Alex Halliday - CBC Music’s 2025 30 Classical Musicians Under 30
Congratulations to Dean Artists' Alex Halliday on being named on CBC Music’s annual list of 30 Classical Musicians Under 30!✨
From the CBC:
The 2025-26 season will be huge for Alex Halliday. He'll make his debut with not one, not two, but three Canadian opera companies: He'll sing the role of Angelotti in Pacific Opera Victoria's Tosca in February; Colline in Vancouver Opera's La bohème in April; and Fafner in Edmonton Opera's Siegfried next June. Last November, he won the $3,000 third prize (ex aequo) in the latter company's Rumbold Vocal Prize. ("That entire week was unforgettable," he recalls.) And before those debuts, Halliday will return to the Canadian Opera Company in September to sing the Duke in Roméo et Juliette.
Read more, including the rest of the 30 Under 30 list, on CBC Music here.
Lauren Margison with the National Association of Teachers of Singing
Soprano Lauren Margison joins the National Association of Teachers of Singing as headlining artist at the International Congress of Voice Teachers for a genre-spanning recital of classical, jazz, and pop favourites.
The program features Timothy Cheung on piano, and the Jason Jestadt Ensemble.
The ICVT conference opens with a highlighted performance by Dean Artists' very own Marcus Nance, and a panel discussion with Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野 as featured artists.
Click here to learn more.
August 2 - Koerner Hall
Olivier Bergeron with Festival d'Opera de Quebec
Baritone Olivier Bergeron joins Festival d'Opéra de Québec for Bizet's Carmen.
The production is directed by Nicola Berloffa, and conducted by Jacques Lacombe.
Click here to learn more.
July 30 - August 3 - Louis-Fréchette Hall of the Grand Théâtre de Québec
Jonelle Sills and Justin Welsh with Westben Music Festival
Soprano Jonelle Sills and baritone Justin Welsh join Westben Music Festival for Rhapsody in Blue – A Gershwin Celebration.
The program is led by conductor Daniel Vnukowski, accompanied by Stéphane Mayer, and features Adrianne Pieczonka.
Click here to learn more.
July 27 - The Barn (Cambellford)
Wallis Giunta at Chamberfest
Soprano Wallis Giunta joins Chamberfest for a musical exploration of the wonders of our solar system.
The program is accompanied by Suren Barry and Carson Becke, and is anchored by Suren and Carson’s two-piano arrangement of Gustav Holst’s deeply-loved masterwork The Planets.
Click here to learn more.
July 23 - Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre
Elena Howard-Scott and Marcus Nance with Mirvish Productions
Soprano Elena Howard-Scott and bass-baritone Marcus Nance join Mirvish Productions for Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.
The production is directed by Chris Abraham, and is conducted by Ryan deSouza, in co-production with Crow's Theatre and The Musical Stage Company.
Click here to learn more.
July 15 (previews), July 22 to August 24 - Royal Alexandra Theatre
Evan Korbut with the Toronto Summer Music Festival
Baritone Evan Korbut joins Toronto Summer Music for a concert performance of Brian Current’s Missing.
The program is led by conductor Tim Long.
Click here to learn more.
July 24 - Koerner Hall
Lauren Margison and Adam Luther with Victoria Symphony & Pacific Opera Victoria
Soprano Lauren Margison and tenor Adam Luther join Victoria Symphony & Pacific Opera Victoria at The Butchart Gardens for an evening of operatic favourites.
The program is led by conductor Giuseppe Pietraroia, accompanied by Patrick Cao, and features members of the Pacific Opera Victoria Chorus.
Click here to learn more.
July 24 - The Butchart Gardens (Victoria)
Julien Proulx with Orchestre de la Francophonie
Conductor Julien Proulx leads Orchestre de la Francophonie for the close of their Concours de direction d’orchestre.
The program features selections by Ravel, Spohr, Hétu, and Prokofiev.
Click here to learn more.
July 20 - Salle Pierre-Mercure
Sarah Dufresne with Bayerische Staatsoper
Soprano Sarah Dufresne joins Bayerische Staatsoper for Strauss’ Die Liebe der Danae.
The production is directed by Claus Guth, with conductor Sebastian Weigle.
