Fredericton opera singer shines on national stage

A Fredericton-born and raised performer is making waves on the Canadian opera scene.

Olivia LaPointe, who recently moved to Toronto, is one of seven finalists to be chosen for the prestigious Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition at the Canadian Opera Company.

She came third after her performance at the competition on Wednesday night. She sang a French aria entitled, "Obéissons, quand leur voix appelle," from Jules Massenet's opera Manon.

"When I heard my name get called, I was very excited, very surprised, overwhelmed," said LaPointe, who is a soprano.

"It was a really beautiful experience and I definitely felt the love from in the room and online.

"I had a lot of family and friends that were there in person, so it was very special — I feel like I got to share that moment with them."

The road to the competition began with video auditions. Then, 78 singers were chosen for an in-person performance in front of a panel of judges, before finally being narrowed down to the seven finalists.

Leading up to the competition, she had the opportunity to work with some of the Canadian Opera Company's faculty and train with their maestro. She said she tried to be a sponge the whole time, soaking up the knowledge and training.

The competition comes with a chance to join the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, and she said competitors will hear in the next few weeks whether they got picked.

For LaPointe, this was an opportunity to share her love of music with everyone, a passion that started at a very young age.

Growing up, she was surrounded by music. Her grandfather performed in a group, as did her dad and his siblings. 

She also sings with her dad, aunts, uncles and brother. Her brother, Graysen, has also made a name for himself. Earlier this year, the University of New Brunswick biochemistry graduate landed the title role in the Anne & Gilbert musical on Prince Edward Island. 

LaPointe did her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto in voice performance, then her master's of music in opera and voice at McGill University in Montreal. 

Her time at those universities, she said, was formative in developing her technique as well as making friendships with those in the opera world.

But LaPointe said she was fortunate to grow up somewhere like Fredericton where there's a lot of creative arts in the city already.

She is also part of a tradition of opera singers from New Brunswick who have graced international stages, including Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, Sally Dibblee and Wendy Nielsen, who teaches at the University of Toronto and is the head vocal consultant for the Canadian Opera Company. Nielsen was also the artistic director for the St. Andrews summer opera workshops for 27 years. 

LaPointe said an important step in musical excellence is simply going out and listening to different kinds of music, whether it's classical, jazz, pop or something else. 

"It's just so exciting to listen to different kinds of music and see … how they influence each other," said LaPointe.

"Opera is so beautiful and such a human art form. There's so much power and strength within the human voice, and to be able to share our stories in that way is so exciting."