.png)
Nicole Car, soprano
& Étienne Dupuis, baritone
Co-Artistic Directors
This year, two internationally acclaimed artists, who are also married and parents of a little boy, join the team of the Canadian Institute of Vocal Art as co-artistic directors in order to share their knowledge and their love of opera with our students.
NICOLE CAR is one of the world's most renowned sopranos, performing at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera, Dallas Opera, Deutsche oper Berlin, Opera Australia and Opéra de Paris in leading roles, such as that Tatjana in Eugene Onegin, Mimi La Bohème, Marguerite Faust, Donna Elvira Don Giovanni or also, Micaela Carmen.
Her concert repertoire includes Brahms' Deutsches Requiem, Das Klagende Lied, Mozart's Requiem and St. John Passion.
Nicole was a 2013 Neue Stimmen winner and nominated for Best Young Singer at the International Opera Awards in 2015. She won Best Female Performer in the Opera category at the 2018 Helpmann Awards. In 2021, she was made a Chevalier de l'ordre des arts et des lettres de la république de France.
Her discography includes in particular The Kiss, Heroines and Passionately.
Born in Montreal, ÉTIENNE DUPUIS completed his studies at McGill University and at the Atelier Lyrique of the Opéra de Montréal.
Etienne is an internationally renowned singer who has performed several times at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, but also at the Metropolitan Opera, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Opéra de Montréal, the Opéra de Paris, the Opéra National du Rhin, at the Bayerische Staatsoper, at the Zurich Opernhaus and at the Opéra de Nantes, at the Calgary Opera, the Orchester symphonique de Montréal and the Glyndebourne Festival.
He embodies major roles in the repertoire such as Posa in Don Carlo, Zurga Les Pêcheurs de perles, Figaro Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Germont La Traviata, Marcello La Bohème, Silvio Pagliacci, Renato Un ballo in maschera, the Count Le Nozze di Figaro and the title role in Eugene Onegin.
RICHARD MARGISON
Artistic Director Emeritus
January 2023, Richard stepped down as Artistic Director of the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute and was elevated to Artistic Director Emeritus of the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute alongside Joan Dornemann and Paul Nadler.
Canadian tenor Richard Margison is one of the most renowned singers on the international scene. He has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Canadian Opera Company, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, the Sydney Opera House and the Grand Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona.
He is also a skilled educator, making it his mission to ensure the education of the next generation of opera singers. Taking over from Joan Dornemann and Paul Nadler, co-founders of the ICAV, Richard Margison became Artistic Director of the ICAV in November 2020.
JOAN DORNEMANN
Co-founder and director emeritus
Coach and Assistant Conductor
The Metropolitan Opera, New York
Joan Dornemann is one of the most respected opera coaches in the world today. In her role as Assistant Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, she prepares the world's leading artists for their performances at the Met. She has worked with singers such as Pavarotti, Domingo, Caballé, Freni, Carreras, Milnes, Te Kanawa, Nucci, Fleming, Millo, Voigt, Shicoff, Flórez and Netrebko. At the Metropolitan Opera, she has collaborated with conductors such as James Levine, James Conlon and Carlos Kleiber.
A great supporter of young singers, Ms. Dornemann gives master classes around the world. She is also the author of Complete Preparation: A Guide to Auditioning for the Opera, and is the founder and artistic director of the International Vocal Arts Institute and co-founder of ICAV with Paul Nadler.
PAUL NADLER
Co-fondeur and director emeritus
First guest-condutor at the Metropolitan Opera, New York
Maestro Paul Nadler has distinguished himself as an exciting and highly respected symphonic and operatic conductor. Since his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1989 he has led the company in more than 60 performances. He also directed many operas at Opéra de Montréal, the Bucharest Philharmonic and Iasi Philharmonic Orchestras in Romania, at the Jacobs School of Music and also directed symphony concerts.
Paul Nadler is Conductor Emeritus of the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Filarmonica de Stat Iasi (Romania). Early in his career he won the Jerusalem Symphony Competition. In 1974, Maestro Nadler founded the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, where he remained as Music Director and Conductor through 1983. He returned to the Chamber Orchestra in 2008 to lead a celebration in honor of its 35th season.
About
Each year, the Canadian Vocal Art Institute welcomes the best singers of the next generation of Canadian and international opera singers. We offer high-calibre training and present a captivating selection of concerts at the Montreal Festival of Vocal Art.
EXPERIENCES
"We were able to explore themes and questions that I have not yet had the chance to address during my school career."
"It was busy, varied and everyone had their opportunity."
"I loved the working atmosphere this year, we were in kindness and work."
"Meeting and working with all the different professors from different experience backgrounds. It was such an amazing experience that I've never had in my singing life before. I'm so thankful"
"Joshua Major was a “coup de coeur” for many reasons. I like his approach to scenes and operas and character work. He really kept my drive going but also made me realize when I am not being 100% authentic or hiding behind what is comfortable."
"Hemdi is marvelous, she was able to give me so much time and diction information and make it relatable to my bilingual brain."
"Anthony Manoli is amazing, with active listening even at a distance he was able to make me realize things and made me solve them just by addressing it."
"I enjoyed Richard's balance of technical approach as well as musicality."
"The recording sessions were amazing!! Marc Antoine d'Aragon is so devoted and professional; his honesty and attention to detail are unmatched."
Follow us
@ICACVAI
