Guest Artists

Virginia Hatfield, soprano

Soprano Virginia Hatfield is becoming known across Canada for her 'beguiling' performances (The Globe and Mail) and 'gobs of charisma' (Toronto Star). Recent appearances for this versatile artist include roles with the Canadian Opera Company, as well as debuts with Pacific Opera Victoria, Opera Hamilton, Opera in Concert, and Saskatoon Opera. Virginia recently premiered Canadian and Mexican works with Soundstreams Canada and renowned Mexican percussion ensemble Tambuco for the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Mexico and at Koerner Hall in Toronto.

Other recent concert performances include Messiah with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Mississauga Choral Society and Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Bach’s Ich habe genug with Kevin Mallon and the Aradia Ensemble at Glenn Gould Studio,  Bach's Mass in B minor with Toronto's Pax Christi Chorale, Mozart's Mass in C minor and Poulenc's Gloria with Barrie's King Edward Choir, and Mozart's Requiem with the Kingston Chamber Choir.

As a member of the prestigious Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio from 2005-07, Virginia performed numerous roles, and created the role of Leah in James Rolfe’s Swoon. In June 2007, she performed with the COC Orchestra and the late Richard Bradshaw in “Opera under the Stars” for the National Capital Commission, which was recorded for DVD.

A gifted recitalist, Virginia has appeared with the Aldeburgh Connection in Toronto and Bayfield. She is a frequent guest of Westben, in her hometown of Campbellford; in 2009 she performed Lieder with pianist Brian Finley, and in 2010 she sang in "Lovin' dat Hammerstein" with Brian Jackson, pianist/host.

Future engagements include return appearances with the Windsor Symphony and the Aradia Ensemble, and debuts with the Kingston Symphony and Symphony Nova Scotia.

 

Jennifer Enns Modolo, mezzo-soprano

Canadian mezzo-soprano Jennifer Enns Modolo has delighted audiences across the country with her clear, unaffected voice and meaningful singing. She has appeared as a featured soloist with numerous groups, including the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Toronto Classical Singers, the Grand River Baroque Festival, the Aradia Ensemble, Chorus Niagara, the Elmer Iseler Singers, the Elora Festival Singers, the Grand Philharmonic Choir, the Richard Eaton Singers and the Vancouver Bach Choir.

On the opera stage, she has sung the title role in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Juno in Eccles’ The Judgement of Paris, Florence Pike in Britten’s Albert Herring, Third Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and Jennie Hildebrand in Weill’s Street Scene. Recognized for her quick-study abilities, and with only ten days’ notice, Jennifer stepped in to learn and sing Giovanna Seymour in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena with Opera in Concert in fall 2007. Her discography includes the role of Eustazio in Handel’s Rinaldo, as well as Handel’s Israel in Egypt, both recorded on the Naxos label under the baton of Kevin Mallon.

Highlights from past seasons include the role of Sara in Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux with Opera in Concert, Handel’s Messiah with the Elmer Iseler Singers under the baton of Sir David Willcocks, Bach’s Mass in B minor with the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, Beethoven’s Mass in C with Consort Caritatis on tour in Spain and France, and Bach’s Cantata 182 under the baton of Andreas Scholl as part of the Snape Proms and the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme.

In the 2011/2012 season, Jennifer will be performing Messiah with the Peterborough Singers and the Gerald Fagan Singers, as well as several solo recitals.

 

Willis Bote, tenor

Tenor Willis Bote holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan where he studied with Stephen Lusmann, Joshua Major, Timothy Cheek and Martin Katz. He also received degrees in music and education at the universities of Western Ontario and Toronto. His operatic roles include Arturo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Don Basilio/Don
Curzio (Le Nozze di Figaro), Renaud (Armide), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), the title role in Albert Herring, Ferrando (Cosi Fan Tutte) Eduardo (La Cambiale di Matrimonio) and Little Bat (Susannah).

As a concert artist, Willis has been commended for his performances of symphonic works, art songs and chamber music. He was heard as the tenor soloist in Berlioz’s Requiem with the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra and Choirs under Kenneth Kiesler. Other performances include engagements with the Arts Chorale of Ann Arbor, Windsor Classics Chorale, Thames Scholars, Blythe Festival Orchestra and Haliburton Messiah Choir. He was also a visiting artist at the Mountain View Festival of Song in Calgary presenting recitals during the weeklong festival.

Willis is an alumnus of the Highlands Opera Studio, St. Andrew's-by-the-Sea Summer Opera Workshop and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute.  A recipient of many awards and scholarships, he successfully competed in the William Byrd Music Competition and the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition.

 

Michael Adair, baritone

Michael Adair is delighted to be making his professional Canadian debut in his hometown. Since moving to Germany in 2009 he has been working as an oratorio soloist throughout Europe. Michael has appeared in major concert halls, including the Berliner Philharmonie, the Liederhalle Stuttgart, the Cologne Philharmonie and Carnegie Hall,  under the batons of, among others, Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Helmuth Rilling. His repertoire includes the Oratorios and Passions of J.S Bach and G.F Handel, major choral symphonic works such as Haydn's Die Schöpfung and Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem and major works of the 20th century such as Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony and Frank Martin’s In Terra Pax.

A former member of both the Guelph Youth Singers and the Guelph Chamber Choir, Michael went on to study at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Dr. Darryl Edwards. In 2006 Michael won 1st prize at the Elora Festival Competition and returned the following year to give a joint recital with Russell Braun. After his studies he was accepted as a member of the prestigious Zurich International Opera Studio where he worked with Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Carlo Rizzi and Nello Santi. 

Michael can be heard on a recording of music by Dutch composer Markus Teller with Studium Chorale and Ensemble Agimont.