ANTHONY CLEVERTON Baritone

Last but not least, we are pleased to have ANTHONY CLEVERTON Baritone return and perform at Rosedale! Beware the charming British accent !

British baritone Anthony Cleverton was born in Tunbridge Wells, England. After early years as a treble, he began studying voice at the age of 17 under the guidance of Ann Lampard, with whom he gained experience in the oratorio, operatic and recital repertoire. Anthony was then offered a scholarship place at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where he studied with Patrick McGuigan. Over the course of his studies Anthony won the Alexander Young Prize, the Frederic Cox Award for Singing and the Robin Kay Memorial Prize for Opera Singing, as well as receiving generous funding from the Peter Moores Foundation.

Now based in Canada, operatic engagements for Mr. Cleverton include Falke in Die Fledermaus and Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte, both for Opera York.

This charismatic baritone sang the title role of Don Giovanni for Mid-Wales Opera, Elder McLean in Floyd’s Susannah for English Touring Opera, Don Alfonso in Cosi Fan Tutte for Opera By Definition and Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata for Opéra en Plein Air in Paris and Idée fixe in Belgium. Anthony worked for several seasons with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, where he created the role of Hades in the commissioned work Ghosts by Julian Philips and sang the role of Second Prisoner in Beethoven’s Fidelio.

At Glyndebourne, Anthony also understudied several roles including Achilla in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Ferdinand in Prokofiev’s Betrothal in a Monastery and Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte, which he also performed for Glyndebourne On Tour. He has made several appearances on French television and radio.

Oratorio highlights in Canada for Anthony Cleverton include Charpentier’s Te Deum and Jenkins’ The Armed Man for the Regina Philharmonic Chorus, and concerts with Toronto Choral Society. Other performances include Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle in London’s St. John’s Smith Square, excerpts from Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Tippet’s A Child of our Time in the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.

ZACH FINKELSTEIN Tenor

Rosedale is proud to have young tenor Zach Finkelstein for Love...Actually on Feb 9. (His bio below can be found at www.zachfinkelstein.com)

Recently hailed by Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times as a “compelling tenor,” American-Canadian Zach Finkelstein made his New York City Opera debut in April 2013 as Mambre in Rossini’s Mosè in Egitto, a production dubbed by Tommasini as one of the Top 10 classical events of 2013. In the five years since Zach left his political consulting career, he has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Sadler's Wells, Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the New York City Center.

In the 2013-2014 season, Zach tours Satie's monodrama Socrates- “beautifully sung”, according to the Daily Telegraph- and Beethoven's The Muir in London, UK and Seattle, WA with the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG). Zach will also sing Damon in their coast-to-coast tour of Acis and Galatea with Nic McGegan conducting the Philharmonia Baroque in Berkeley, CA and the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston, MA. Other 2013-2014 engagements include Zach's Chicago debut with Nicholas Kraemer's 'Music of the Baroque'; Arvo Pärt's 'Stabat Mater' with the Art of Time Ensemble in Toronto; Handel's Messiah with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony; Mozart's 'C-Minor Mass' at Seattle's Benaroya Hall with the Northwest Chamber Chorus; and Mozart's 'Coronation Mass' and 'Missa Brevis' with Jordan de Souza's Ottawa Choral Society. As a recitalist, this season Zach will perform five separate programs across North America: in Seattle with Dan Anastasio, Vancouver with Wen Wen Du, Toronto with Rachel Andrist and two programs of Britten music in New York with harpist Tomina Parvanova.

In the 2012-13 season he also toured Socrates and The Muir with the Mark Morris Dance Group in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Purchase, NY, Princeton and Fairfax, VA. Previous MMDG engagements include productions of Stravinsky’s Renard at Lincoln Center and Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts. Other concert engagements in 2012-13 included premieres of new works for tenor and orchestra by Prix de Rome winner Jesse Jones and John Liberatore with the Cornell Festival Orchestra and Rochester Sinfonietta; the Mozart Requiem with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Bach Magnificat and Saint-Saëns' Weihnachtsoratorium with the Toronto Classical Singers, Bach Cantata 60 with Metropolitan Opera conductor Matt Aucoin's 'Encounters Ensemble' in Boston, MA , and Messiahs with both the Ontario Philharmonic and Julian Wachner's Trinity Wall Street in New York at Lincoln Center.

