+++
author = ["authors/jenna.md"]
categories = "Editorial"
date = "2014-01-17T13:23:00-05:00"
lastmod = "2015-04-15T17:19:00-04:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1429132631521/finalists-and-winners-with-rufus-wainwright-credit-michael-cooper.jpg.jpg"
primary_image_credit = "Finalists of the 2013 Ensemble Studio Competition. Photo: Michael Cooper"
publishDate = "2014-01-17T13:23:00-05:00"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/canadian-opera-company-ensemble-studio.md","scene/companies/canadian-opera-company.md"]
related_people = ["scene/people/jeanphilippe-fortierlazure.md"]
short_description = "Yesterday in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, the Canadian Opera Company&#039;s Ensemble Studio kicked off the new season of the Free Concert Series. This year there are three new singers and one new pianist in the Ensemble. I&#039;ll admit the concert wasn&#039;t my first encounter with the COC young artists; I&#039;ve had the opportunity to see them at work in recent weeks, but I was no less excited to hear them all sing their &quot;introductory&quot; arias."
slug = "newbies-welcome-to-the-coc-ensemble-studio"
title = "Newbies: Welcome to the COC Ensemble Studio!"
+++

The Canadian Opera Company has announced the names of three young singers and one pianist who will join the Ensemble Studio in the 2014/15 season. Soprano Karine Boucher, tenor Jean-Philippe Fortier-Lazure and bass-baritone Iain MacNeil were selected out of nine finalists who competed in the third annual Ensemble Studio Competition in November 2013\. Karine, Jean-Philippe and Iain were the top three prize winners at the competition, the feature event of _[Centre Stage](http://http://www.coc.ca/SupportTheCOC/SpecialEvents/CentreStage.aspx)_, the COC's first Ensemble Studio Competition Gala. In addition to these talented new young artists, the Ensemble Studio welcomes pianist Jennifer Szeto.
The Ensemble Studio is Canada's most illustrious program for young singers and pianists, offering experience through performance and understudying of mainstage roles, language and acting studies, and coaching with the best people in the industry. Members of the Ensemble Studio are involved in the COC's annual Glencore Ensemble Studio School Tour, which brings opera to young people across Ontario. At the COC's [Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre](http://www.coc.ca/performancesandtickets/freeconcertseries.aspx) (an incredibly diverse series not to be missed) you can hear these young singers and pianists in recital.

So, who are these newbies?

Born in Québec City, soprano [Karine Boucher](http://karineboucher.com/) is the first prize and audience-choice award winner of the COC’s 2013 Ensemble Studio Competition with her stunning and poised singing of "Piangerò la sorte mia" (she had my vote!). Boucher is a graduate of the [Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal](http://www.operademontreal.com/en/emerging-artists/atelier-lyrique). She studied at the Québec Conservatory, and is a grant recipient of the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation. In 2011 she was a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Credits include Annina in _La traviata_, Inez in_ Il trovatore_ and Kätchen in _Werther_ (Opéra de Montréal); Miss Pinkerton in _The Old Maid and the Thief_ and Micaëla in _Carmen_ (Atelier lyrique); and Damon in _Acis and Galatea_ (Arte Musica). In 2014, Boucher will sing the role of Mimì in the Jeunesses Musicales tour of _La bohème_.

Tenor [Jean-Philippe Fortier-Lazure](http://www.coc.ca/ExploreAndLearn/NewToOpera/OnlineLearningCentre/ParlandoTheCOCBlog.aspx?EntryID=25771) won second prize at the COC’s 2013 Ensemble Studio Competition, warming our hearts with his sweet singing of Donizetti's "Quanto è bella". Originally from Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, he studied at the University of Montreal. Jean-Philippe has participated in young artist training programs with the National Arts Centre, Centre d’Arts Orford and Académie Internationale d’été Nice. Credits include Pélleas in _Pélleas et Mélisande_ (Nova Scotia Opera Company/Atelier d’Opéra, University of Montreal); Chevalier de la Force in _Dialogues des Carmélites_ (Atelier d’Opéra); Beppe in _Pagliacci_ (Opera Lyra Ottawa); Tamino in _Die Zauberflöte_, Don Curzio/Don Basilio in _Le nozze di Figaro_ and Mr. Gobineau in _The Medium_ (University of Ottawa Opera Productions); Guard in _Manon_ and Prince of Persia in _Turandot_ (Opera Lyra Ottawa).

[ Iain MacNeil](http://www.coc.ca/ExploreAndLearn/NewToOpera/OnlineLearningCentre/ParlandoTheCOCBlog.aspx?EntryID=25769) took third prize at the COC’s 2013 Ensemble Studio Competition with his animated (almost Gumby-like?) performance of Mozart's "Aprite un po' quegli occhi". A native of Brockville, Ontario, MacNeil studied at the University of Toronto and Dalhousie University. Credits include Figaro in _Le nozze di Figaro_, Bobby in Kurt Weill’s _Mahagonny-Songspiel_, Sweeney Todd in _Sweeney Todd,_ Brewer in _Comedy on the Bridge_ and Tom/John in _The Face on the Barroom Floor_ (Dalhousie Opera Workshop). In 2013, he participated in the Young Singers Project at the Salzburg Festival.

[Jennifer Szeto](http://www.operademontreal.com/en/multimedia#!/jennifer-szeto-canada) recently served as staff pianist at the Institut Canadien d’Art Vocal in Montreal, an apprentice pianist/coach at a St.-Andrews-by-the-Sea opera workshop in New Brunswick, and staff pianist at the Cowtown Opera Summer Academy in Calgary. Jennifer is a graduate of Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal and studied at McGill University. In 2012, she was an Emerging Artist with the Green Mountain Opera Festival in Vermont and, in Toronto, played for the Metro Youth Opera’s production of Donizetti’s _L’elisir d’amore_. For Opera McGill, she served as répétiteur for Britten’s _The Turn of the Screw_, Mozart’s _Don Giovanni_ and Puccini’s _La bohème_. Other recent engagements include presenting one-act operas in English at the 2012 Halifax Summer Opera Workshop. In 2011 she attended the prestigious Franz Schubert Institute in Austria and served as music director for the Metro Youth Opera Company’s production of _Così fan tutte_.

So, a grand welcome, new Ensemblers! You are in for a season of big names, big audiences, big experiences and big friendships. I am excited on your behalves.

Are you a fan of the COC's young artists? Are you one of them? Do you have casting predictions for the Ensemble Studio performance of _Il barbiere di Siviglia_? Let us know if the comments below!
