TYRONE PATERSON, Conductor Tyrone Paterson was appointed Opera Lyra Ottawa’s Artistic Director in 1998. Since then, the company has experienced significant growth and is now regarded as one of Canada’s most respected opera companies. Recognized as one of Canada’s major opera conductors, Maestro Paterson has led performances throughout Europe, the United States, Asia and Canada. Upcoming engagements include Cav/Pag for Edmonton Opera; Salome for Manitoba Opera; and The Flying Dutchman in concert for Opera Lyra. Several performances led by Maestro Paterson have been broadcast, the most recent being Opera Lyra's concert of Manon as well as Lucia di Lammermoor, both of which were broadcast by CBC Radio.
	RICHARD MARGISON, Turiddu/Canio Canadian tenor Richard Margison is one of the most critically acclaimed singers on the international stage today. Highlights from recent seasons featured performances as Bacchus in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos at the Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo, Spain and as Radames in Verdi’s Aida at the Metropolitan Opera. Although Richard is in great demand on the great opera stages of the world, he gives generously of his time to support a number of causes such as Leukemia Research (Ontario) and the Children’s Opera Chorus (Toronto). He has been particularly active in his home province of British Columbia, where he raised more than two million dollars through benefit concerts including Victoria Symphony, Pacific Opera Victoria, the Victoria Conservatory of Music, Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver Opera, and the Rotary Club.
	GREGORY DAHL, Alfio/Tonio Gregory Dahl has boldly staked his claim to a position of prominence among baritones of his generation with performances notable for richness of characterization and a remarkable vocal authority. Mr. Dahl’s recent performances in Pelleas et Melisande for Opera Theater of St. Louis were hailed for his “appealingly lyrical baritone [that] emphasized Golaud’s inner turmoil over his villainy”. His 2011-2012 season is packed with major roles including Jokanaan in Salome for Manitoba Opera, Conte di Luna in IL Trovatore for L’Opéra de Montréal, Escamillo in Carmen for the Brott Music Festival, and the dual roles of Crespel and Schlemil in Les Contes D’Hoffmann for the Canadian Opera Company. His 2010-2011 season included Enrico in Lucia Di Lammermoor and the World Premiere of Estacio and Murrell’s Lillian Alling for Vancouver Opera, Bach’s Mass in B Minor for the Vancouver Symphony, Verdi’s REQUIEM for the Regina Symphony, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci for Opera Hamilton and a return to Enrico for Opera Lyra Ottawa. (gregorydahl.com)
	LAURA WHALEN, Nedda Soprano Laura Whalen is often noted for her command, precision and elegance in operatic, orchestral and recital appearances throughout North America. Over the past two seasons, engagements included Mary in the word premiere of Bramwell Tovey’s The Inventor, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus at Opera Hamilton and Mimi in La Boheme with Edmonton Opera. Upcoming Engagements include Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Richard Eaton Singers, and Margarite de Valois in Meyerbeers Les Huquenots with Opera in Concert concert. “Whalen has a sense of phrase, the hues and coloration, the sheer musicality to turn notes into blossoms. It’s wonderful how Whalen can linger on a syllable or expertly gauge a leap to arrive perfectly and gracefully.” – The Record
	DANA BETH MILLER, Santuzza Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “the evening’s biggest find,” and praised by both the New York Times for “wielding a rich, substantial voice, along with a winning stage presence,” and the Boston Globe for having a “voice full of alluringly dark colorings,” Dana Beth Miller is rapidly establishing herself as one of the most exciting dramatic mezzo-sopranos on the stage today. She has been engaged by the leading opera houses in the United States including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, and Dallas Opera. Upcoming engagements include Dame Quickly in Falstaff, Mrs. Sedley in Peter Grimes and Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera with Deutsche Oper Berlin, Maddalena in Rigoletto with Florida Grand Opera, and Amneris in Aida for her return to Arizona Opera.
	AARON ST. CLAIR NICHOLSON, Silvio Baritone Aaron St. Clair Nicholson has established himself as an artist of the first rank, winning praise for his superb vocal gifts and the dramatic integrity he brings to his performances. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Schaunard in La Bohème conducted by Placido Domingo and followed those performances with Papageno in Die Zauberflöte conducted by James Levine. Further Met duties included cover artist for the role of Clyde Griffeths in Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy. He has been heard in the title role in Don Giovanni for L’Opéra de Montréal, as Valentin in Faust for Vancouver Opera, Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette for Opera Lyra, Ontario and Fauré’s Requiem for the Atlanta Symphony, a work he also performed at Festival Lanaudiere in Québec. He will also be heard in Vancouver Opera’s upcoming production of Romeo & Juliette.
	LYNNE MCMURTRY, Mama Lucia Described as "a force of nature" (Toronto Star) and "an actress of immense talent" (Opera Canada), mezzo-soprano Lynne McMurtry brings her diverse talents to a broad range of operatic, oratorio, and recital repertoire. Operatic credits include Arsace in Rossini’s Semiramide and Mme. de Croissy in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites with Opera in Concert, the Slave in Salome with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Mistress Quickly in Falstaff with Edmonton Opera. She performed the role of Roberto in Vivaldi’s La Griselda with Aradia Ensemble; the recording of that performance has recently been released on the Naxos label. Her oratorio and symphonic performances include Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass with the Edmonton Symphony, Mahler’s Rückert Lieder with the Winnipeg Symphony, Elijah with the Newfoundland Symphony, and Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with Symphony New Brunswick. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice at the State University of New York College at Fredonia.
	MIA LENNOX WILLIAMS, Lola Described as an artist with "...powerfully impressive pipes...flashy flamboyance and beguiling tone indicating huge potential for the future," Canadian mezzo-soprano Mia Lennox-Williams is quickly becoming recognized for the beauty, colour and flexibility of her instrument and her innate dramatic sense. Elegant and striking with a sizeable instrument, Ms Lennox-Williams’ 2010/2011 season includes de Falla’s Three Cornered Hat with the Toronto Sinfonia, alto soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Thunder Bay Symphony, Lola in Cavelleria Rusticana with Opera Edmonton, alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Lydia Adams and the Elmer Iseler Singers and a recital with the Amanda Johnston Recital Series in Toronto in December. Appearances with Opera Hamilton and l’Opéra de Montréal are planned for 2012/2013. Ms. Lennox-Williams is a graduate of the University of Toronto Opera School and trained at the Centre National d’Insertion Professionelle d’Artistes Lyriques (CNIPAL) in France, at the Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal and the Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts. She is also the recipient of an Emerging Artists grant from the Canada Council.
	ROBERT CLARK, Beppe Tenor Robert Clark recently performed his debut main-stage role of Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor with Calgary Opera. Since then he performed his debut role with Edmonton Opera as Al in The Barber of Barrhead. This season he will be singing Flask in Calgary Opera's Moby Dick and Jaquino in Edmonton Opera's Fidelio. He is also covering the role of Charlie in Pacific Opera Victoria's Mary's Wedding. Mr. Clark’s previous operatic performances includes roles in Street Scene, L’enfant et les sortilèges, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, Gianni Schicchi, Frobisher and has toured with the Calgary Opera Emerging Artist Program as Al in The Barber of Barrhead and The Prince in Cinderella.

