The Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal is one of Canada’s young artist programmes, where promising young singers get a chance to work among professionals as they bridge the gap between school and career. The Atelier lyrique, like the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Development Program, or Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program, hold annual auditions for a small number of coveted spots in their season.

This year, out of 116 singers, the Atelier lyrique welcomes four new singers to the program. L’Opéra de Montréal has commissioned former BBC television journalist Anne Kostalas, a self-proclaimed “opera-obsessive,” to create a short film introducing each new singer. “The first question I ask the singers is what they like to do when they are not singing. I’m trying to create a portrait of them as people, not just singers. I’m trying to dispel the myth that opera singers are strange creatures detached from ordinary life. Montréal is a wonderful backdrop for any film and I love combining images and music.”

To learn more about the Atelier lyrique, click here.