Toronto Lyric Opera Centre

Rounding out our cast are Daevyd Pepper, playing the role of Jupiter, and Dylan Wright, pulling double duty in the roles of Cadmus and Somnus!

Tomorrow's the big day, get your tickets online now and avoid the lines tomorrow! Toronto Lyric Opera Centre presents Handel's Semele

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Daevyd Pepper completed his MMus: Opera at the University of Toronto Opera School and his BFA: Voice at York University.

Daevyd Pepper is an alumnus of prestigious opera training programs such as: Centre for Opera Studies in Italy, Chautauqua Voice program, Banff Centre’s Opera in the 21st Century, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Calgary’s Emerging Artist Program. His previous opera roles include: Lenski, Male Chorus (The R**e of Lucretia), Don Ottavio, Ferrando, Rodolfo and Spoleta.

In February 2017, Daevyd originated the role of Addison Witless in the world’s first zombie opera: Prima Zomie. He will be joining Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program for their 2019/2020 season.

He is delighted to join TLOC for their production of Semele.

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Canadian bass-baritone Dylan Wright has been praised for “seducing the audience with his rich, sonorous voice” (Beat Magazine) and is a graduate of L'Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal. He recently created the roles of Sherman Booth and Thomas Montgomery in the new opera “Joshua” by Colin Mendez Morris with ArsMusica, performed the title role in “Le nozze di Figaro” with City Opera, and sang Zaccaria in “Nabucco” and Talbot in ‘Maria Stuarda’ with Opera by Request. Other operatic highlights include Mephistopheles in Gounod’s ‘Faust’, the titular role in ‘Don Pasquale’, Dulcamara in ‘L’elisir d’amore’, Il Commendatore and Leporello in ‘Don Giovanni’, Seneca in ‘L’incoronazione di Poppea’, Colline in ‘La Boheme’, Rocco in ‘Fidelio’, and Frère Laurent in ‘Roméo et Juliette’.

Meet our Athamas, Ryan Patrick McDonald!

Counter Tenor Ryan McDonald was recently hailed by Opera Canada for his performance in Dido and Aeneas: “Ryan McDonald, a young Newfoundland and Labrador countertenor, made a particularly favourable impression as Spirit. McDonald has a voice of luminous, fresh colour, combined with natural musicality and an exciting sense of narrative drama.”

A recent Encouragement Award winner from Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition, Ryan has been seen on stage as First Witch in Purcell`s Dido and Aeneas, Cobweb in Britten’s A Midsummer Night's Dream with Opera on the Avalon, the Spirit in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, L'enfant in Ravel's L'enfant et les sortileges, Cupid in John Blow's Venus and Adonis and Jack in Sondheim’s Into the Woods. Ryan, along with other q***r artists, recently launched their own opera company focusing specifically on presenting q***r theatre, by q***r artists for q***r audiences, OperaQ. Ryan led their reimagined production of Purcell's Dido and Belinda as the titular character, Dido.

Just 5 short days until Toronto Lyric Opera Centre presents Handel's Semele at Trinity-St. Paul's -- buy your tickets online and skip the line!

Our next cast feature is our Juno, Alex Hetherington!

Alex Hetherington, mezzo-soprano, is finishing her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, studying with Monica Whicher. She has performed as a soloist with many ensembles around Toronto,
including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (The Bear, 2014), Orpheus Choir of Toronto (Sidgwick Scholar, 2018-2019),
Tapestry Opera (Songbook VIII, 2018), and the Camera Ensemble (Art Song Project, 2016). During her degree,
through the John R. Stratton Visitor in Music Program, Alex had the honour of performing alongside Barbara
Hannigan (2016), and in the masterclass for Jessye Norman (2019). She was the 2018 recipient of both the
Women's Musical Club of Toronto Centennial Scholarship and the Mary Ellen Trimble Award. Alex loves
working with composers to expand Canadian repertoire for singers. She is a composer herself, with works
performed by the Gryphon Trio and members of Esprit Orchestra. Alex is looking forward to upcoming
performances as an Academy Fellow in Toronto Summer Music Festival's reGENERATION concerts.

Meet our Ino, Alida Doornberg!

