Originally from the Lake Temiskaming region of northeastern Ontario, Yanik Gosselin is now based in Halifax, traditionally known as Mi'kma'ki. He completed his BMus at the University of Ottawa and his MMus in Opera and Voice at McGill University. He is particularly interested in the art song repertoire and 1970's glam rock, and has a passion for stories and the many ways they can be told, created and shared. Having come to classical music from rock music and conceptual works, he finds creative freedom in transcending genres. By somehow bridging the gap between the chamber concert and the rock ...

Mezzo-soprano Taryn Plater is a versatile performer and creator with a strong investment in the future of arts outreach. With affinities for performance and production, she is active both on and off stage. Through Against the Grain's 2021 National Opera Intensive, Taryn created First Steps, a digital artist statement exploring cultural heritage through Ukrainian art song and dance. She received a 2019 encouragement award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was applauded for her "dramatic and vocal thrust" (Opera Canada) while portraying the title character in the Canadian ...

Soprano Nicole Ross has been praised for her "simple, unaffected acting and gorgeous vocal tone." Nicole is a recent graduate of McGill University's Schulich School of Music, where she studied voice under the tutelage of Joanne Kolomyjec. She is currently a student of Mezzo-Soprano Ariane Girard.She has been the recipient of several prizes and scholarships, including McGill's Oxford Music Scholarship, support from the Nova Scotia Talent Trust and the Canada Council for the Arts. She has also been recognized for her performances at the Classical Singer Competition, where she placed third in ...

Nikkei-Canadian baritone, Luka Kawabata is a current member of the Yulanda M Faris Young Artists' Program with Vancouver Opera, having appeared as Dmitri in Wargo's The Music Shop and as Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen: Up Close and Personal in the 2020-2021 Digital Season. He is an alumnus of the Digital Emerging Artist Program with Manitoba Opera and the ‘Opera in the 21st Century' program at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Luka is a mentor for Opera InReach's chapter in British Columbia and has been a featured soloist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Bard on the Beach and the ...

Julia MacVicar; Soprano (She/Her) is a Singer, musician, actor, and poet from Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island). After growing up on the Island, she lived in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, NS) for five years pursuing a BA in Music at the Fountain School of Performing Arts (at Dalhousie). She has picked up various musical skills over the years including playing the piano, guitar, and the electric bass guitar. Outside of performing, she is also an avid writer and lover of poetry. As a neurodivergent individual, MacVicar is passionate about increasing accessibility within creative spaces and exploring ...

Jayne Hammond is a soprano, arts administrator, and new music enthusiast living and working on Treaty One territory. Originally from Victoria, Jayne has made a notable impact on the performing arts community since moving to Winnipeg in 2015. As Grants & Corporate Giving Manager for Manitoba Opera, Jayne acts as the lead grant writer and corporate relationship holder for the company. She also maintains a career as a freelance grant writer and consultant for small performing arts organizations. As a volunteer, Jayne acts as the Vice-President of the Board of Directors for Flipside Opera ...

Calgary born soprano Gwendolyn Yearwood has graced stages around the world with a voice that is "a force to be reckoned with" (Summerland Review). Gwendolyn is a graduate of the University of British Columbia where she completed a Bachelor's of Music (2015) and a Master's of Music (2017). During her time with UBC Opera Gwendolyn performed all over Canada, The Czech Republic, Germany, and China. Some of her more notable professional operatic performances include Mimi in La Bohème (Against the Grain Theatre), Lady Dunmow in A Dinner Engagement (Opera by Request), Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus ...

Camryn Dewar is a passionate and versatile soprano from Stony Mountain, Manitoba. Currently completing a Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) at the University of Manitoba under Monica Huisman and Tracy Dahl, she plans to pursue a Master of Music in the U.K. Last summer she attended an Opera Apprenticeship in Minnesota, USA, where she studied with Metropolitan Opera's Barbara Dever, and world-renowned conductor Gavriel Heine.A lover of many musical genres, her chief passions are opera and musical theatre, with role highlights including Tisbe in Rossini's La Cenerentola (Northern Lights Music ...

Bio - Brittany Rae, soprano Praised for her “supple and agile voice” (Les ArtsZé), Calgary born, and Montréal basedsoprano, Brittany Rae, is becoming known in the worlds of both classical and contemporarymusic. Recent highlights include attending the ‘Opera in the 21st Century’ program at the BanffCentre; collaborating with composer, Jesse Plessis and librettist, Thomas Ayouti, in thecreation and performance of a new work presented by Codes d'Accès in Montréal; andwinning first prize at the 2020 Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, which celebrates contemporary and Canadian music.An ...