“I am happiest when I am directing opera. I come to the theatre for the music. All the clues are there in the music; it is the subliminal thrust of the piece.” She feels her musical background is a great equalizer in any approach to opera, and this along with a comprehensive study of the history of the piece, analyzing the sources the librettist used, and what is happening developmentally in the opera world provides the best foundation to her directing.

She further states, "Both Cav and Pag are fundamental works within the Verismo movement (meaning "realism", from the Italian vero meaning "true") overflowing with raw extremes of emotion: love, lust, longing, betrayal, revenge, and murder, dominated by the ever-present Catholic faith.  The music, especially in Cavalleria, is so incredibly lush, round, sensual, passionate yet evocative - almost belying the intensity and severity of the inevitable violence that occurs. The text, on the other hand, feels almost angular. The words (libretti) and their immediacy combined with the sensuality and roundness of the music can be compared to a chiaroscuro painting with the extremes of light and dark...or an image in which the outlines are black, definite, angular, and severe (the words), and the interior is shaded with many subtleties of colour (the music). This is the approach, and we will strive to find the balance within it."

Val Kuinka, Stage Director of Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci

Radio-Canada - La Croisée des Chemins
October 25, 2011

La Croisée des Chemins discusses Edmonton Opera's new production with Mia Lennox-Williams (Lola).

Edmonton Journal: Review
October 23, 2011

Elizabeth Withey reviews Edmonton Opera's season opener, Cavalleria Rusticana / I Pagliacci.

Sound and Noise
October 22, 2011

Sound and Noise reviews Edmonton Opera's production of Cavalleria Rusticana / I Pagliacci.

Radio-Canada - Le café show
October 20, 2011

Le café show discusses Cavalleria Rusticana / I Pagliacci with Mia Lennox-Williams (Lola).

City And Dale
October 20, 2011

Your guide to Edmonton this weekend include encore!'s Storm the Stage and our performance of Cavalleria Rusticana / I Pagliacci.

Edmonton Journal
October 20, 2011

Edmonton Journal interviews Richard Margison (Turiddu/Canio) and Valerie Kuinka (Stage Director).

VUE Weekly
October 19, 2011

Richard Margison (Turiddu/Canio) and Valerie Kuinka (Stage Director) discuss Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci with VUE Weekly.

Edmonton Journal
October 18, 2011

Nick Lees, EdmontonJournal.com

CKUA
October 18, 2011

Valerie Kuinka (Director of Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci) met with Chris Allen from CKUA. They discussed how both operas are in what is called classic verismo style, why Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci are often performed as a double-bill and what everyone can expect when they come to see Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci.

Breakfast Television Edmonton
October 11, 2011

Robert Clark (Beppe) sings on City TV's Breakfast Television

102.3 NOW! radio
October 7, 2011

Aaron St. Clair Nicholson (Silvio) gives opera lessons, and dances in the Friday Morning Dance Party!

Edmonton Sun
October 4, 2011

Richard Margison (Turiddu/Canio) talks about how he became an opera singer, Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci and all the components that go into performing an opera.

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