Suzie LeBlanc
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Suzie LeBlanc (born in Edmunston New Brunswick,1961 ) is a Canadian soprano and early music specialist, who has enjoyed an active international career performing in concerts throughout Europe, North America and Japan, in repertory ranging from lute songs to chamber music to oratorio and early opera. A music critic from London's The Listener had this to say about Suzie LeBlanc’s debut at the Wigmore Hall: "I must listen to more early music, especially when this lady is singing it."
Suzie LeBlanc has established a very distinguished career in 17th and 18th century repertoire. In addition to her work with Ensemble Tragicomedia, LeBlanc forms a duo with lutenist Stephen Stubbs and is a frequent guest for concerts and recordings with the Purcell Quartet, the Parley of Instruments, Red Byrd, the Freiburger Barockorchester, Fretwork, Les Voix Humaines, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Teatro Lirico, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Musica Antiqua Köln, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, and Les Violons du Roy.
Her appearances in early opera productions have included Monteverdi's L'Orfeo with De Nederlandse Opera, Purcell's King Arthur at the Boston Early Music Festival, Blow's Venus and Adonis with Opera-Atelier (Toronto) and Bononcini's Amore Doppio at the Musikfestspiele in Potsdam.
Suzie received grants from the Canada Council and Quebec’s Ministère des affaires culturelles.
Other engagements have included Bach Cantatas in London (Spittalfields Festival), a recital of Mozart and Haydn arias at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Mozart’s Requiem in Portland, a tour of Australia with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Monteverdi’s Orfeo for Festival Vancouver, a recital of Bach and Mozart with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and festival appearances at the Berkeley Festival and the Festival en Lumière de Montréal.
Opera roles include Poppea in L’Incoronazione di Poppea at the Opéra de Montréal, Clori in Handel’s Clori, Tirsi & Fileno in Halle, La Musica and Euridice in Monteverdi’s Orfeo in Vienna, Stuttgart and Tokyo, and Drusilla in L’Incoronazione di Poppea at the Malmö Festival . Suzie LeBlanc is artistic director of the newly founded “Académie Baroque de Montréal” with colleagues Alexander Weimann, Guillaume Bernardi and Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière.
LeBlanc frequently performs and records with countertenor Daniel Taylor.
[edit] Quotes
- "Suzie LeBlanc has a superb ability to take the wonderfully pure sound she can make, and over which she has consummate control, and wrap it in something luscious and special before giving it to you…"
- Sydney Morning Herald
- “LeBlanc’s singing is an ingratiating delight throughout... this may become the definitive reading of Mozart“s songs.” — from James Manheim’s review on allmusic.com of the ATMA recording of Mozart Lieder by Suzie LeBlanc and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
