+++
discipline = "Soprano"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1546832605/media/2019/01/WHICHER-PHOTO%202.jpg"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/canadian-opera-company.md", "scene/companies/vancouver-opera.md", "scene/companies/pacific-opera-victoria.md", "scene/companies/opera-atelier.md", "scene/companies/toronto-symphony-orchestra.md"]
slug = "monica-whicher"
title = "Monica Whicher"

+++
Style and musical elegance combined with an intuitive theatrical sense are the hallmarks of soprano **Monica Whicher**‘s performances on the concert and opera stage. Extravagantly praised for repertoire ranging from the title role in THAIS to the most intimate masterpieces of German Lieder, the Ontario native continues to captivate listeners from Lameque to Vancouver. Recent destinations included the Festival International de Musique Baroque de Lamèque, Edmonton’s Richard Eaton Singers, Vancouver’s Music in the Morning series, Orchestra London, ON and Toronto’s Amadeus Choir. Her latest recording with harpist Judy Loman was released to great acclaim and she is also prominently featured in the release of the continuing Ukrainian Artsong Project. She has also been heard in Brahms’ REQUIEM with Symphony Nova Scotia, MESSIAH with Vancouver Chamber Choir, WEIHNACHTSORATORIUM for Toronto Bach Consort, _Anna_ in STREET SCENE for VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert and Wolf’s ITALIANISCHES LIEDERBUCH for the University of Toronto\`s Faculty of Music Artist Series. For Early Music Vancouver, she appeared in the title role in Purcell’s DIDO AND AENEAS and AENEAS AND DIDO by Rolfe in Ottawa and Vancouver and for the Ottawa Choral Society in ELIJAH. Schubert claims her attention for the Off Centre Recital serie, at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music she will be heard in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and sings Bach’s WEIHNACHTSORATORIUM for the Amadeus Choir conducted by Lydia Adams.

In previous seasons she was heard with the Thunder Bay Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia and Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings in repertoire ranging from opera to Villa Lobos to Fauré and Bach. Ms. Whicher debuted with Houston’s Mercury Baroque as _Asprano_ in Vivaldi’s MONTEZUMA, the work’s premiere in North America. In addition to her residency at the Colours of Music Festival, her many recitals include the works Lysenko at Toronto’s Koerner Hall, engagements with the Talisker Players, the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, the Leith Festival and the Indian River Festival. The varied aspects of her artistry are reflected in performances of Strauss’ VIER LETZTE LIEDER with Peter Oundjian and the Toronto Symphony, ELIJAH with the Calgary Philharmonic, Bach’s JOHANNES PASSION for the Amadeus Choir, Bach’s WEIHNACHTSORATORIUM with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Mozart’s MASS IN C MINOR with the Kingston Symphony, and Grieg’s PEER GYNT with the Victoria Symphony.

Additional credits include the Strauss songs for Orchestra London, the Hamilton Philharmonic and the Ottawa Symphony; MESSIAH with the Elmer Iseler Singers, the title role in Purcell’s DIDO & AENEAS for Opera Atelier’s tour of Korea, repeating the role for Toronto Masque Theatre; ARMIDE and ORFEO for Opera Atelier and a return to Pacific Opera Victoria for _Female Chorus_ in THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA, (having previously appeared there as _Cleopatra_ in Handel’s

GIULIO CESARE), ELIJAH with the Vancouver Symphony, DIE SCHÖPFUNG for Orchestra London, Bach’s MASS in B MINOR for the Vancouver Bach Choir and Mozart’s REQUIEM with the Victoria Symphony.

She has been featured in MESSIAH with the Toronto Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic and the Edmonton Symphony, as _Drusilla_ in Monteverdi’s CORONATION OF POPPEA for the Cleveland Opera, as the _Countess_ in Mozart’s LE NOZZE DI FIGARO for Opera Atelier and she was lavishly praised for her Naxos recording of CASTOR ET POLLUX with Opera in Concert of Toronto. She appeared at the Nürnberg Chamber Music Festival as the _Governess_ in TURN OF THE SCREW and _Female Chorus_ in THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA, the latter recorded for broadcast by Bayerischer Rundfunk. Other festivals have included Lanaudière, Westben, Festival of the Sound, Winnipeg New Music, Toronto Summer Music and the Michoacàn Festival of Music and Culture in Mexico.

Further performance credits include Mozart’s MASS IN C MINOR and EXULTATE, JUBILATE with Helmuth Rilling in Bilbao, Spain and appearances with the symphonies of Barcelona, Utah, Hartford and Minnesota. She has sung _Pamina_ in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for Opera Lyra in Ottawa, _Elisa_ in IL RE PASTORE for the Canadian Opera Company, _Zerlina_ in DON GIOVANNI for Vancouver Opera, Gorecki’s SYMPHONY OF SORROWFUL SONGS with the National Ballet of Canada, and, for CBC television, the inaugural Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, where she sang in honour of Leopold Simoneau.                                                                      

Winner of the George London Award, Ms. Whicher has been nominated for a Juno Award for “Singing Somers Theatre” (Centrediscs) as well as two Dora Mavor Moore awards (LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, DIDO AND AENEAS) and is featured on the Juno-award winning CD’s “Beethoven Lives Upstairs”, “Mozarts’ Magic Fantasy” and “Daydreams and Lullabies”. Her recordings of Bach, Schubert and Hatzis are available on Marquis Classics and other labels and her critically acclaimed portrayal of Mérope can be seen in the EuroArts DVD of Lully’s PERSÉE. Ms. Whicher is on the faculty of both the Glenn Gould School and the University of Toronto. 