HSOW Artist Bios A to L | M to Z
Cara Adams
Donna Anna 2006, First Lady 2007
A Campbellton NB native and Acadia University graduate, Cara Adams has enjoyed being a part of the Toronto musical community. Recently, she performed with the Etobicoke Centennial Choir as a featured soloist in Theodore Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ, and performed the Laudate Dominum from W.A. Mozart’s Vespers and Agnus Dei from Mozart’s Coronation Mass. Her operatic performances include Sister Dolcina and Prima Sorella in Puccini’s Suor Angelica with Atelier S, First Lady in Mozart’s Magic Flute with Toronto Summer Opera Lyric Theatre and First Spirit in W. A . Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with Operafestival di Roma. Cara has participated in various summer opera programs including Opera Nuova, Atelier S, St. Andrew’s by the Sea Summer Opera workshop and Toronto Summer Opera Lyric Theatre. She is thrilled to be back in the Maritimes singing Donna Anna in with Halifax Summer Opera Workshop.
Mehgan Atchison
Fiordiligi 2005
Vancouver-born soprano Mehgan Atchison studied at the University of Victoria and the U of T Opera Division. She made her COC mainstage debut as Mascha in The Queen of Spades. Her other roles include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mimi in La boheme, Lisette in La Rondine and Elizabeth Hughes in The Last Duel. Mehgan has appeared with the TSO, the Victoria Symphony, Toronto's Aldeburgh Connection, and has been heard across Canada on CBC's Two New Hours. In November 2006 she made her debut with Maritime Concert opera singing the title role in Puccini's Suor Angelica.
Erin Bardua
Donna Anna 2006
Vancouver-born soprano Erin Bardua has been praised for her “brilliant-toned voice, agile and strong, yet warm and relaxed.” She made her professional operatic debut as Anna in Pacific Opera Victoria’s 2000 production of Verdi’s Nabucco. Other operatic roles include Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Nannetta in Verdi’s Falstaff, and Antonia in Les Comtes d’Hoffmann. She has also created leading roles in two new Canadian operas, Christopher Donison’s Eyes on the Mountain (with the Victoria Conservatory of Music Opera Studio) and Andrew Ager’s Frankenstein. With this Halifax performance of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni for Mozart’s 250th anniversary, Erin will have sung in Canada from coast to coast. Also an accomplished concert soloist, Erin is a skilled interpreter of Handel’s perennial favourite, Messiah. She is an alumna of various training programs, including the Dramatic Integration (Contemporary Opera and Song) program at the Banff Centre for the Arts and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute.
Maureen Batt
Despina 2005
Soprano Maureen Batt was born in Fredericton, NB, and is currently studying at
Dalhousie University's Bachelor of Music Programme, working
with Marcia Swanston. Her operatic roles include Silverpeal
in The Impresario, Limonia in Ten Belles and Laetitia in
The Old Maid and the Thief, all for the Dalhousie Opera
Workshop. As a actor, she’s appeared
in Measure
for Measure, Oh, What a lovely war and Caucasian Chalk Circle.
She looks forward to her Maritime Concert Opera debut as
Annina in La Traviata in June 2007.
Willis Berne-Bote
Ferrando 2005
Tenor Willis Bote grew up in Toronto, ON, and studied voice
at the University of Western Ontario in London. His recent
roles include Ferrando in Cosi for UW Opera, the Sailor
in Dido
and Aeneas, Mr. Upfold in Albert Herring, Dancairo in Carmen
and Ernesto in Don Pasquale. In 2004 he was a Visiting
Artist at the Mountain View Festival of Song in Calgary.
Jon-Paul Décosse
Don Alfonso 2005
Born in London, Ontario, Jon-Paul Décosse's "powerful, full throated bass-baritone" (Opera Canada) has been heralded for both its vocal and dramatic presentations, in a variety of operatic and concert repertoire. Most recently, Jon-Paul appeared with Pacific Opera Victoria's Young Artist Program, singing Dulcamara and Belcore in Donizetti's ELIXIR OF LOVE, and Marullo in Verdi's RIGOLETTO. Previous to this apprenticeship, Mr. Décosse made his debut appearance with Vancouver Opera in Poulenc's DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES, as Thierry and the First Officer. Other recent appearances have included an understudy engagement with the Canadian Opera Company, in the role of Garibaldo in Handel's RODELINDA, and a tour of Allan Bell's TURTLE WAKES for Calgary Opera as a member of its inaugural Emerging Artist Program. In the 2006-07 season, Mr. Décosse joins the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, Canada's premier training program for young opera professionals. His upcoming engagements with the COC include understudies as as Guglielmo in COSI FAN TUTTE, Valentin in FAUST, and Germont in LA TRAVIATA. Website
Joshua Ernst
Masetto 2006
Twenty-year-old baritone Joshua Ernst makes his staged opera debut as Masetto. He has enjoyed working with Maritime Concert Opera for several years, where he sang the role of Fiorello, the servant of Count Almaviva in MCO’s 2005 production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, and sang in the chorus for Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. A consistent winner at the Lunenburg & District Music Festival, Joshua has won the Opera Award two years running. Joshua has also performed with the South Shore Players as Prince Valentine in their 2003 presentation of Sing a Song of Sixpence. Joshua lives outside of the town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, where he works in his father’s blacksmithing business. His family, The Ernst Family Singers, is also an a cappella singing group known for their blending harmonies and quality music, and will be touring Ontario and New Brunswick in the fall of 2006.
