Concert of Carols

Soprano Pascale Brigitte Boilard is an artist renowned for her great versatility, her magnificent voice with impressive high notes, her musicality, and her remarkable performance, full of subtlety and humor (atuvu.ca). Her dedication and the sense of closeness she creates with her listeners make her a well-loved and sought-after performer. 

The first Canadian finalist of the Handel Aria Competition in the United States, she was awarded the First Prize for Dramatic Interpretation at the Vivonne Competition in France. It was in Paris that Pascale Brigitte was invited to sing Princess Laoula in Chabrier’s L’Étoile and the Blue Fairy in Péruchon’s contemporary opera Pinocchio. A committed chamber musician, she can be heard performing works by little-known women composers alongside pianists Juan David Mora (Colombia) and Chloé Dumoulin (Canada). 

A cantor at the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal since 2022, Pascale Brigitte holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Music, completing the final year of her master’s studies in France at the Conservatoire de Boulogne in Paris. 

Originally from Chicoutimi, Martin Boucher is an organist and the coordinator of musical liturgy at the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal. He is also a close musical collaborator at Saint-Martin Parish in Laval and with the Frères des écoles Chrétiennes du Canada. 

He studied organ at the Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay with Robert P. Girard, then at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal with Gaston Arel and Jean Le Buis. He furthered his training with Mireille and Bernard Lagacé and, more notably, with the late Kenneth Gilbert. Winner of the First Prize in Organ Performance, unanimously awarded by the jury of the Conservatoire de musique du Québec, and a graduate of the Pontifical Lateran University, he has given numerous recitals in Quebec and Europe, and has taken part in many concerts with various ensembles, including I Musici de Montréal and the Orchestre de la Francophonie. For the past ten years, he has also been an organ teacher at the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean Music Camp. 

Recognized for her warm vocal timbre and remarkable stage presence, Sasha Djihanian leads a career as a soloist and performs on prestigious international stages across Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. Barely graduated from the Conservatory and recipient of a First Prize with Highest Distinction, Sasha was selected to represent Canada at the renowned Cardiff Singer of the World competition and became a finalist in the Metropolitan Opera competition. Soon after, she won First Prize in the Canadian Opera Company competition, earning her a place in the Ensemble, the company’s young artists program. 

Since then, Ms. Djihanian has worked as a soloist with renowned conductors such as Lorin Maazel and Seiji Ozawa. Her repertoire includes roles at the Opéra de Reims and the Opéra de Massy (Fiordiligi), at the Teatro Petruzzelli and the Castleton Festival (Micaëla), at Vancouver Opera (Valencienne), at the Canadian Opera Company (Zerlina, Barbarina, Frasquita, Annio), at Opéra Lyra (Susanna), and at Manitoba Opera and Hamilton Opera (Nannetta). 

Originally from Montmagny, Martin Dubé is a pianist and vocal coach of international renown. A graduate of Université Laval, McGill University, and the Manhattan School of Music, he furthered his studies with the renowned Warren Jones. He has collaborated with prominent artists, including mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux, and has performed recitals at Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall, and Steinway Hall, as well as recorded a Rossini-focused album at Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh. 

As a répétiteur and harpsichordist for Così fan tutte at San Diego Opera, he has also accompanied masterclasses by legendary artists such as Marilyn Horne, Leontyne Price, and Renata Scotto. He was a coach at the Juilliard School from 1997 to 2000 and at the Atelier lyrique of the Opéra de Montréal. Today, he teaches at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec and serves as co-artistic director of the Société de musique de chambre de Québec. A highly sought-after musician, Martin Dubé is one of the most in-demand accompanists and coaches for professional singers. 

Soprano Catherine St-Arnaud, known for her velvety timbre and sparkling performance style, captivates audiences on Canadian and international stages with her expressiveness and magnetic presence. She has recently performed in L’elisir d’amore at the National Kaohsiung Arts Center (Taiwan), Carmina Burana with the Oregon Symphony, and in the creation of the role of Albertine at 30 in Albertine en cinq temps – l’opéra, presented at Théâtre du Rideau Vert and on tour throughout Quebec. She will soon be heard at the Canadian Opera Company in the role of Amore (Orfeo ed Euridice). 

She has collaborated with the Orchestre Métropolitain, Ensemble Caprice, Festival Bach Montréal, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, under the direction of conductors such as Nicolas Ellis, Hervé Niquet, and Luc Beauséjour.