McPhee Artist Development Program Faculty

Jonathan Brandani is a versatile opera and concert conductor, who has been described as a "revelation" (Première Loge) and praised for "his fine regard for the score's details...his clear, purposeful indications" and "his enthusiasm" (Seen and Heard International). He has been Associate Conductor of Minnesota Opera (USA) and Principal Guest Conductor of Daegu Opera House (South Korea). In recent seasons he has conducted at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf (Germany), Palau de les Arts in Valencia (Spain), Wexford Festival Opera (Ireland), Teatro Comunale di Bologna (Italy), Théatre Royal de Wallonie-Liège (Belgium), Bregenzer Festspiele (Austria), Donizetti Festival in Bergamo (Italy), Teatro Lirico di Cagliari (Italy), Göteborg Opera (Sweden), the Danish Royal Opera House Copenhagen, Staatstheater Meiningen.

Passionate about historical performance practice, since its establishment Jonathan has collaborated with the Belcanto Festival Teatro Nuovo (NYC), and with his own period-instrument ensembles Nuova Cappella di Palazzo and L'Eloquenza he has been performing and recording unpublished music from 17th- and 18th-century Tuscany. Jonathan is a graduate of the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna and of Yale University, and an alumnus of the Merola Opera Program of San Francisco Opera.

Emily Hamper is one of Canada's most highly regarded vocal coaches. She has partnered with Canada's most renowned singers in countless recitals and concerts, most notably the Montreal Symphony Orchestra's "Virée Classique" series, Zoomer TV in Toronto, Début Atlantic, and the Canadian Opera Company. She has also made numerous appearances in Europe, including at the Slovak National Theatre and the Opéra National de Paris, and performed a Lieder series at the Queensland Music Festival with Canadian baritone Phillip Addis. Her performances have been broadcast on CBC Radio, Radio-Canada, Classical 96.3 FM and Vermont Public Radio.

Emily has a strong passion for mentoring. Her previous positions include Conductor and Music Director of Opera at Wilfrid Laurier University, Artistic Administrator/Principal Coach of the Brott Opera Emerging Artist Program, and Co-Founder/Co-Artistic Director of the Stratford Summer Music Vocal Academy. Additionally, she has served on the coaching faculty of the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, University of Toronto Opera Division, l'Université de Montréal, and The Banff Centre, and most recently at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Opera NUOVA in Edmonton.

Mark Morash is a conductor and pianist originally from Dartmouth, Canada. In recent seasons, Morash conducted Carmen and La traviata for Calgary Opera's mainstage performances. Prior to Calgary Opera, he was Director of Musical Studies for the Opera Center of San Francisco Opera for over two decades. There, he conducted for the Merola Opera Program, the Adler Fellow Showcase and Western Opera Theater. In addition to appearances with San Francisco Opera Center and San Francisco Opera Orchestra, he has led performances for Hawaii Opera Theatre, Opera Santa Barbara as well as Opera Colorado. Morash has led a diverse range of repertoire including The Rake's Progress, Gianni Schicchi, Argento's Postcard from Morocco, The Rape of Lucretia, Albert Herring, Rigoletto, Die Fledermaus, The Merry Wives of Windsor, La Cenerentola, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, and Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona. 

As a collaborative pianist, performances have taken him throughout Canada, the USA, as well as to Japan and Russia. Artists with whom Morash has appeared include Leah Crocetto, Nadine Sierra, Elza van den Heever, Quinn Kelsey and Brian Jagde.

Dr. Tara M. Laberge earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance from the University of Minnesota, with secondary studies in theatre and dance. A multi-disciplinary artist, Tara has performed professionally across Canada and the US, from singing the national anthem for the Minnesota Twins, to opera, oratorio, musical theatre, theatre, interdisciplinary creation, and commercial/voiceover. She specializes in navigating the intersections of music and theatre, participating in the development of new works with Minneapolis-based Opera BOB and Zeitgeist, Calgary-based Drama on a Dime, Fire Exit Theatre Scripts on Fire, Alberta Playwrights Network, and Cowtown Opera. She has been the musical director for over 20 productions, and stage directed for Minnesota Opera’s Project OPERA, Opera BOB, the University of Minnesota Opera Theater, Rocky Mountain College, Ambrose University, and Storybook Theatre. 
 
Dedicated to supporting the next generation of artists, Dr. Laberge specializes in vocal health and longevity, and sustainable performance practice across genres. She has taught post-secondary courses in both music and theatre for Ambrose University, Rocky Mountain College, and Augsburg College.  Combining her extensive background as a performer with her proven educational and pedagogical expertise, Dr. Laberge is deeply committed to supporting emerging artist development through ethical, sustainable, and collaborative arts education. 

Canadian baritone Phillip Addis is best known as the ideal Pelléas of his generation, a role he sang with opera companies and orchestras in Modena,  Piacenza, Parma, Luxemburg, Cincinnati, Dresden, Bochum, Hamburg, Paris and London. He is as renowned for his Count Almaviva Le Nozze di Figaro, whom he has portrayed in over a dozen different productions worldwide. Current season engagements include Sharpless Madama Butterfly at Calgary Opera, his home company, Messiah in his return to Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Count Almaviva at Manitoba Opera and both Messiah and Carmina Burana with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

Recent season highlights include the title role Don Giovanni, Malatesta Don Pasquale and Marco Gianni Schicci at Calgary Opera, Zurga Les pêcheurs de perles with Vancouver Opera; he made role debuts as Don Alfonso Così fan tutte with Pacific Opera Victoria and as Sharpless with Opéra de Québec; other recent engagements include Count Almaviva at Calgary Opera as well as his first Malatesta at Vancouver Opera. Orchestral engagements took the artist to Calgary Philharmonic (Carmina Burana) and Orchestre Classique De Montréal for Messiah.