2009 Brian Law Opera Competition
Maureen Forrester, CC OQ, Honorary Patron
The Competition
The 2009 Brian Law Opera Competition took place in .
The prizes were: 1st prize: ; 2nd prize: ; 3rd prize: .
For a history of the competition, a biography of Brian Law and a list of previous winners and their biographies, see the Competition page.
The Evening’s Program
The evening will unfold as follows:
- the competition
- intermission
- while the jury deliberates, the winner of the previous competition, Yannick-Muriel Noah, soprano, will give a short recital
- announcement of the winners and presentation of prizes
- reception, allowing audience members a chance to meet and talk with the finalists
Here is the program handed out to the audience on the evening of the competition.
The Finalists
On 8 October 2009, the preliminary jury chose the following candidates for the competition recital:
Jonathan Estabrooks, baritone
Baritone Jonathan Estabrooks, 26, started out as a member of Opera Lyra Ottawa Boys Choir and later sang in the OLO Chorus. In 2006 he received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto and in May 2009 his Master of Music in Opera and Vocal Performance from the Juilliard School in New York, where he performed Papageno in The Magic Flute, Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia and covered the title role in The Death of Klinghoffer. Jonathan was a member of the National Arts Centre’s Young Artist Program 2007-2009 and, earlier this year, a featured artist in the NAC’s Debut Recital Series. Recently he sang Pelléas in L’impressions de Pelléas with the IVAI in Tel Aviv, Israel. Upcoming engagements include a recital debut at Carnegie Hall.
Wallis Giunta, mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, 23, began her voice training with Charlotte Stewart in Ottawa. She studied at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. There, she received her Bachelor of Music in 2007 and her Artist Diploma (Voice) in 2009 and won First Place in the Orchestra Concerto Competition. She attended training programs at the Aspen and Banff Centres and has sung Cherubino in Le nozze de Figaro, Dorabella in Così fan tutte as well as Cinderella (Rossini and Massenet). Wallis is now a member of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, where she will be Idamante in Idomeneo, again Cherubino, and covering Mercédès in COC’s Carmen. Recently Wallis was a finalist in the NEUE STIMMEN (New Voices) International Singing Competition in Germany.
Sharleen Joynt, soprano
Soprano Sharleen Joynt, 25, grew up in Ottawa, taking voice lessons with Yoriko Tanno-Kimmons. She began her studies at The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, then transferred to the Mannes College of Music in New York to complete her Bachelor of Music in 2007 and Master’s degree in May 2009. Performances have included the female leads in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Giulio Cesare and Rinaldo as well as concerts at Carnegie Hall. She has participated in summer programs in Montreal, Tel Aviv, New York, and recently at the Lotte Lehmann Akademie in Germany. Currently Sharleen is a member of the Calgary Opera Emerging Artists, performing in Cendrillon and Béatrice et Bénédict as well as covering mainstage roles.
Liliana Piazza, mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano Liliana Piazza, 27, a native of Ottawa, first studied with voice teacher Yoriko Tanno-Kimmons. She earned her Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) from the University of Toronto in 2006 and the degree of Master of Music from the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in 2009. With Opera McGill she performed the title role in The Rape of Lucretia, Bradamante in Alcina and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier. In 2007 she was a Laureate of Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques. At the Janiec Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center, North Carolina, Liliana sang several roles in staged opera productions as well as the Alto solo in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony during the summer programs of 2008 and 2009.
Philippe Sly, bass-baritone
Bass-baritone Philippe Sly, 20, gained early experience with the Opera Lyra Ottawa Chorus, while playing lead roles at Ashbury College. In 2006 he sang Masetto in Don Giovanni with the Opera Workshop at the University of Ottawa. During three summers he attended the Young Artist, Opera as Theatre program at the Banff Centre, performing Escamillo in La Tragédie de Carmen and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte as well as singing in the chorus of Filumena and Frobisher, the recently world-premiered operas by John Estacio. Philippe is currently in his third year as a Bachelor of Music student at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, singing in productions of The Rape of Lucretia and Lully’s Thésée.
Graham Thomson, tenor
Tenor Graham Thomson, 28, is a member of Opera Lyra Ottawa’s Opera Studio with whom he has performed as First Armed Man in the Silver Cast of The Magic Flute. This October he is playing the Rooster in The Bremen Town Musicians on area school tours. He holds degrees in Vocal Performance: Bachelor of Music, University of Western Ontario in 2003 and Master of Music, McGill University in 2006. Graham also trained with the Emerging Artist Program at the Calgary Opera in 2007-2008. Recent performances include Argirio in Tancredi (Summer Opera Lyric Theatre), Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Jeunesses Musicales) and Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus (Opera Nuova) and an appearance in La donna del lago with Opera in Concert.
The Recitalist
While the jury deliberated, our 2007 winner, Yannick-Muriel Noah, presented a short recital. Here is the biography she submitted:
Fresh from her resounding success as Madama Butterfly with the Canadian Opera Company, Ensemble Studio graduate soprano Yannick-Muriel Noah will sing her first Aida in Klagenfurt in 2010, where she made a stellar Austrian début as La Wally. With the COC, selected credits include the title role in Tosca, Mona in Swoon and the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute school tour. She premiered the title role of the new opera Sante in the UK at the Aldeburgh Summer Music Festival.
