捆绑SM社区

Tracy Smith Bessette

Academic title(s): 

Assistant Professor (Voice)

Tracy Smith Bessette
Department: 
Music Performance
Area(s): 
Early Music
Voice
Contact Information
Email address: 
tracy.smith2 [at] mcgill.ca
Instrument(s): 
Voice
Group: 
Faculty
Salutation: 
Dr.
Degree(s): 

B.Mus.聽(University of Calgary), Art. Dip. (University of聽Toronto), M.Mus. and D.Mus. (捆绑SM社区)

Biography: 

Praised for 鈥渉er poise, wealth of expressive nuance and fine projection鈥 (Opera News), Canadian soprano Tracy Smith聽Bessette聽has inspired audiences聽throughout North America and Europe.聽Celebrated for her radiant warmth and clarity of expression, Ms. Smith聽Bessette聽is sought after for both the concert and the opera stages and聽has worked with eminent conductors including聽Yannick聽N茅zet-S茅guin, Bernard Labadie,聽Herv茅聽Niquet, Marc聽Minkowski,聽Christophvon聽Dohnanyi, John Nelson,聽Sylvain聽Cambreling,聽Pinchas聽Steinberg and Andrew Parrott.

Ms. Smith聽Bessette鈥檚聽expertise聽spans聽the gamut of musical eras and styles.聽Her rich and varied聽repertoire聽includesart song, oratorio, chamber music聽and opera with聽an added specialization聽in Early Music, particularly of the late Baroque. She holds a Doctorate of Music from 捆绑SM社区 where she聽studied with聽the renowned聽Sanford Sylvan.聽Her doctoral research covered the fields of聽鈥淗andel Ornamentation,鈥 鈥淏reath Management,鈥澨共曰逄淏el Canto Performance Practice鈥澛燾ulminating in a final thesis entitled聽鈥Making sense of the 鈥渧ibrato wars鈥:聽Exploration and application of varying vibrato in Handel鈥檚聽opera聽seria聽arias.鈥澛燗 devoted educator, she holds a deep passion for teaching in which she incorporates a holistic and co-created approach for each student.

Educated at the University of Calgary, the University of Toronto, and 捆绑SM社区, Ms. Smith聽Bessette聽also studied at the prestigious聽Tanglewood聽Festival and the Music Academy of the West.聽After completing a two-year program with the聽Op茅ra聽de Montr茅al鈥檚 Atelier聽Lyrique, she continued聽her operatic training at the聽Op茅ra聽National de Paris聽with a聽two-year engagement聽at聽the Centre de formation聽lyrique聽where聽she brought to life Susanna (Le聽Nozze聽di Figaro),听罢测迟补苍颈补听(A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream) and聽Zdenka聽(Arabella). 聽The following season brought her main-stage debuts with the聽Op茅ra聽National de Paris on both the Opera Bastille and the聽Palais聽Garnier聽stages, singing聽F眉nfteMagd聽(Elektra) under聽Christoph聽von聽Dohnanyi听补苍诲听Feklusha聽(碍补迟测补听碍补产补苍辞惫补) under Sylvain聽Cambreling. She alsounderstudied several roles at the聽Op茅ra聽National de Paris, including Cleopatra (骋颈耻濒颈辞听颁别蝉补谤别), Echo (Ariadne auf Naxos) and Morgana (Alcina).

A great deal of聽Ms. Smith聽Bessette鈥檚聽career has been focused around Early Music in the realms of oratorio, opera and chamber music.聽Performance highlights聽include聽St. John鈥檚 Passion听补苍诲听Israel in Egypt听飞颈迟丑听驰补苍苍颈肠办听狈茅锄别迟-厂茅驳耻颈苍,听颁丑补谤辫别苍迟颈别谤鈥檚听Messe聽du Minuit,聽Israel in Egypt听补苍诲听a concert of Rameau arias聽under Bernard Labadie,聽Handel's聽Messiah聽in France and Spain with Le Concert聽Spirituel听补苍诲听Herv茅聽Niquet,聽Vivaldi鈥檚聽Gloria聽and Sacred Cantatas聽under Kevin Mallon, and聽Bach鈥檚聽Magnificat聽and Mozart鈥檚聽Requiem聽with the聽Choeur聽et聽Orchestre聽des聽Grandes聽脡coles聽in Paris.

With Toronto鈥檚聽Aradia聽Ensemble, she has recorded two volumes of Christmas Motets by聽Charpentier, and one volume of Vivaldi鈥檚 sacred music, all on the Naxos label. The latter received considerable critical acclaim, and BBC Music Magazine鈥檚聽George Pratt听蝉补颈诲

鈥淭racy Smith聽Bessette聽is a glorious soprano. 聽Her fluent passage-work is a particular delight, enhanced by exciting ornaments stretching her to Baroque-pitch top D. 聽[Her voice is] gloriously fresh and uncomplicated, whether in the vitality of Vivaldi鈥檚 concerto-like聽allegros聽or in her heavenly sound in slow movements.鈥

Ms.聽Smith聽Bessette聽has made three short films (Forsaken, The Sorcerer, Love Song) with director Laura聽Taler聽based on lieder by Hugo Wolf, W.A. Mozart and Gustav Mahler for the arts channel BRAVO! 聽She has also filmed two television shows for BRAVO! entitled 鈥淪hakespeare in Words and Music鈥 where she interpreted Ophelia and 鈥淕erman Cabaret鈥 where she sang聽Sch枚nberg鈥檚聽Brettl聽Lieder.

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