Zürich 1916 - 1998 Opera Production
  

The Performers SHAUNAID AMETTE, Miss Ranovalla of Singapore the Negro Giantess KIRSTEN ANDERSEN, dancer DARREN BONIN, The Dandy Tristan Tzara, dancer NANETTE CANFIELD, The Demoiselle Marie On Her Ponies, Tsarina MICHAEL COLVIN, The Artists Hugo Ball and Vladimir Mayakovsky NICHOLAS COULTER, The Drummer Richard Huelsenbeck JENNIFER DAHL, dancer LORI KLASSEN, Another Singer and Dancer Alice Moore LAURENCE LEMIEUX, dancer MICHAEL MANIACI, V.I. Lenin DANIEL MAY, Joseph Stalin, Tsar of all the Russias, The Amazing Onzali ROBIN POITRAS, dancer STACIE ROBINSON, The Chanteuse Emmy Hennings TRACEY SCHER, Mrs. Koritsky the Tattooed Lady ERIC SHAW, Stromboli the Human Torch, Tsarevitch, Thomas Edison RON STEWART, dancer

SHAUNAID AMETTE, mezzo soprano

Shaunaid studied at the University of Hull and the Royal Northern College of Music UK. She has played La Marchande in Les Mamelles de Tirèsia under Seiji Ojava at The Tanglewood Festival, Florence Pike in Albert Herring and Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Aldeburgh Festival. Other roles include Baba in The Medium, Medovo in Orlando and Fidelma inil matrimonio segreto. 

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KIRSTEN ANDERSEN, dancer

Kirsten began her dance training in Vancouver and continued as a scholarship student at the school of the Toronto Dance Theatre. After joining that company in 1995, she performed nationally and internationally in the works of such noted choreographers as David Earle, Christopher House, James Kudelka, Chandralenkha, Marie Josèe Chartier, Laurence Lemieux, and Mitch Kirsch.

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DARREN BONIN, dancer

Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Darren studied as a scholarship student at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre from 1993. He has worked with Desrosiers Dance Theatre and many independent choreographers, most notably Peter Chin and Graham McKelvie. Darren will be entering his third year with Toronto Dance Theatre.

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NANETTE CANFIELD, soprano

Nanette Canfield has portrayed a wide variety of roles in opera and musical theatre ranging from the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute to the title role in Little Mary Sunshine. In addition she has performed soprano solos in many standard works of the choral/orchestral repertoire from Handel's Messiah to Orff's Carmina Burana. Nanette has a particular interest in contemporary works and was recently featured in a performance of Lukas Foss's Time Cycle with the composer conducting. Her debut recording, which is scheduled for release mid 1999 on the CRS label, will consist of new works for solo voice. Nanette makes her home in Cleveland, Ohio where she teaches voice and singers' diction at the Baldwin - Wallace Conservatory of Music.

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MICHAEL COLVIN, tenor

Irish-born Michael Colvin will make his professional stage debut as a member of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio for the 98/99 season, appearing as Flavio in Norma. He attained his Bachelor of Science in Immunology from the University of Toronto before graduating from the U. of T. Opera Division. He has also studied at the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh, England. Opera highlights include Johnny Inkslinger in the Canadian premier of Britten's Paul Bunyan, Count Belfiore in Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera conducted by Mario Bernardi, Rodolfo in La Boheme and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at the Silesian State Theatre in the Czech Republic. Concert appearances include Tafelmusik, the Amadeus Choir, the Ottawa Choral Society and recitals for the Aldeburgh Connection and the Toronto Arts & Letters Club. He has been broadcast nationally on CBC Stereo and has recorded for Radio-Canada, CJRT-FM and Naxos Records.

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NICHOLAS COULTER, unpitched percussion

Nicholas Coulter has performed with the Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver New Music, Chor Leoni, the Vancouver Chamber Singers and Karen Jamieson Dance. He also works regularly with Vancouver's growing contemporary music community, appearing with numerous organizations. His collaborations with fellow percussionist Graham Hargrove have taken him as far as Seoul, Korea in 1997, and their CD of marimba music entitled Reinventions receives regular airplay on CBC Radio. Nicholas has completed residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts and holds degrees from the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia.

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JENNIFER DAHL, dancer

Jennifer Dahl began her dance training in Saskatoon and continued her studies in Montreal and New York before graduating from the school of The Toronto Dance Theatre. She has worked extensively with choreographer Learie McNicolls as one of the original performers in his Toronto-based MYTII Productions. Jennifer has also been fortunate to work with choreographers Bill Coleman, David Earle, Joey Meyer, D.A. Hoskins and director Ken Gass.

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LORI KLASSEN, mezzo soprano

Mezzo soprano, Lori Klassen began her musical studies in Manitoba and furthered them at the University of Toronto, the Banff Centre for the Arts and the Britten-Pears School in England. Her teachers have included Mary Morrison, Selena James and Carol Forte. Ms. Klassen made her operatic debut in The Magic Flute with Vancouver Opera and has since appeared in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Hansel and Gretel, as well as in many modern operas including Julius Caesar Jones, Bow Down, Trojan Women, and most recently Beatrice Chancy with Toronto's Queen of Puddings. Ms. Klassen is the co-founder of ZebraSchvungk, a contemporary music theatre ensemble that has received recognition for its 'openness and unselfconscious virtuosity'. Upcoming performances include a competition for the 'Zebras' in Dusseldorf, and the world premiere of Bruce Nicol's opera St. Dymphna, written for them.

