Soprano, Canadian Opera Company

Simone recently appeared in the fall production of Canadian Opera Company's La Bohème as well as our winter production of Un ballo in maschera.  In La Bohème, Puccini’s beloved opera classic about youthful flirtation, passionate love and heartbreaking tragedy, Simone shares one of the opera’s leading female roles, Musetta (a flirtatious singer).  In Un ballo in maschera, Verdi’s mature and bittersweet story of forbidden passion between two lovers embroiled in political intrigue beyond their control, she sings opposite Canada’s reigning diva Adrianne Pieczonka, by taking on the role of Oscar, the irreverent court page.  It’s certainly a season of dreams coming true for her, to take on the role of Musetta in one production, and to share the stage with Adrianne Pieczonka in the second one. Vancouver-born soprano Simone Osborne is a recent graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, Canada’s premier training program for young opera professionals.  She was already marked as someone to watch, however, well before she joined the ranks of the Ensemble Studio in 2009 – 2012. In 2008, at the age of 21, she became one of the youngest winner of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has been hailed as “a joy to hear” by the LA Times, with a voice described as “a sweet and clear sound, sensitive phrasing and gleaming sustained high notes” by the New York Times. As a member of the Ensemble Studio, she gave some incredible performances with the company in feature roles in our productions of The Magic Flute, Rigoletto and Gianni Schicchi.  She’s a favourite with audiences and critics, and now returns to the COC after recent engagements with Opera Hamilton, Vancouver Opera and Carnegie Hall, appearing in the world premiere of the classical music show Viva Verdi! in Zurich and in the Saito Kinen Festival with renowned maestro Seiji Ozawa, as well as a debut performance with the LA Philharmonic. This year, Simone will be embarking on a nation-wide concert tour with Jeunesses Musicales of Canada.  The series of recitals are in homage to the legendary Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester.