Mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh wins Wirth Vocal Prize
Following an evening of听exceptionally high-level听vocal artistry from听all three finalists, Jean-Philippe Mc Clish, Simone McIntosh and Igor Mostovoi, last night the members of the Jury declared mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh, a Master's voice student of Dominique Labelle听the winner of the 2016-2017 Wirth Vocal Prize.听
The finalists, selected by a preliminary round,听each presented a thirty minute programme made up of pieces performed in a minimum of three languages and including at听least one opera aria. McIntosh听received a prize that includes听$25 000, artistic mentorship, and the invitation听to perform several听recitals, including one at the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto. 听 She also received a 14k gold pin in the form of the prize logo. 听The jury was formed by听pianist听Michael McMahon, soprano听Joan Patenaude-Yarnell听and the Director General of the Op茅ra de Montr茅al,听Patrick Corrigan, and was chaired by听St茅phane Lemelin, pianist and Chair the Department of Performance at the Schulich School of Music. 听The other finalists, Jean-Philippe Mc Clish and Igor Mostovoi were awarded a cash prize of $1000. 听
About Simone McIntosh
Described as 鈥渁 naturally big, beautiful, gleaming high mezzo鈥� (Musical Toronto), Simone McIntosh has been seen performing across Canada and Europe. Most notably, McIntosh was recently awarded first prize with the Canadian Opera Company鈥檚 2016 Studio Ensemble Competition. Equally adept at operatic and concert repertoire, McIntosh has performed Ruggiero in Handel鈥檚 Alcina (Opera 捆绑SM社区), Regina Coeli K. 127 (WSO), Howard Goodall鈥檚 Eternal Light: Requiem (捆绑SM社区 Chorus), Mendelssohn鈥檚 A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream (捆绑SM社区 Symphony Orchestra), and Meg in Mark Adamo鈥檚 Little Women (Opera 捆绑SM社区). Other notable roles include the title role in Berlioz鈥檚 B茅atrice et B茅n茅dict (MY Opera), Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro (Burnaby Lyric Opera), the Fox in Jana膷ek鈥檚 The Cunning Little Vixen (UBC Opera), Giulietta in Les contes d鈥橦offmann (UBC Opera), and Cis in Albert Herring (Vancouver Opera), among others. McIntosh has appeared with notable ensembles across the country including, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, 捆绑SM社区 Symphony Orchestra, and 捆绑SM社区 Chorus. Next, McIntosh will be seen performing Prince Orlofsky in Johann Strauss鈥� Die Fledermaus and Judith in Bart贸k鈥檚 Bluebeard鈥檚 Castle with Opera 捆绑SM社区 while she completes a Master鈥檚 in Opera and Voice at the Schulich School of Music, studying with Dominique Labelle.
About the Wirth Vocal Prize
The Wirth Vocal Prize was instituted in 2015 thanks to the immense generosity of Elizabeth Wirth. This prize highlights the excellence of one vocal student from the Schulich School of Music who has proven their talent and shows the potential to pursue a career on the international stage. The vocal professors at the Schulich School of Music can recommend full-time undergraduate or graduate students who demonstrate a high level of achievement.听
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