Les Amis Presents The Sopranos: Jonelle Sills & Hannah Crawford

Two operatic sopranos, Jonelle Sills and Hannah Crawford, piano accompaniment Mitchell Cox, perform a Les AMIS concert at TRINITY UNITED CHURCH on SUNDAY AUGUST 20 at 3:00 PM. The Sopranos are Rebanks Scholars and Artists in Residence at Glenn Gould School, Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto.

Jonelle Sills, soprano

Praised for her “...warm, full, elastic tone.” (Schmopera) Canadian soprano Jonelle Sills was named one of York University’s top 30 alumni under 30 for 2022 and in 2020 was one of CBC Music’s classical “30 under 30” performers. Past roles include Mimì, Musetta (La Bohème), Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Micaëla (Carmen). Jonelle is a 2019 Dora award winner for “Outstanding performance of an Ensemble” in Vivier’s Kopernikus with Against the Grain Theatre. She holds an Artist Diploma from The Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University. Jonelle originated the role of Esther in Prestini’s Vavrek and Strassberger’s Silent Light as a Resident artist at Banff Centre’s Opera in the 21st Century Program. Jonelle was recently a member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program at Vancouver Opera for their 2021 and 2022 season. Jonelle believes that her work in opera can have a social and cultural impact and is a mentor with Opera In Reach, a collective of multidisciplinary artists who focus to embody equity, diversity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility to the operatic art form.

Hannah Crawford, soprano Hannah is a recent Voice Performance graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University and is currently based in the Toronto area. Hannah was a recent finalist in the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Competitions and studied at Institute for Young Dramatic voice with Dolora Zajick in 2021 and 2022. Hannah was awarded first place in both the Wilfrid Laurier Concerto Competition and the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra Performers Competition, earning a scholarship and solo performance with each orchestra. Currently, Hannah co-hosts the podcast The Dreaming Divas to inspire her own generation of singers and gain industry knowledge in the opera world.

Repertoire:

Jonelle and Hannah, with piano accompaniment by Mitchell Cox, will sing a program of popular songs from the opera and operetta songbook by well-known and loved composers. composers including Puccini, Offenbach, George Gershwin, Verdi, Massenet, Dvorak, Wagner, Cusson and Emery.

Tickets are $35 plus service fee. Tickets may also be purchased at the door at Trinity on August 20 at 2:30pm.