This summer, Zach sang Sir Phillip Wingrave/Narrator in Banff Opera's production of Owen Wingrave, conducted by Guildhall's Dominic Wheeler, and performed Britten art song as a Britten Pears Young Artist in Aldeburgh, UK under the tutelage of Ian Bostridge. A Vocal Fellow for two summers at Tanglewood, he was singled out as a "remarkable tenor" for his performances in Knussen’s Higglety Pigglety Pop! at the Festival of Contemporary Music.

In the media, Zach has performed opera excerpts on CBC's 'Saturday Afternoon at the Opera' as well as Toronto's Classical 96.3 FM. John Terauds, music critic for the Toronto Star, recently profiled Zach as one of Toronto's “great tenors” on MusicalToronto.org. In their Summer 2013 issue, Opera Canada also profiled Zach as an 'Artist On Stage' and have reviewed him previously as a “lovely light tenor”.

Mr. Finkelstein is currently signed with Dean Artists Management and holds an Artist Diploma (Voice) from the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Glenn Gould School in Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Political Science from McGill University, in Montreal. He studies privately with Lorna Macdonald in Toronto, Canada.

LAUREN SEGAL Mezzo-Soprano

On Feb 9, we are honoured and pleased to have LAUREN SEGAL mezzo-soprano join us at ROSEDALE for Love...Actually. (Her bio below can be found at www.laurensegal.com)

South African-Canadian mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal is quickly establishing herself as a young singer to watch. Critics praise her tone for its “gleaming, luscious timbre” (La Scena Musicale) and her operatic interpretations as “absolutely sensational” (Paula Citron), “spectacular” (The Toronto Star) and “alluring, sexy, her voice rich in nuance” (Opera Magazine). Opera News recently praised, "Mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal used her lustrous voice and fine acting ability to convey the Muse's hope and frustration and provided moral grounding for the entire production."

Highlighted regularly during her time with the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, Ms. Segal has most recently returned to the company in a critically acclaimed performance as The Muse/Nicklausse in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Other appearances with the Canadian Opera Company include Aljeja in Janáček’s From The House of The Dead, Sonya in Prokovief’s War and Peace, Diane in Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride, Mercédès in Carmen, Nancy T'Sang in Nixon in China, Dryade in Ariadne auf Naxos, Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte, Popova in Walton’s The Bear, Dritte Magd in Elektra and Siebel in Faust. The singer was the only Canadian to participate in the inaugural Salzburg Festival Young Artist Project.

In the upcoming 2013/14 season, Ms Segal will appear as Meg Page in Falstaff with l’Opéra de Montréal and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Calgary Opera. She will make her debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Mozart’s Coronation Mass as well as with Niagara Symphony in Mahler’s Leider eines fahrenden Gesellen. She will be heard in Bach’s St. Johns Passion with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and with the new series Recitals at Rosedale. She will also participate in the Beakerhead Festival in a concert that celebrates the meeting of science and the arts.

Ms Segal’s 2012/13 season included Maddalena in Rigoletto with both Opera Hamilton and Manitoba Opera, The Muse/Nicklausse/A Voice in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Edmonton Opera, Métella in Offenbach’s La Vie Parisienne with Toronto Operetta Theatre and the title role in Carmen with Saskatoon Opera. Her concert performances included Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Richard Eaton Singers, a gala concert with the Brott Music Festival, recitals with the Canadian Art Song Project and Off Center Salon and a performance with Against the Grain Theatre in Janáček’s The Diary of One who Disappeared.

Highlights of Ms Segal’s 2011/12 season included the title role in Carmen with the Brott Music Festival, a role which she went on to understudy under the baton of Maestro Lorin Maazel with the Fondazione Lirico Sinfonica Petruzzelli e Teatri di Bari. She sang Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Hamilton, The Muse/Nicklausse in Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Diane in Iphigénie en Tauride with the Canadian Opera Company as well as in galas both l’Opéra de Montréal and the Aldeburgh Connection.

Recent seasons have also included Maddalena in l’Opéra de Montréal's Rigoletto, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte for Pacific Opera Victoria and the Canadian Opera Company; Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly with Manitoba Opera and Opera Hamilton; Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus and Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Opera Hamilton as well as Agnese in Bellini’s Beatrice di tenda, Fenena in Nabucco and Smeton in Anna Bolena with Toronto’s Opera in Concert, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro at The Banff Centre and Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito at the Orford Arts Festival.

