Faculty
Claire de Sévigné
Soprano, Coach
Aviva
Fortunata
Soprano, Coach
Stéphane Mayer
Pianist, Coach
ABOUT
Claire she/her
Soprano Claire de Sévigné is a graduate of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, the Zürich IOS Studio and the Salzburg YSP. She holds a Master’s degree in Opera from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Montreal’s McGill University.
Claire has sung across Canada with the Canadian Opera Company, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Opéra de Québec, Edmonton Symphony, and the Pacific Opera Victoria, among others.
Abroad she has performed with the Grant Park Music Festival of Chicago, Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland, Opernhaus Zürich, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Salzburg Festival, Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Opéra Lausanne, Lucerne Opera Festival, Anger Nantes Opéra, Opéra d’Avignon, Opéra Toulon and the Opéra National de Lyon. Other performances have also taken Claire on tour in China with the Salzburg Hantang International Music Festival and with the Mozarteum Orchestra in Spain.
Claire has taught and mentored for the past 10 years and looks forward to bringing her practical knowledge to the students of the Toronto Summer Audition Intensive program this summer.
ABOUT
Aviva she/her
Italian-Canadian soprano Aviva Fortunata has performed across North America and Europe, including engagements with the Canadian Opera Company, Dallas Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Calgary Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and L’Orchestre symphonique de Québec, with upcoming engagements including The Metropolitan Opera.
Aviva represented Canada at the 2015 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, where she was a finalist, and also was a finalist at Operalia - The World Opera Competition in 2016.
Aviva was trained at the Canadian Opera Company, San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program, and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Toronto.
An ardent mentor to younger singers, Aviva is keen to share her good (and bad!) audition experiences and lessons with others.
ABOUT StéphanE he/him
Pianist and composer Stéphane Mayer has served as a rehearsal pianist and member of music staff
for numerous productions at the Canadian Opera Company as part of their Ensemble program.
Mayer has worked on numerous productions across Canada with Opera Victoria, Opera de Québec,
Opera Nuova, Opera on the Avalon, Opera McGill, Tapestry Opera and the National Art Centre.
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A champion of new music, Mayer has helped mount many world premieres such as Gould’s Wall, The
Rocking Horse Winner and Ours.
A graduate of McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, Stéphane has also worked as a vocal coach and accompanist at Western University.