In 2007, Ms. Noah competed in the prestigious Hans Gabor Belvedere International Singing Competition, where she won various prizes including the 2nd Prize Opera, the 3rd Prize Operetta, the Audience Prize and the Teatro alla Scala Prize. At the Marmande International Singing Competition, she won the Opéra Grand Prix, the 2nd Prize Operetta, and the Audience Prize. She was awarded the Theodor Uppman Award by the William Matheus Sullivan Foundation and won the First Prize at the 8th Brian Law Opera Scholarship Competition.
This year, Ms. Noah is the recipient of the top Canadian award from the George London Foundation Awards Competition, the Lys Symonette Award from the Lotte Lenya Competition, the 1st Prize Advanced Division from the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition as well as their first-ever Audience Favourite Award. At the 2009 Concours Musical International de Montréal, she won the 2nd Prize as well as the COVC Jean A. Chalmers Award for Best Canadian Artist. A native of Madagascar, Ms. Noah holds a Bachelor of Architectural Studies with a Minor in Italian from Carleton University.
The Jury
Susan Blyth-Schofield, Professor of Music
Soprano Susan Blyth-Schofield holds a Master of Arts in Performance Studies from City University in London, England. Since returning from Europe in 1999 she has taught at Carleton University as an Associate Performance Instructor and Sessional Lecturer in opera and musical theatre, and maintains a private voice studio is town. Between 1998 and 2006, Miss Blyth-Schofield contributed some forty article on singers to Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart. She adjudicates on a regular basis for The National Association of Teachers of Singing and various music festival, including the Ottawa Kiwanis Festival.
A frequent recitalist, she has appeared in the U.S., across Europe and throughout Canada. On the lyric stage Miss Blyth-Schofield repertoire has included Musetta, Lola (Gallantry), Mlle. Warblewell (The Impresario), Geraldine (A Hand of Bridge), Miss Pinkerton (The Old Maid and the Thief), Elle (La Voix Humaine), Judith (Herzog Blaubarts Burg), the title role in Baby, Phyllis (Iolanthe), Mabel and Edith (The Pirates of Penzance), the title roles in La Périchole and The Merry Widow, Marion (The Music Man), ‘She’ (Oh Cole: The Words and Music of Cole Porter), Eliza (My Fair Lady) and Maria (West Side Story). She has created the roles of The Judge in Space Opera and Sally in Killing Time.
Behind the scenes, Miss Blyth-Schofield directing credits include Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, The Magic Flute, Passionately Yours, Puccini, A Hand of Bridge, The Pirates of Penzance and Oh! Cole: The Words and Music of Cole Porter.
Donna Brown, Soprano
Donna Brown performs throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, and she has collaborated with the world’s finest conductors and orchestras. She is also a highly accomplished performer of the Art Song and can be heard regularly in recitals and chamber music concerts.
Ms. Brown has received critical acclaim for her roles as Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Almirena (Rinaldo), Gilda (Rigoletto), Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Michaela (Carmen), Nanetta (Falstaff), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Servillia (La Clemenza di Tito), Serpetta (La finta giardiniera), Madeleine (Le Postillon de Lonjumeau), Aricie (Hippolyte et Aricie), Scylla (Scylla et Glaucus) and Morgana (Alcina). Ms. Brown also appeared as Chimène in the world premiere creation of Debussy’s unfinished opera Rodrigue et Chimène for the opening of the renovated Opéra de Lyon.
Ms. Brown has been filmed for television in opera and concert in Canada, France, Germany, England, Switzerland and Japan, and many of her CDs have won awards (Grammy, Diapason d’Or, Gramophone).
After living 20 years in Paris, France, she moved back to Ottawa, Canada, where she now resides. Ms. Brown was a visiting professor at the Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, the Fondacion Schola Cantorum in Caracas,Venezuela, the Bachakademie in Santiago de Compostella, Spain, and has given numerous masterclasses throughout the world. She is currently a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa and at the Conservatoire de Montréal.
Richard Turp, Teacher, writer and broadcaster
Richard Turp was born in Montreal but from the age of 6 was raised in London, UK. Having graduated from London University (Russian Regional Studies and Music), he began vocal studies with his father, the renowned tenor André Turp. For a decade he worked principally in Europe as an operatic tenor but did appear with his father in L’Opéra de Montréal’s production of Verdi’s Macbeth in 1983 as Malcolm.
Mr. Turp became Artistic Director of the Lachine Music Festival in 1997, a post he still holds today. In 1998 he co-founded with his colleague André Lemay-Roy and assumed the artistic direction of the André-Turp Musical Society that annually presents a prestigious vocal series in Montreal. He is a co-founder of the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute and assumed the artistic direction of the institute’s art-song program for four years. In 2009 he became head of the summer vocal program at the Orford Academy. Also in 2009, he was invited to be a jury member both for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra’s competition and the Montreal International Musical Competition which was devoted to the voice.
Richard Turp has worked extensively for both the French and English networks of the CBC and has created and written several series (Opera Easy, Opera Stories, Portraits of Mozart, Shakespeare in Music, Klassical Cabaret, Musical Voices) for BRAVO television. He has lectured widely, hosted the last two editions of the Opera Canada Awards Gala (the Rubies), written many programmes notes for musical organisations and record companies and has been a frequent collaborator for such periodicals as Opera Canada. Richard Turp teaches the undergraduate vocal literature course at l’Université de Montréal and French lyric diction at McGill University.