Spotlight on Nathalie Paulin
October 1, 1998
Version française...
 New Brunswick soprano Nathalie Paulin will sing
the Countess in Opera Atelier’s upcoming English-language production of Mozart’s
The Marriage of Figaro. Though Paulin is a lyric soprano, she is excited about tackling
the role of the Countess, usually entrusted to a dramatic soprano. "I probably
wouldn’t sing the Countess in a huge opera house, but the Opera Atelier performs in a
small venue and the Tafelmusik orchestra isn’t too loud.” Paulin perfected the
part while touring with the production in Japan in March.Paulin
has been making good since her graduation from the University of Montreal in 1994. Back
then she won the Montreal Symphony Orchestra competition and the local Czech and Slovak
Competition and garnered awards from the George London Foundation, the Young Mozart
Singers' Competition, and the Canadian Music Competition. In 1994 she moved to Toronto for
a two-year stint with the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble, where she participated in the
world premiere of Gary Kulesha’s Red Emma and sang the lead in the Ensemble’s
production of Cavalli’s La Calisto. Since leaving the COC Ensemble in 1996, she has
appeared in the Dallas Opera’s Carmen and Die Zauberflöte.
This year Paulin has been busy learning a half dozen new roles.
"Luckily, I’m a quick study," says Paulin, who was the only singer among
pianists and composers in her advanced university sight-reading course. Last May she sang
the title role in Opera Atelier's production of Charpentier's Acteon and in August she
sang Oscar in Vancouver Opera's Un Ballo in Maschera. She has Opera Hamilton's L'Italiana
in Algeri scheduled for November, Toronto Operetta Theatre's Die Fledermaus in December,
and Opera Pacific's Ariadne auf Naxos in January. Then she returns to Opera Atelier’s
semi-staged production of Handel's La Resurrezione. All except the Strauss are new roles
for Paulin.
Montreal audiences will hear Paulin in Bach cantatas with the
Ensemble Arion under Hervé Niquet next March 12-14. Arion Ensemble: (514) 355-1825.
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