Mark Gough
Don Giovanni 2006
is a 23 year old lyric baritone hailing from Mount Brydges, Ontario. From his humble beginnings as a soprano in London’s Amabile Boys Choir he has always had an affinity for music. He recently graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Music Degree. He studied under the careful and wonderful tutelage of Torin Chiles. Next year he will continue his studies in the studio of Theodore Baerg in pursuit of his Artist Diploma. Mark’s opera experience is expanding with each passing year along with his enjoyment of the genre. Most recently Mark has performed in a production of Jacques Offenbach’s La Perichole in Edmonton with Opera NUOVA. He has also been in productions of Floyd’s Susannah and Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and he understudied the role of Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte. Don Giovanni is his first lead role in an opera and he is often positively giddy while telling people about it. He wishes to thank Torin for all his guidance and patience, Ted for all his help in preparing the role, and his Ma and Pa for all their support in getting him this far.
Julie Grieve
Zerlina 2006
Twenty-year-old soprano Julie Grieve is very excited to be performing the role of Zerlina this summer. A native of London, Ontario, Julie attends the Don Wright Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario. This September, Julie will be entering her fourth year in the Bachelor of Music program, where she studies with Torin Chiles. While Don Giovanni marks Julie’s operatic debut, she has been performing since the age of four in musicals, plays and operettas. Upon completion of her degree, Julie intends to pursue further education in music and performance. She sincerely thanks everyone involved with this production, particularly Nina and Tara, for such a memorable experience.
Laura Higgs
Donna Elvira 2006
Laura Higgs is thrilled to be playing Donna Elvira with HSOW this summer. Although she is studying in Ontario, she grew up in Quispamsis, NB, and calls the Maritimes home. She is entering her fourth and final year of a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance degree from the University of Western Ontario, where she studies with Jackalyn Short. Last year she performed with UWOpera in Lehar’s The Merry Widow, directed by Ted Baerg, and she played Dionysis in Milhaud’s Ariadne Abandoned, directed by John Hess. She has a passion for musical theatre and drama, and has performed roles including Maria (West Side Story), Nancy (Oliver!) and Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). She would like to thank Nina, Tara and the cast and crew for three amazing weeks in Halifax.
Kristin Hoff
Zerlina 2006
Ontario-born soprano, Kristin Hoff, is new to the opera stage,
but not at all new to performing. She recently completed
her BA in music at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan,
where she studied both voice and piano. After giving several
piano recitals, taking part in competitions, and performing
as a piano soloist with the Calvin College Orchestra, Kristin
decided to put her love for piano to the side, in order
to concentrate on her love for singing. In 2003, having
won Calvin’s Concerto Competition. Kristin has performed
many recitals, in both Michigan and Ontario, and was awarded
honourable mention in the 2005 Opera Grand Rapids Collegiate
Vocal Competition. Kristin is particularly interested in
20th century music, performing works by Barber, Poulenc,
Stravinsky, Judith Weir, and Earl Kim, and also premiering
works by student composers and Calvin College Professor
of Composition, David Fuentes. Last summer, Kristin took
part in the Florence Voice Seminar, where she studied voice
with Benita Valente and took on the roles of Donna Anna and Adina in stagings of scenes from Don Giovanni
and L’elisir d’amore. She looks forward to September when
she will start an MM program in Vocal Performance at the
University of Montréal.
Amanda Langdon
Despina 2005
Amanda was born in Gander, NF, and currently studies at Memorial University in St. John's with well-known Canadian soprano Dr. Jane Leibel. Her lead roles include Gretel in Hansel und Gretel and Tonina in Prima la musica. Outside of the university setting Amanda was invited to sing at the Provincial music festival in both 2001 and 2004 for which she was twice featured on CBC Radio One’s program Musicraft. In 2003, she worked with the Stephenville Theatre Festival in scenes from The Phantom of the Opera.