Success in singing isn’t one-size-fits-all in the process or the results.
My students pursue bold, individual paths on stage, in the studio, and beyond, shaped by artistic integrity, resilience, and their own evolving definitions of success.

CURRENT and FORMER STUDENT NEWS

OCTOBER 2025

Mezzo soprano Kcenia Koutorjevski (MMOpera 2025) and soprano Hannah Crawford will perform in the finals of the National Capital Opera Competition in Ottawa.

Mezzo soprano Rachel Miller will join the Canadian Opera Company Chorus for the 2025-26 season.

Soprano Stacie Dunlop will perform composer Scott Good’s score THE HANDS OF ORLAC - A Gothic Film Experience in the Forest City Film Festival in London, ON

AUGUST 2025

Soprano Gabrielle Turgeon (MusBacPerf 2022) joins the Los Angeles Opera for her second season as a Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist, where she will perform as the Daughter of Akhnaten in Glass's Akhnaten, and First Lady in Die Zauberflöte under the baton of James Conlon.

Mezzo soprano Alessia Vitali (MusBacPerf 2020; MMOpera 2022) returns for her second season of the McPhee Young Artist Program at Calgary Opera where she will appear as Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, perform dual roles as Mother/Grandmother in the family-friendly production of Little Red Riding Hood, and serve as the understudy for Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia.

JULY 2025

Mezzo soprano Francesca Alexandra performs the role of Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte with Summer Opera Lyric Theatre. #roledebut

Soprano Gabrielle Turgeon (MusBacPerf 2022) makes her role debut as Micaela in Brott Opera’s production of Carmen in Hamilton #roledebut

Soprano Aemila Moser (MMOpera 2025) performs in the Banff Centre’s Interplay Opera Workshop: Excerpts From St. Matthew's Passion

Soprano Christina Nasr performs the role of Celia in Handel’s Silla with Chicago Summer Opera #roledebut

Mezzo soprano Alessia Vitali (MusBacPerf 2020; MMOpera 2022) performs the role of Warren’s Wife in Banff Centre’s new production of A Handmaid’s Tale #roledebut

MAY 2025

Soprano Hannah Crawford makes her role debut with Edmonton Opera as Helmwige in Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre #roledebut

MARCH 2025

Mezzo soprano Kcenia Koutorjevski (MMOpera 2025) and soprano Aemila Moser (MMOpera 2025) perform in the UofT Opera production of Cosi fan Tutte as Dorabella and Despina #shenanigans

Mezzo soprano Rachel Miller will be performing Mozart and Haydn with the Mississauga Chamber Singers and will premiere “Wiośnianki” (Spring Songs) by Tyler Versluis at the Canadian Music Centre.

OCTOBER 2024

Mezzo soprano Kcenia Koutorjevski (MMOpera 2025) will perform at WESTBEN: Chalk Talk Series in a recital of lieder by Beethoven.

Mezzo soprano Rachel Miller will join the Canadian Opera Company Chorus for the 2024-25 season.

Soprano Gabrielle Turgeon (MusBacPerf 2022) is a finalist in the Canadian Opera Company Centre Stage Competition.

SEPTEMBER 2024

Soprano Avery LaFrentz (MusBacPerf2019) joins the Guildhall School of Music in the Opera Course, Artist Diploma.

Robin Whiffen (MusBacPerf 2015) is named Executive Director of Edmonton Opera.

AUGUST 2024

Soprano Abigail Sinclair (MusBacPerf 2022) will start the Advanced Diploma in Opera Programme at the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Kate Paterson and Jonathan Papp

Soprano Gabrielle Turgeon (MusBacPerf 2022) will join the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program at Los Angeles Opera, will make her company debut as Kate Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, will perform Voice of the Fountain in Golijov’s Ainadamar and the Countess Ceprano and Page in Verdi’s Rigoletto, and will cover Despina in Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte. 

Mezzo soprano Alessia Vitali (MusBacPerf 2020; MMOpera 2022) joins the McPhee Young Artist Program at Calgary Opera and will make her mainstage debut as La Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, sing the title role in The Witty Squirrel, and complete a role study of Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

OCTOBER 2023

Soprano Anna Julia David (ArtDip 2020) will make her debut with Opera Atelier in the role of Amour in Gluck’s Opera Orphée et Eurydice

OCTOBER 2022

Soprano Hannah Crawford wins second place in the Canadian Opera Company Centre Stage Competition.