Click here to learn more.
July 19 to 22 - Bayerische Staatsoper
Jonelle Sills and Justin Welsh at Collingwood Music Festival
Soprano Jonelle Sills and baritone Justin Welsh join Collingwood Music Festival for an evening of Gershwin classics.
The program is led by conductor Daniel Vnukowski, accompanied by Stéphane Mayer, and features Adrianne Pieczonka.
Click here to learn more.
July 18 - First Presbyterian Church (Collingwood)
Adrianne Pieczonka
Matthew Dalen with Opera Kelowna
Tenor Matthew Dalen joins Opera Kelowna for Opera Under the Stars, an outdoor evening concert featuring a program of operatic favourites.
The program is led by Dean Artists’ very own Rosemary Thomson.
Click here to learn more.
July 10 - UBC Okanagan
Simona Genga with Santa Fe Opera
Mezzo-soprano Simona Genga makes their Santa Fe Opera debut as Giovanna in Verdi’s Rigoletto.
The production is directed by Julien Chavaz, and is conducted by Carlo Montanaro.
Click here to learn more.
July 12 to August 20 - Crosby Theatre
Sarah Dufresne with Festival de Lanaudière
Soprano Sarah Dufresne joins Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for Orff’s Carmina Burana with Festival de Lanaudière.
The program is led by conductor Rafael Payare.
Click here to learn more.
July 4 - Amphithéâtre Fernand-Lindsay
Kirsten LeBlanc with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Soprano Kirsten LeBlanc joins the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for Mahler's Symphony No. 2.
The program is led by conductor Mandle Cheung.
Click here to learn more.
June 25 - Roy Thomson Hall
Lara Ciekiewicz, Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野, Rebecca Cuddy, and Matthew Dalen with NUOVA Vocal Arts
Sopranos Lara Ciekiewicz and Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野, mezzo-soprano Rebecca Cuddy, and tenor Matthew Dalen join NUOVA Vocal Arts for a new satirical chamber opera, Silence, composed by Leslie Uyeda, with libretto by Darrin Hagen, adapted from the award winning play by Moira Buffini.
The production is directed by Kim Mattice Wanat, and is conducted by Gordon Gerrard.
Click here to learn more.
June 21 to 27 - Grindstone Theatre at The Orange Hub (Edmonton)
Andrew Crust with Mostly Modern Festival
Andrew Crust leads the Mostly Modern Orchestra in concert to close the Mostly Modern Festival's sixth season.
The program features Hovhaness, Boulanger, Paterson, Morlock and much more!
Click here to learn more.
June 20 - Arthur Zankel Music Center (Saratoga Springs, New York)
Simon Rivard Appointed Music Director of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra
Dean Artists is thrilled to announce that the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra has appointed conductor Simon Rivard as their next Music Director!
Simon was one of the four finalists in the NSO’s search process, visiting St. John’s to conduct their Masterworks 1 in September 2024, and Sinfonia 2 in January 2025.
Born in Montréal, Simon Rivard studied violin performance and orchestral conducting at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and McGill University. He is the Music Director of the Edmonton Opera, and he has conducted orchestras across North America and Europe, such as Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Opéra de Montréal, Orchestre Métropolitain, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (Switzerland), and the Göteborgs Symfoniker (Sweden). He has collaborated with artists such as Barbara Hannigan, Kerson Leong, Daniel Lozakovich, Matt Haimovitz, Charles Richard-Hamelin, and Julie Boulianne, among others. From 2018 to 2022, he was the Resident Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where he was mentored by Gustavo Gimeno and Sir Andrew Davis.
Learn more about Simon on our website, and his appointment with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra on their website here.
Andrew Crust with National Arts Centre Orchestra
Andrew Crust is honoured to join the National Arts Centre Orchestra for the 2025 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
The evening recognizes artists who have made an indelible contribution to cultural life in Canada and around the world.
Click here to learn more.
June 14 - NAC Southam Hall
Anna Theodosakis with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Anna Theodosakis assists on Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The production is directed by Tim Albery, and conducted by Leonard Slatkin.
Click here to learn more.
June 14 to 28 - Loretto-Hilton Center
