Whether at the undergraduate or graduate level, the Faculty of Music offers training in classical singing that is unique in Canada.

The development of vocal skills and attentive individual coaching, deeply human and sustained, lie at the heart of this training. This vocal and musical preparation is accompanied by specialized courses, including:

• Lyric diction in French, English, German and Italian
• Knowledge of styles and the great vocal repertoire
• Acting

Students will thus be able to incorporate a practical and theoretical knowledge that mixes tradition and modernity, exploring different styles and repertoires: from baroque opera to the premieres of contemporary works by way of art song and opera.

The Faculty of Music is the largest French-language music-education institution in North America. One of our missions involves the study and performance of vocal music in French, in addition to its promotion and development. The team of teachers in classical singing is globally recognized in this field and is regularly consulted by the world’s great opera houses.

The Université de Montréal Atelier d’opéra is a key element in the classical singing training offered at the Faculty of Music. The production of operas enables students to enjoy an enriching academic experience in professional conditions.

Staged by well-known directors and relying on a team of seasoned designers, these opera productions are critically acclaimed. Benefiting from the outstanding acoustics in Salle Claude-Champagne, they are the result of a collaborative effort with the Orchestre de l’Université de Montréal, under the direction of Jean-François Rivest, and the Atelier de musique baroque, under the direction of Luc Beauséjour. And add to these productions the importance of contemporary creation, which includes an interdisciplinary project initiated by composer Ana Sokolovic.

In residence at the Faculty of Music since 2003, the Institut canadien d’art vocal (ICAV), affiliated with the International Vocal Arts Institute, allows young artists to take an advanced course with masters who appear at prestigious institutions like the Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala in Milan and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London. This partnership raises awareness of our students around the world.

The presence of our graduates on the international scene is a tribute to the quality of our training in classical singing. Julie Boulianne, Frédéric Antoun, Layla Claire, Marianne Lambert, Nathalie Paulin, Marc Boucher, Mireille Lebel, Antonio Figueroa, Noëlla Huet and Caroline Bleau are just some of the names that appear in casts at the greatest opera houses.

The Faculty of Music regularly hosts prominent teacher-performers to lead masterclasses made possible thanks to philanthropic funds. José van Dam, Françoise Pollet, Dalton Baldwin, François Le Roux, Christian Immler, Liz Upchurch, Lena Hellström-Färnlöf, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, David Lutz, Graham Johnson and Malcolm Martineau are among the luminaries with whom our students have had the privilege of doing advanced studies.