Equally at home on the concert platform Ms. Segal’s recent concert performances include Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with Orchestra Toronto, Handel’s Messiah with the Vancouver Bach Choir, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Windsor Symphony as well as appearances at the Westben Festival in Schumann’s Frauenliebe und Leben, in recitals with Le FestiVoix de Trois-Rivières and the Aldeburgh Connection in Bayfield, and with the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in Opera under the Stars. Additional concert repertoire performed in seasons past include Handel’s Messiah with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and Victoria Symphony, an Opera Gala performance with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Elijah with Nézet-Séguin and Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal.

In addition to her operatic and concert work, Ms. Segal has been involved in the film industry where her most recent work has resulted in the short film ‘Dalila’ produced by Acquamarina Productions. ‘Dalila’ has been screened at the Chicago International Music and Movies Festival and the Italian Contemporary Film Festival and follows a trilogy of short films also with Acquamarina Productions entitled ‘DESIRE: An Operatic Trilogy’. Inspired by arias from Le Nozze di Figaro, Carmen and Vivaldi’s Bajazet, the three installments of the trilogy - ‘Cherubino’, ‘Carmen’ and ‘Irene’ - have been screened at multiple film festivals including the Palm Springs International Short Fest, the Chicago International Music and Movies Festival where ‘Cherubino’ won a Special Jury Award, The Eugene International Film Festival where ‘Carmen’ and ‘Irene’ won Best Art Short Awards, the 8th Annual Park City Film Music Festival 2011 where ‘Irene’ won multiple awards including the Director’s Choice Award as well as the Nevada City Film Festival, the Female Eye Film Festival, the Delta International Film and Video Festival, the North by Northeast Film Festival and the Sciacca Filmfest.

Lauren Segal is a two-time recipient of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Encouragement Awards. She holds a Master’s of Science degree from the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto.Ms. Segal gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Peter Paul Charitable Foundation.

NATHALIE PAULIN Soprano

On Feb 9, we are honoured to have Nathalie Paulin join us at Recitals at Rosedale for "Love...Actually". Her bio below:

Soprano Nathalie Paulin has established herself in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Far East as an interpretive artist of the very first rank.  Winner of the 2005 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Opera Performance, she has collaborated with internationally renowned conductors including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Sir Roger Norrington, Andrew Parrott, Jonathan Darlington, Hervé Niquet, Richard Bradshaw, Bernard Labadie, Robert Spano, Mario Bernardi, Andrew Litton, on both the concert platform and in opera. As well, critics have been lavish in their praise. Reviewing from the New York Times, Steve Smith noted that "Paulin [sings] with rich tone and compelling emotion.", while Renaud Machart from Paris’ Le Monde writes: “Nathalie Pauiln was impeccable in diction, musicality and style”. Ms. Paulin was featured by L’Opéra de Montréal as Mélisande in PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE, and Norina in DON PASQUALE and in the title role of Handel’s SEMELE for Chicago Opera Theater, Arizone Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria, as well as the title role in MANON for Calgary Opera, Opera de Québec and Opera Lyra Ottawa, including a broadcast on Radio-Canada and CBC of the latter.  She has also been heard as Pamina in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for Vancouver Opera, Antonia in THE TALES OF HOFFMANN and Susanna in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO for Cincinnati Opera, Micaëla in CARMEN FOR Opéra de Québec and Calgary Opera, and The Dallas Opera featured her in THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN, CARMEN and THE MERRY WIDOW.

Ms.  Paulin made her debuts in 2010 with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (Holland) under Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s baton, in 2011 with the Wexford Festival Opera (Ireland), and in 2013 with Bard Summerscape (New York).  Her recent engagements include Mozart’s REQUIEM with Toronto’s Talefmusik as well as with Alberta Ballet (Calgary and Edmonton), David’s LALLA ROUKH for Opera Lafayette (Washington D.C. and New York City), Handel’s MESSIAH in Denver with the Colorado Symphony, Métella in LA VIE PARISIENNE with L’Opéra de Québec, Vivier’s LONELY CHILD for l’Orchestre symphonique de Trois Rivières, and Beethoven’s 9th symphony for Orchestra London.  She was also heard in recital in Dallas, Ottawa and Toronto.

During the season 2013-2014, we will hear Ms. Paulin in Beethoven’s 9th symphony with the Seattle Symphony, in a program entirely devoted to Haydn’s music with Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society, and in the role of Micaëla (CARMEN) with Opera Tampa (Florida), and the title-role in Cavalli’s CALISTO with Cincinnati Opera.

Nathalie Paulin has been teaching voice as well as French Mélodie for undergraduate students and Advenced French Lyric diction for graduate students at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, since 2008.