Emma Battel is soprano from Kingston, Ontario. This fall she will begin her third year of the vocal performance program at Western University where she studies under Patricia Green.
Prior to university, Emma was a 7-year chorister of Cantabile Choirs, sang annually in the Kiwanis Festival and immersed herself in performing through piano, flute and musical theatre. Since then, she has played many roles such as Brenda in Catch Me If You Can, Vivienne in Legally Blonde, and Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Emma also enjoys plays and appeared in a compelling two-person piece: Come Away, Come Away, advancing to the provincial level of the Sears Ontario Drama Festival in 2017. Subsequently, Emma has prepared two annual spring recitals in collaboration with her Western colleague Ellita Gagner.
This summer’s production of Alcina is Emma’s opera debut and she is excited to be bringing the character of Oberto to life on stage with the Halifax Summer Opera Festival.
Zoë Gotziaman just graduated from the University of Manitoba under the tutelage of Tracy Dahl. Zoë’s recent roles include: Hansel Hansel and Gretel (UofM School Tour), Phoebe Yeomen of the Guard (G&S Society of Winnipeg), Venèto The Confused Castrato (Little Opera Company), Nancy in Albert Herring (HSOF), and she has been in the Manitoba Opera Chorus for two seasons. She is so excited return to HSOF and sing her first Handel role!
Sevan Kochkarian is a lyric soprano from Vancouver, BC with “a stunning voice and character” (The Contributor). She studied at the Vancouver Academy of Music under the direction of David Meek for five years with an emphasis in Opera before heading to McGill to continue her degree in Voice Performance studying with Joanne Kolomyjec, specializing in Opera. Opera McGill’s renowned director Patrick Hansen and principal coach Stephen Hargreaves accepted Sevan into their studio her first year at McGill where she was part of the main stage chorus as well as a principal role in Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight! (Dater 13/Pathological Liar). Sevan has been seen performing across Canada in numerous different roles such as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Paquette in Candide, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzances, Mrs.McLean in Susanna and Adina in Elisir d’amore.
Sevan was awarded a scholarship from the Vancouver Opera’s Guild for showing a promising career in the field at the age of 18 for her hard work and dedication to the arts. That same year she won the first place overall in the Kiwanis Music festival for the opera division. Sevan worked with the ARS in giving a benefit concert to help raise money for the orphans of Armenia. She raised $6,000 to build them a school in Artsakh. Last summer Sevan played the role of Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro in Lucca, Tuscany with AEDO. Earlier this summer she workshopped a new opera Much Ado playing the role of Hero with Opera Nuova.
Sean Jordan recently graduated with a Masters in Opera Performance from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, studying under baritone Nathaniel Watson. Having returned to Philadelphia, PA, he will begin auditioning for Young Artist Programs across the United States. He is excited to return to the HSOF, and is honored to portray such an iconic Handelian primo uomo as Ruggiero in Alcina.
Victoria Vass has recently completed a Masters degree in Vocal Performance and Literature from the University of Western Ontario. She has received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario and completed her Bachelor of Music degree at Queen’s University in Kingston. While at Queen’s she performed as Sister Genevieve in Puccini’s Suor Angelica and was featured as a soloist for A Night in Vienna and A Night at the Proms. She performed in Western University Opera’s Carmen as a member of the chorus and performed the role of Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro. Victoria is excited to be in Halifax and perform the role of Alcina!