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LAURENCE LEMIEUX, dancer

Born in Quebec City Laurence Lemieux trained at the school of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. She danced for Toronto Dance Theatre from 1986 to 1998 and has also danced independently for William Douglas, James Kudelka, Benoit Lachambre and her husband Bill Coleman. Her choreography has been presented in Canada and in Europe. Laurence was the recipient of the 1998 Dora Mavor Moore Award for outstanding performance in dance for Christopher House's Crytoversa.

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MICHAEL MANIACI, male soprano

Michael Maniaci is currently pursuing vocal and operatic studies at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Concert engagements have been highlighted by opera galas for the Rosa Ponselle Foundation in New York City and Washington, D.C. and Steve Reich's Tehillim for The Tanglewood Contemporary Music Festival. Stage roles have included the title role in Handel's Il pastor fido, L'enfant et les sortileges for the Tangle wood Music Festival, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream for the Aspen Opera Theater and Moreno in Guile Cesar for the Cincinnati Conservatory; a performance which garnered critical acclaim in both Opera News (US) and Opera Magazine (UK). In 1997 Michael was awarded the Bronze Medal in the Rosa Ponselle International Opera Competition, which included his debut at the Lincoln Center.

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DANIEL MAY, bass

Daniel May will perform the lead role "Death" this fall in the opera Der Kaiser von Atlantis at the Guggenhiem Museum. Recent engagements include Simone in Gianni Schicchi for Cleveland Opera, Pistola in Falstaff with Spoleto Festival U.S.A., Colline in La BohËme with Mobile Opera, and Dr. Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with Mississippi Opera. He made his New York City debut as Basilio in Barber of Seville for the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Daniel received his Artist Diploma from the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and his Bachelor of Music/Vocal Performance from The Ohio State University.

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ROBIN POITRAS, dancer

Robin is a Regina-based dance artist, choreographer and performer. She holds a Fine Arts Honours degree in dance from York University and has studied at Duke University, American Dance Festival, Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers, Le Groupe de la Place Royale in Ottawa, and with many independent Canadian dance artists. In 1986 Robin co-founded New Dance Horizons with Dianne Fraser where she continues to act as sole Artistic Director. Over the past ten years Robin has created an eclectic body of solo and duet works, and has worked in the milieus of dance, visual arts, theatre, music, and performance art. Since 1991 Robin has been a sessional lecturer at the University of Regina Theatre Department.

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STACIE ROBINSON, soprano

Stacie received her Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music and furthered her studies as an apprentice with the Knoxville Opera Company. Her performance experience includes roles with Toronto Opera in Concert, Opera East, Knoxville Opera and last summer's Banff Arts Festival production of Jackie O. Last fall she was the understudy of Ariadne in R. Murray Schafer's Princess of the Stars. This winter Stacie gave a recital with pianist John Hess which was broadcast on CBC radio's Two New Hours. The concert included Soliloquy (Echoes of Emptiness) by Juhan Puhm for which the performers received a commissioning grant from the Ontario Arts Council.

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TRACEY SCHER, mezzo soprano

Tracey Scher received her Graduate Performance Diploma in 1993 from the Peabody Institute. She also studied at L'Accademia di Verdiana in Busseto, Italy, with tenor Carlo Bergonzi. Tracey's performance experience includes the roles of Baba in The Medium, Zita in Gianni Schicchi and Maurya in Riders to the Sea. She has also appeared as alto soloist in Mozart's Requiem, Vivaldi's Gloria , Britten's Ceremony of Carols, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass and Bach's B Minor Mass. Active in contemporary music, she has performed with the Banff Arts Festival, the Scotia Festival for Contemporary Music and The Britten Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies. She is currently working as a recitalist for Music for All Seasons in New York City and actively pursuing a career in Opera and Oratorio.

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ERIC SHAW, tenor

Eric Shaw has recently completed an operatic diploma program at the University of Toronto and he holds a degree in harpsichord and voice performance from McGill University. Operatic roles include Nemorino in L'Elisir d'amore, Count Belfore La Finta Giandiniera, Ramiro in La Cenerentola, Giannnetto in La Gazza Ladra, Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and, under the baton of Mario Bernardi, Vasek in The Bartered Bride and Rodolfo in La Boheme. On the concert stage Eric has sung the Messiah, Haydn's Creation, Mozart's Requiem Mass in C and Missa Brevis, Dvorak Mass in D, the Evangelist in Bach's St. John Passion, Handel's Judas Maccabeus and most recently Carmina Burana with the Quebec Symphony.

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RON STEWART, dancer

Ron's dance training began in Montreal in 1984. Since then he has worked with a number of Canadian companies including Mascall Dance, Kinesis Dance and Judith Marcuse Dance Company and with independent choreographers such as Laurence Lemieux, Marie-Josèe Chartier and Mitch Kirsch. During the past four years, as a company member with Toronto Dance Theatre, Ron has enjoyed having had the opportunity to tour both nationally and internationally, performing in Europe and India, and closer to home at Jacob's Pillow, Massachusetts and the Joyce Theatre in New York City. Recently, having moved to Vancouver, Ron continues to pursue work as an independent dancer and to explore the creation of his own work.

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