debut in Mozart’s REQUIEM, Haydn with Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society and Washington Concert Opera concerts co-starring with Stephanie Blythe. Also on her schedule were SEMELE for Pacific Opera Victoria, Handel’s HERCULES with Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, Mahler’s Symphony # 4 with Somerville and the Hamilton Philharmonic as well as concerts with the Fredericton Chamber Music Festival, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Scotia Festival (Mahler # 2) and the CBC Vancouver Radio Orchestra. Her 2007-2008 season began with DON CARLOS (Thibault) for the Canadian Opera Company, followed by DIE LUSTIGE WITWE (Valencienne) for the Dallas Opera and DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE (Pamina) for Arizona Opera. Further engagements included debuts with the Phoenix Symphony, and return engagements with the Arion Ensemble of Montreal and the Laval Symphony. Her 2005-2006 season included Constance in DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES and Zerlina in DON GIOVANNI (Vancouver Opera), Micaëla in CARMEN (L’Opéra de Québec), the title role in SEMELE for Arizona Opera and Laoula in L’ETOILE and Antonia in LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN (Cincinnati Opera). These were balanced by MESSIAH for the Toronto Symphony, Orchestra London and the Elora Festival Singers as well as Mozart’s REQUIEM for the Calgary Philharmonic and Bach’s MASS IN B MINOR for the Thunder Bay Symphony. Notable debuts for 2004–2005 included her first appearance in New York City when she was featured in a Handel programme for the New York Collegium. Ms. Paulin’s Dora Award was for her portrayal of Belinda in Opera Atelier’s production of DIDO AND AENEAS and also on her schedule were Leila in LES PECHEURS DE PERLES for Festival Vancouver, Antigone in Sacchini’s OEDIPE A COLONNE for Washington D.C.’s Opera Lafayette and Norina in DON PASQUALE for L’Opéra de Montréal. On the concert stage, her schedule called for Mendelssohn’s LOBGESANG with L’Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Poulenc’s GLORIA with the Spokane Symphony and the works of Bach, Pergolesi and Vivaldi with the Calgary and Edmonton symphonies. On the festival circuit for 2005, Ms. Paulin was heard in Berlin, Montreal and Vancouver in Caldara’s LA CONVERSIONE DI CLODOVEO, RÈ DI FRANCIA, in Scarlatti’s STABAT MATER for the Elora Festival and at Lamèque for Handel’s LAUDATE PUERI and ODE TO SAINT CECILIA. August 2010
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Reviews"The star of the show is clearly Nathalie Paulin, the production's Manon. This is a grateful role for Paulin, who with her petite figure, happy-go-lucky character, and crystal-clear, lyric voice is perfectly suited to the part. Paulin is perfectly believable as the girlish Manon who the audience first meets, and her initial attraction to de Grieux, the young man she ensnares and ultimately betrays, is compelling and natural. Paulin is equally fine in her portrayal of the other personalities of Manon we meet throughout the opera: the Manon who chooses diamonds over love, Manon as courtesan and belle of the ball, a Manon desperate to retrieve de Grieux's love and the dying Manon. In all the arias, from the familiar "Adieu, notre petite table" in the second act to the famous "Gavotte" in the third act, Paulin came up trumps. Her singing was always limpid and sweet and and yet had the strength and brilliance to make the emotional climaxes thrilling."
Calgary Herald - Kenneth Delong
“Nathalie Paulin, sun of the evening, merits a new invitation to Arion…” Le Devoir – Christophe Huss
“Friday’s offering by the Handel and Haydn Society at Jordan Hall was a lively and original combination of English words and music from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Instrumental interludes alternated with vocal pieces, sung by soprano Nathalie Paulin and baritone Jason Grant. Each singer had a showpiece as well: Paulin sang Dido’s lament from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas exquisitely.”
The Boston Globe – David Perkins
“Philip Picket made his conducting début with the Handel and Haydn Society yesterday evening at NEC’s Jordan Hall in a program of music and words from the early years of English musical theatre. Vocal soloists were soprano Nathalie Paulin and baritone Jason Grant. Paulin’s warm, rich, nimble and persuasive instrument was brilliant and glittered in Blow’s Venus and Adonis in particular.”
Classical Voice of New England – Marvin J. Ward
“Nathalie Paulin, a singer of shimmering lines and exquisite phrasing, captured the fragility and turmoil of a perfect Mélisande—one of the most enigmatic characters in all opera.”
Vancouver Sun – Tara Wohlberg“Paulin’s Antigone was deeply appealing in voice and stage presence.” The Washington Post – Joseph McLella
“soprano Nathalie Paulin brought fiery power to the role of Angelica.” ( Orlando) The Washington Post – Stephen Brooks
“…daughter Antigone is the dramatically vibrant Nathalie Paulin who is also able to express the nobility of her charcter.” (Recording OEDIPUS AT COLONUS, Naxos) Musicweb International – Goran Forsling
“Nathalie Paulin, COT’s delectable GALATEA last year, sang Semele with sensuality and spirit, sailing through pages of ornate coloratura accurately and musically.” Chicago Tribune – John von Rhein
“…Paulin’s lyric soprano is high, pure and strong. She appears supremely comfortable in the upper register but the voice is also secure and velvety in mid-range. Best of all, however, she sings with heart and commitment, whatever the material.” The Toronto Star – Robert Crew
“…Canadian soprano Nathalie Paulin was pure class from her first note to her last. Her silky powerful voice sounds secure and free throughout her register. While she showed off laser-precise coloratura in Rejoice greatly, her use of ornamentation was restrained and tasteful.” The Ottawa Citizen – Natasha Gauthier
“Full marks to her as a zealous angel with a riveting, stylish high voice that has the requisite keenly honed edge and her ability to adjust relatively no-frills delivery when assuming disciple John’s role. The change was as seamless as one could dare hope.” The Toronto Star – Geoff Chapman
“Nathalie Paulin incarne l’héroine. La soprano on le sent, l’a bien travaillée, sa Manon. Elle la chante d’une voix belle et qui coule, elle la joue avec gout, measure et intelligence, de sorte qu’elle lui donne une existence à laquelle on croit tout à fait.” Le Soleil – Richard Boisvert
“…her controlled but oft-soaring voice and presentation was ideally suited to the material, providing an ecstatic ring to her phrasing, that was what the five melodies required. Elsewhere she glowed.” The Toronto Star – Geoff Chapman
“Her command of vocal line and the frequent trills and leaps in her singing style impressed this gala night’s Vancouver Festival audience.” Vancouver – Ed Farolan
“Nathalie Paulin was a voluptuous Semele. Her soprano was clear and open.” Chicago Sun Times
“Paulin sang with keening clarity. It’s a challenging coloratura role. She communicated directly with the audience, displaying a welcome charisma (a sense of let me take you there) that made a long evening worthwhile.” (THE TEMPEST, Ariel) Times Colonist – Adrian Chamberlain
“Paulin, constantly flitting about the periphery of the action, was a theatrical and vocal tour de force, her quicksilver stage movements paralleled by her light, agile soprano voice. She certainly stole the show.” (Pacific Opera Victoria,THE TEMPEST) Opera Canada – Robert Jordan |