AUGUST 2022

Soprano Abigail Sinclair (MusBacPerf 2022) will start the Master of Arts in Voice Programme at the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Kate Paterson.

Soprano Gabrielle Turgeon (MusBacPerf 2022) will start the Master of Music in Voice Performance program at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, studying with Gwen Coleman.

SEPTEMBER 2021

Mezzo soprano Hilary Tufford will join the Yulanda M. Faris Opera Studio, Vancouver Opera, where she will sing Lola in Cavalleria rusticana.

OCTOBER 2020

Mezzo soprano Rachel Miller was named a prize winner of the Toronto Mozart Vocal Competition

SEPTEMBER 2020

Soprano Avery LaFrentz (MusBacPerf2019) starts her Master of Music with a Wirth Family Fellowship at McGill University.

DECEMBER 2019

Juno award-winning mezzo Emily D’Angelo (MusBacPerf 2016) will sing Messiah with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Information here.

NOVEMBER 2019

Soprano Caroline Stanczyck (MusBacPerf 2019) is a finalist in the Aterlier Lyrique competition at the Montreal Opera.

Soprano Alexandra Smither (MusBacPerf 2014) will sing Susanna in the Against the Grain production of Figaro’s Wedding. More info here.

OCTOBER 2019

Robin Whiffen (MusBacPerf 2015) was named the first General Director of the award-winning Toronto opera company Against the Grain Theatre. Find the press release here.

Students of the 2019-20 UofT Voice Studio will be featured at the WestBen Clocktower in a series called “New Now: U of T Singers First-Friday Lunchtime Tick Talk”.

Soprano Caroline Stanczyck (MusBacPerf 2019) will be a featured performer with the Celebrity Symphony Orchestra in works of Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko (1819–1872).

SEPTEMBER 2019
Sarah Forestieri (MusBacPerf 2017) was named Manager, Children, Youth & Family Programs at the Canadian Opera Company immediately after receiving her Master of Music in Performance and Literature as well as an Arts Leadership Program (ALP) Certificate from the Eastman School of Music.

JULY 2019
Mezzo Emily D’Angelo (MusBacPerf 2016) makes her Santa Fe Opera debut as Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte

Mezzo Soprano Olivia Guselle (MusBacPerf 2021) makes her Saskatoon Opera debut as Prince Orlofsky in J. Strass’ Die Fledermaus.

JUNE 2019
Soprano Gabrielle Turgeon (MusBacPerf 2022) wins the Diploma Class of the 2019 Ontario Music Festival Association.

Mezzo Soprano Olivia Guselle (MusBacPerf 2021) and soprano Emma Johnson (MusBacPerf 2016) both win the Saskatchewan Provincial Music Festival and will compete at the 2019 National Music Festival.

Sopranos Avery Lafrentz (MusBacPerf 2019) and Caroline Stanczyck (MusBacPerf 2019) are Fellows at SongFest at the Colbourn School.

MAY 2019
Soprano Alexandra Smither (MusBacPerf 2014) performs two concerts in Toronto with the Canadian Art Song Project as part of the RBA Series, premieres The Last Dream of Frida and Diego at Fort Worth Opera and spends June at the Banff Centre as part of the Opera in the 21st C residency.

JANUARY 2019
Tenor Conor Murphy (MusBacPerf 2016) joins the International Magic Tenors for a 2019 Tour of Germany. For tickets and more information, click here.

DECEMBER 2018
Emily D’Angelo (MusBacPerf 2016) makes her Metropolitan Opera Debut as Second Lady in Mozart’s Magic Flute and returns March 30, 2019 as Annio in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito. For more details, visit the MET website

MAY 2018
Yvette Coleman (MusBacPerf 2014) drops her most recent single “Fortune” as Saint Yves Band. The song hit the Top 50 Canadian tracks that same week on Spotify.

MAY 2017

Soprano Alexandra Smither is the winner of the 2017 Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition (E-Gré).

MAY 2014

Soprano Alexandra Smither is named a finalist in the 2014 VOICE Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition (E-Gré).

Sopranos Alexandra Smither (MusBacPerf 2014) and Brittany Rae (MusBacPerf 2014) are named as semi-finalists in the 2014 VOICE Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition (E-Gré).