Jacqueline Woodley, Annina Haug, Pierre Rancourt, Marc Bourdeau
Biographie Jacqueline Woodley, Annina Haug, Pierre Rancourt, Marc Bourdeau
Jacqueline Woodley
Canadian soprano Jacqueline Woodley has been praised for her fearless versatility, changing styles fluidly from early music to contemporary, from opera to art song. Sought after for her “exceptional talent” in performing modern works, Jacqueline created the role of Milice-Bride in the première of Ana Sokolovic’s opera Svaba-Wedding with Queen of Puddings Music Theatre. This production toured Europe and Canada and Ms. Woodley was also chosen for the San Francisco and Philadelphia premieres of this remarkable work. Most recently, she was hailed for her searing performance as Natalia in the world premiere of Oksana G for Tapestry New Opera and earlier appeared in the premiere of that company’s production of M’Dea Undone which won a Dora award. Other acclaimed performances of contemporary music include works by György Kurtág, Kaija Saariaho, and Judith Weir.
Jacqueline’s 2021/2022 includes performing as Valencienne in Calgary Opera’s production of Lehar’s The Merry Widow, and joining Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for Brahms’ Requiem. In December, Jacqueline was the soprano soloist for Orchestre Classique de Montréal’s Messiah.
During the 2019-2020 season she moved back to the baroque world for the works of Bach, Handel and Charpentier for concerts with The Florida Orchestra, Regina Symphony, Clavecins en concert, Chorus Niagara and the Ottawa Choral Society. As well, she sang the 2019 Messiah for the Edmonton Symphony. In Victoria, Pacific Opera Victoria patrons heard her as Tina in Dove’s Flight.
Her recent seasons have included Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Cherubino (Marriage of Figaro), and The Forest Bird (Siegfried) for the Canadian Opera Company, Messiah with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and Symphony Nova Scotia, Mozart’s Exsultate, Jubilate with the Edmonton Symphony, Daphne et Apollo and Dido and Aeneas for Toronto Masque Theatre, and Tapestry’s ‘Lib-Lab’.
Other highlights include her Montreal Symphony debut under Kent Nagano, the role of Adele (Die Fledermaus) for Edmonton Opera, appearances at the Vancouver Early Music Festival and the Ottawa Chamberfest with Les Voix Baroques; a soprano and trumpet programme for Clavecin en Concert and La Fête de la Musique de Mont-Tremblant; and Handel’s Messiah for groups such as the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Aradia Ensemble, and in a staged version for Against the Grain Theatre.
An alumna of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, she performed and covered several main stage roles, among which were Olympia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Amore (Orfeo ed Euridice), First Priestess (Iphigénie en Tauride), Lace Seller (Death in Venice), and Iris (Semele).
Possessing a strong affinity for concert works, Jacqueline’s repertoire includes Bach’s Saint John Passion, Orff’s Carmina Burana, the Fauré and Mozart’s Requiems, Mahler’s Symphony No. VIII, Mercure’s Cantate pour une joie, Haydn’s Creation, Pärt’s Stabat Mater, Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, I-II, and Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem.
In addition to being an active coach in her home studio and conducting an amateur women’s chamber choir, Jacqueline was recently at Opera Nuova as part of their 20th Anniversary Alumni Mentorship Program, where she taught lessons, gave masterclasses, and performed in the gala. Ms. Woodley has recorded works by Canadian composer Norbert Palej for the Canadian Art Song Project, and has upcoming recording projects of Québecois composer Lionel Daunais and Iranian-Canadian composer Parisa Sabet.
Annina Haug
graduated from the Conservatoire de Neuchâtel with a degree in cello teaching. Since 2005 she has been cultivating her passion for singing. In 2008 she obtained a Postgraduate Diploma of Performance with Alison Pearce at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and in 2010 a Master of Performance with Liliane Zuercher at the Musik-Hochschule in Lucerne. She then continued her studies at the Schweizer Opernstudio. Since 2012, she divides her professional activity between a solo career and private teaching. She is equally at ease in the classical repertoire as in the repertoire of French songs and musicals. She also pursues her artistic research with dance, theater and writing.
Winner of several competitions, Annina Haug also attended the master classes of Margreet Honig, Klaus Mertens and Robert Tear. Over the years, she has taken part in numerous concert and opera engagements. She has performed the great works of Bach, Mendelssohn, Dvorák, Rossini, Pergolesi and Handel, as well as lesser-known works in the repertoire, such as Le Paradis perdu by Théodore Dubois, Rédemption by César Franck and A Child of Our Timede by Michael Tippett. His operatic repertoire ranges from Monteverdi to Mozart, Rossini and Britten.
Chamber music is one of her favorite fields. She is an active member of the Besuch der Lieder organization, which promotes the Lied and French Melody repertoire at home. In addition, she founded the DUO HAUG with the harpist Meret Eve Haug, and has created a "Cabaret" program with the pianist Raphaël Sudan.
Pierre Rancourt
For over 10 years now, baritone Pierre Rancourt has been collaborating with the Opéra de Montréal on a variety of mediation, education, and outreach activities, ranging from school tours and workshops for clienteles with special needs, to cultural mediation activities for the general public. Over the years, he has reached thousands of people, young and old alike, with his passion and natural empathy, while acquiring strong practical experience in the area of art-based outreach. With a busy career as a soloist whose voice is distinguished by its warmth and communicative abilities, he is also a supporter of music by Canadian composers (premieres of works by Éric Champagne, Alain Gagnon, Alfred La Liberté, and Auguste Descarries) and a creator of shows and workshops; his production Carlos Gardel: Dialogue avec le roi du tango, which highlights interculturalism, recently received the Conseil des arts de Montréal en tournée’s People’s Choice Award.
Marc Bourdeau
He has performed in North America, Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East, appearing in renowned venues and festivals, including the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Weill Recital Hall (New York), Suntory Recital Hall (Tokyo), the Musikverein (Vienna), Glenn Gould Studio (Toronto), Jordan Hall (Boston), the Tonhalle (Zürich), Royce Hall (Los Angeles), Doha Opera House, Sala Verdi (Milan), Chan Center (Vancouver), Max-Joseph Saal (Munich), Pollack Hall (Montreal), Ravinia Festival, Bath Festival, Festival de Lanaudière, Festival de Montpellier and Festival de Wallonie.
Without being a specialist of 20th and 21st century music, Marc Bourdeau regularly performs works by composers from his native country, among whom Alexina Louie, Claude Vivier, Jacques Hétu, François Morel, Rachel Laurin, Pierre Mercure, Jean Coulthard, Denis Gougeon, Lionel Daunais, Oskar Morawetz, Harry Somers, André Mathieu, Srul Irving Gluck, Ann Southam and John Rea.
He notably premièred two works by Rachel Laurin: the Sonata for Flute and Piano, opus 29, with Michel Bellavance, and the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, opus 46, with the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières under the direction of Jacques Lacombe.
