Hailed by critics for her “ethereal”, “powerful yet lucid”, and “silvery bright” voice, Canadian soprano Ellen Wieser turned heads at the Castleton Festival, where she created the role of Justice Ginsburg in the world premiere of Scalia-Ginsburg. Her commanding stage presence has been described as “tremendous”, “especially compelling”, “vibrant” and “a ray of sunshine”, and has led to operatic and concert engagements with reputed Symphony and Chamber Orchestras and Opera companies across the United States, Canada and Asia. Recent career highlights have included solo appearances at the Jeonju International Sori Festival and with the Korea Union Orchestra in South Korea, a recital tour in the Nagoya region of Japan, Ein Deutches Requiem with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, Steve Reich’s Tehillim with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the roles of Clorinda (Cinderella) and Frasquita (Carmen) with Opera Lyra Ottawa, and Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro) with Montreal’s Opera da Camera. In recital, she recently performed Fauré’s La bonne chanson with piano and string quintet, as well as Hugo Wolf’s complete Italienisches Liederbuch with baritone Alex Dobson and pianist Marc Wieser, at Montréal’s Chapelle Historique du Bon-Pasteur, Barber’s Hermit Songs with pianist Stéphane Lemelin at the Prince Edward County Music Festival and has made repeat appearances at the Music and Beyond Festival in Ottawa, with Juno-nominated harpist Caroline Leonardelli.
World premiere of Matthew Ricketts' "No Masque for Good Measure"
A graduate of the prestigious San Francisco Opera Merola Opera Program, Ms. Wieser has previously appeared in lead and supporting roles with Palm Beach Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Highlands Opera Studio, Les Jeunesses Musicales du Canada, the Pazzia Collective in collaboration with the Cluster New Music and Integrated Arts Festival, the Compagnie Baroque de Mont-Royal, and Opera da Camera. Solo concert highlights have included featured appearances with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Wieser is a two-time laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques (2013 and 2014), and was the recipient of the FIDAPA prize at the 2014 Alcamo International Voice Competition in Sicily.
Backstage with Steve Reich and soloists of "Tehillim"
with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
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Visiting with Ruth Bader Ginsburg following the world premiere of "Scalia-Ginsburg"
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Ellen holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Manitoba, School of Music, and a Masters of Music degree and Artist Diploma from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. A strong advocate for contemporary opera and song literature, her Artist Diploma was dedicated to the research and performance of contemporary Canadian song literature. Ellen maintains working relationships with a number of gifted Canadian and American composers. Recent premieres have included the operas Scalia-Ginsburg by Derrick Wang (Justice Ginsburg), No Masque for Good Measure by Matthew Ricketts (Soprano 1: Messenger/Drag Queen), Meriwether by Jim Lahti (Julia Hancock) and Nessie by Danielle Post (Nessie/Alice), as well as Luna Pearl Woolf’s One to One to One, Isaiah Cecarelli’s Toute clarté m’est obscure, Defora fai sinhes lo finestra, and Da caelo servare, Matthew Ricketts' Song Cycle, Danny Clay’s Children’s Songs, and Jim Lahti’s Three Songs on Poems of Hart Crane. Other recent performances in collaboration with Canadian composers include The Vinedressers by Tobin Stokes (Helena) at Highlands Opera Studio and Tanzer Lieder by Ana Sokolovic at the Prince Edward County Music Festival.
Ellen lives in Montreal, Canada with her husband, cellist Jean-Christophe Lizotte and their daughter Anna Rose. They are excited to be welcoming a new addition to the family in October, 2018!