|
Soprano Nathalie Paulin has established herself in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Far East as an interpretive artist of the very first rank. Winner of a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Opera Performance, she has collaborated with internationally renowned conductors including Jane Glover, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Antony Walder, Sir Roger Norrington, Andrew Parrott, Jonathan Darlington, Hervé Niquet, David Agler, Richard Bradshaw, Bernard Labadie, Mario Bernardi, Graeme Jenkins, Andrew Litton and Yoav Talmi on both the concert platform and in opera. As well, critics have been lavish in their praise. Reviewing from Chicago, John van Rhein noted that "Paulin in particular is a real find; her rich, agile voice possesses great depth and allure, her manner radiates sensuous charm." Ms. Paulin debuted for L’Opéra de Montréal as Mélisande in PÉLLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE and for Chicago Opera Theater as Galatea in ACIS AND GALATEA. She was re-engaged by Chicago Opera Theater for the title role in SEMELE and for Mary in LA RESURREZIONE, both by Handel. She has also been heard as Constance in DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES for Calgary Opera, Zerlina in DON GIOVANNI for L’Opéra de Québec, and Susanna in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO for Cincinnati Opera. The Dallas Opera featured her in CARMEN and CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN.
Ms. Paulin’s coming season includes MESSIAH for the Seattle Symphony, her debut for Ireland’s Wexford Festival as La Baronne in LA COUR DE CELIMENE, Handel’s HERCULES for Tafelmusik, Hetu’s LES CLARTES DE LA NUIT for the National Arts Centre Orchestra, MATTHÄUS PASSION and Bach Canatas for the Calgary Philharmonic, Marcellina in FIDELIO for Edmonton Opera, the title role in RODELINDA for Houston’s Mercury Baroque and CARMINA BURANA for the Québec Symphony.
In the summer of 2010, Ms. Paulin made her Rotterdam Philharmonic debut in L’ENFANT PRODIGUE with Nézet-Séguin, who was also her conductor for Mahler’s SYMPHONY No. 8 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and Place des Arts in Montréal. She was featured in the Elora Festival’s Beethoven MASS IN C with Noel Edison in and began the fall season as Susanna in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO for Opera Hamilton, followed immediately by the title role in RODELINDA for Pacific Opera Victoria. Highlights of her concert schedule included MESSIAH in Portland and Trois Rivières, LES INDES GALANTES for Boston Baroque, Vivier’s LONELY CHILD for the Windsor Symphony, recitals for Toronto’s Aldeburgh Connection, Toronto Summer Music, Camp Musical in Quebec, Caraquet in New Brunswick and Indian River, PEI and the role of Emmy in DER VAMPYR for the Lanaudiere Festival.
Summer activities in 2009 included a number of events built around the Congres Mondiale d’Acadien in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, while further into the season, she sang the title role in Massenet’s MANON for Calgary Opera and reprised the role for Opera Lyra Ottawa. She rounded out her fall with MESSIAH for the Brott-McGill Chamber Orchestra. The balance of the season was an exciting lineup including Haydn’s DIE JAHRESZEITEN for the Calgary Philharmonic (Taurins), performances for Opera Lafayette in Washington D.C. and New York (LES ARTS FLORISSANTS and ARMIDE) and MESSIAHs in Montreal and works of Graupner for Les Idées Heureures
The 2008-2009 season was notable for her Atlanta Symphony debut in Mozart’s REQUIEM, Haydn with Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society and Washington Concert Opera concerts co-starring with Stephanie Blythe. Also on her schedule were SEMELE for Pacific Opera Victoria, Handel’s HERCULES with Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, Mahler’s SYMPHONY #4 with Somerville and the Hamilton Philharmonic as well as concerts with the Fredericton Chamber Music Festival, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Scotia Festival (MALHER # 2) and the CBC Vancouver Radio Orchestra.
Her 2007-2008 season began with DON CARLOS (Thibault) for the Canadian Opera Company, followed by DIE LUSTIGE WITWE (Valencienne) for the Dallas Opera and DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE (Pamina) for Arizona Opera. Further engagements included debuts with the Phoenix Symphony, and return engagements with the Arion Ensemble of Montreal and the Laval Symphony.
