Opening with a talk by Pierre Vachon: Useful keys to a better appreciation of vocal art


Élisabeth St-Gelais - Soprano

Named Révélation Radio-Canada Classique 2023-2024, Elisabeth St-Gelais will complete her Master's degree in Voice and Opera at McGill University in April 2023. An Innu from the Pessamit community, Elisabeth places great importance on sharing her culture through her mission as an artist.

She made her European debut in Germany in the summer of 2022 at the Berlin Opera Academy as Rosalinde in the celebrated operetta Die Fledermaus. The soprano accumulates performances across Canada, with invitations from the Canadian Opera Company, Orchestre symphonique du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Orchestre Symphonique de la Côte-Nord, Orchestre de l'Agora and Orchestre symphonique des Jeunes de Montréal, I MUSICI, Orchestre symphonique de Québec and the Toronto Summer Music Festival and Cecilia Concerts in Halifax. Elisabeth St-Gelais is the grand prizewinner of McGill University's prestigious Wirth Vocal Prize in March 2022, of the Grand Prix 19-30 at the Canimex Canadian Music Competition in June 2022, and is named the same year to the prestigious #CBC30under30 2022 list, where she stands out as a prominent Aboriginal opera artist under the age of 30. She is the winner of the Premier Prix 26-30 at the Festival Classival in April 2023. Elisabeth St-Gelais won the Prix d'Europe 2023 on June 11 at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, and was awarded First Prize and Audience Choice at the Canadian Opera Company's Center Stage Competition 2023. Also committed to her Montreal musical community, the soprano was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Conseil Québecois de la Musique in April 2023.

Louise Pelletier, piano

Louise Pelletier has enjoyed a dynamic and highly acclaimed career as a teacher and accompanist for many years. After obtaining a double bachelor's degree in teaching and performance, as well as a master's degree in performance, she continued her piano studies with Nina Svetlanova in New York. Several internships in Canada, the United States and Europe complete her training. Studies in accompaniment and vocal coaching with Jacqueline Richard were decisive in her career. She taught piano for several years at the Université du Québec à Montréal and Cégep Vincent d'Indy. Now an accompanist and Vocal Coach at McGill University, she is also a coach for the opera studio. Equally at home in recital and opera, she has performed in the opera Hansel et Gretel, a collaboration between the "Théâtre sans fil" and the OMGM, and in Pelléas et Mélisande at the Opéra de Montréal under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. She has recently been a supernumerary for L'OM and the McGill Chamber Orchestra, and is a coach for the OM chorus. She has also recorded frequently for Radio-Canada, for the programs Début, Jeunes Artistes and Les Grands Concerts. For several years now, she has been collaborating with ICAV (Institut Canadien d'Art Vocal), AIMS (Institute of Musical Studies American) in Graz, Austria, Cincinnati Summer Opera Studio and Le Domaine Forget. Sensitive and enthusiastic, Louise Pelletier is a valued colleague.