Calgary Opera Chorus: Tosca

Chorus

SOPRANOS

Aly Carrigan
Naomi Derksen
Anna Draper
Alyssa D'Souza
Noelle Kuntz
Susan Lexa
Hannah Mitchell
Nicole Smithanik
Brianna Temple

MEZZOS

Morgan Melax
Eswina Ngai
Charlotte Schmidtke
Ashley Schneberger
Meaghan Schultz
Olena Simsek
Romsemary Van Dyk
Stephanie Vas
Bethany Wickens

TENORS

Akesh Aheer
Henry Ayeras
Don Edie
Herbert Mielczarek
Stuart Miller
Oliver Munar
JT Steenkamp
Yannick Tchouptang Meyoupo
Alvaro Vazquez

BARITONES

Mark Armstrong
Adam Arnold
Francisco Barrios
Anjo Escher
Oliver Peplowski
Joshua R Read
Kirk Schmidt
Jeff Smithanik
Tim Vollhoffer
Kurt Ward-Theiss

The Calgary Opera Chorus was created in 1972 with the formation of the Calgary Opera Association. It is comprised of people from all walks of life who live in and around Calgary and has been a part of over 100 shows produced by Calgary Opera in its 50+ year history. Choristers have day jobs as lawyers, professors, construction workers, architects, bartenders, librarians, stay-at-home parents, computer technologists, entrepreneurs and include voice students from private teachers, colleges and universities. The first Chorus Director, James Beer, brought many people from the Calgary community into the Chorus — a practice that continues today.

Choristers are expected to read and memorize music, work with foreign languages — French and Italian in particular — and be able to act as well as sing onstage. For each show, Chorus Director Mark Morash holds music rehearsals before the chorus joins staging rehearsals with the stage director. For our choristers with previous experience, the learning curve is still exciting; Chorus members may be placed in a new voice section in the Calgary Opera Chorus, or they're asked to maintain a high musical standard while positioned at all corners (and heights!) of our stage at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.