In 2006-2007 Ms. Paulin’s schedule included Handel’s ORLANDO for Washington Concert Opera, WEIHNACHTSORATORIUM for the Toronto Bach Consort conducted by Jane Glover, Pamina in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for Vancouver Opera, Micaëla in CARMEN for Calgary Opera, Poulenc’s GLORIA for L’Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montréal and PEER GYNT for L’Orchestre symphonique de Québec. For the Brooklyn Philharmonic, she was featured in Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3 and Mozart’s EXULTATE JUBILATE and returned to Cincinnati for Despina in COSI FAN TUTTE.Her 2005-2006 season included Constance in DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES and Zerlina in DON GIOVANNI (Vancouver Opera), Micaëla in CARMEN (L’Opéra de Québec), the title role in SEMELE for Arizona Opera and Laoula in L’ÉTOILE and Antonia in LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN (Cincinnati Opera). These were balanced by MESSIAH for the Toronto Symphony, Orchestra London and the Elora Festival Singers as well as Mozart’s REQUIEM for the Calgary Philharmonic and Bach’s MASS IN B MINOR for the Thunder Bay Symphony.
Notable debuts for 2004–2005 included her first appearance in New York City when she was featured in a Handel programme for the New York Collegium. Ms. Paulin’s Dora Award was for her portrayal of Belinda in Opera Atelier’s production of DIDO AND AENEAS and also on her schedule were Leila in LES PECHEURS DE PERLES for Festival Vancouver, Antigone in Sacchini’s OEDIPE A COLONNE for Washington D.C.’s Opera Lafayette and Norina in DON PASQUALE for L’Opéra de Montréal. On the concert stage, her schedule called for Mendelssohn’s LOBGESANG with L’Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Poulenc’s GLORIA with the Spokane Symphony and the works of Bach, Pergolesi and Vivaldi with the Calgary and Edmonton symphonies. On the festival circuit for 2005, Ms. Paulin was heard in Berlin, Montreal and Vancouver in Caldara’s LA CONVERSIONE DI CLODOVEO, RÈ DI FRANCIA, in Scarlatti’s STABAT MATER for the Elora Festival and at Lamèque for Handel’s LAUDATE PUERI and ODE TO SAINT CECILIA.
She began her 2003-2004 season with Festival Vancouver as Mélisande in PÉLLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE co-produced with Vancouver Opera. Of her role debut as Massenet’s MANON for l’Opéra de Québec, critics noted: "Mlle. Paulin brought great refinement to her creation of the title role and one senses she has prepared in great depth. She brings a beautiful, flowing line to the part and plays Manon with taste and a measure of intelligence, making the character utterly believable. The fascinating transformation from the shy, youthful exuberance of the first act to the agonizingly devastated woman in the final act is a terrible - and gripping! - sight." (Richard Boisvert, Le Soleil, Québec City) Hoiby’s THE TEMPEST for Pacific Opera Victoria and a French production of THE MERRY WIDOW were also on her busy schedule. She was in Chicago for Bach’s MASS IN B MINOR with Music of the Baroque and at the National Art Centre in Ottawa for MESSIAH. Other roles include Adina in L’ELISIR D’AMORE, Despina in COSI FAN TUTTE, Oscar in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA, Andromède in Lully’s PERSÉE and Héro in BÉATRICE ET BÉNÉDICT.
Further credits include the Montreal Symphony, the St. Lawrence Choir, Les Idées Heureuses, the Aldeburgh Connection, Ottawa Choral Society, and she has toured Europe as a recitalist. Frequently heard on both the French and English CBC networks, she is a past winner of the Montréal Symphony Competition and holds a Master's Degree from the University of Montréal. She won the Dvorak prize and has also received awards and prizes from the George London Foundation in New York, the Young Mozart Singers' Competition in Toronto and the Canadian Music Competition.
July 2011
|