Mezzo-soprano Alida Doornberg is active in the Toronto music scene in many different capacities. Alida is currently completing her Master’s of Music with Monica Whicher. This
season Alida is performing with Voicebox: Opera in Concert as a chorus member and with Echo Women's Choir in their brand new section lead mentorship program. Opera roles include Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte and Cornelia in Julius Caesar with the Summer Opera Lyric Theatre (SOLT). Additional chorus credits include Candide with Toronto Operetta Theatre. Alida has participated in Young Artist training programs including the Vancouver International Song
Institute's French Melodie Immersion program, the Cowtown Opera Summer Academy in Calgary, the Taos Opera Institute in Taos, NM, and "Si parla, si canta" Italian language and
opera program in Urbania, Italy. Alida is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where she earned her Bachelor's of Music with Honours.

A shot from our Sitzprobe tonight: both cast and orchestra are in fine form under the leadership of music director Jennifer Tung! May 31 - save the date!

Exactly one week to go until Toronto Lyric Opera Centre presents Handel's Semele! Next up in our cast introductions is our Iris, Gabrielle Turgeon!

Canadian soprano Gabrielle Turgeon has performed opera/operetta roles with the Sault Symphony Orchestra, the Korah Theatre Company, and the Algoma District School Board, as well as at various summer music program across Canada. She is making her debut with the Toronto Lyric Opera Centre in May 2019 as Iris in Handel’s Semele. Turgeon is a three-time winner of the OMFA Provincial Finals, and in 2018, she became the first person to have won the Kiwanis ORMTA Shield Competition of Sault Ste. Marie three times. She is also one of the few to have won for more than one instrument (voice and violin). Turgeon is currently soprano lead and soloist for the Etobicoke Centennial Choir and is studying at the University of Toronto with Elizabeth McDonald.

cc: From the voice of Elizabeth McDonald

We are just over one week away from our 2019 production of Handel's Semele! During the week, we'll be sharing sneak peeks behind the scenes, as well as introducing our artists.

Tickets available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/toronto-lyric-opera-centre-presents-handels-semele-tickets-61381517772 or our Facebook event Toronto Lyric Opera Centre presents Handel's Semele.

And first up is our Semele herself, Emily Zixin Wang!

Emily Zixin Wang is a Chinese-Canadian soprano based in Toronto, Ontario. She recently performed the role of Second Woman (Dido and Belinda) with OperaQ in May 2019 and a solo recital with pianist Helen Becqué in Walter Hall. She also sang in the University of Toronto Vocalis series at the Extension Room and in Walter Hall. In 2017-2018, she sang Solomon’s Queen (Solomon) and was a soloist in the Bach Cantata Evening concert, both at Alix Goolden Hall in the Victoria Conservatory of Music. She also participated in the Stratford Summer Music Vocal Academy and the Orford Music Academy Piano and Voice Duet intensive. She looks forward to performing in her upcoming engagements as the title role of Semele with the Toronto Lyric Opera Centre, as well as the roles of Papagena and Pamina understudy (Die Zauberflöte) at the Halifax Summer Opera Festival. Emily is currently finishing her first year in the Masters of Voice Performance program at the University of Toronto studying under the tutelage of distinguished soprano, Nathalie Paulin.

cc: University of Toronto Faculty of Music FMUA - Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association Voice Studies at the University of Toronto Historical Performance at the University of Toronto

Less than one week remaining to apply for our May 2019 production of Handel's SEMELE! Don't miss out on the opportunity to gain performing experience and work with our stellar artistic team on a fully-staged production of Handel's musical drama, whether as a cast, cover, or chorus member.

(P.S. there is absolutely no cost to apply, audition, or perform with us!)

Toronto Lyric Opera Centre | Young Artists Opera Company | Audition Toronto's newest opera company, created by young artists for young artists.

The Toronto Lyric Opera Centre is excited to announce its 2018-2019 production: Handel's Semele, in a fully staged production with orchestra. Singers and instrumentalists will have the opportunity to experience Handel's b***y "musical drama" in rehearsal and public performance, working with our Music Director Jennifer Tung and Head Coach and Répétiteur Ivan Jovanovic.

Auditions for all roles, covers, and chorus positions are now open to all students in the University of Toronto Faculty of Music's Voice Area. There is NO audition or application fee.

For more information, please visit https://www.tlocentre.com/audition. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to send us a Facebook message or email at [email protected]!

The TLOC's operations are made possible by the generous financial support of the FMUA - Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association.

Toronto Lyric Opera Centre | Young Artists Opera Company | Audition Toronto's newest opera company, created by young artists for young artists.