Vera Causa Opera is proud to announce three cast members for our April production of The Italian Girl in Algiers by Gioachino Rossini.
Katerina Utochkina as Isabella
Russian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Katerina Utochkina is scheduled to appear as Isabella in L’Italiana in Algeri with Vera Causa Opera in Cambridge and Waterloo in April 2018, the role she has just recently understudied at MYOpera in Toronto. Ms Utochkina has recently made her Newmarket Theatre debut with a solo recital as apart of The Young Artists’ Showcase, as well as performed the roles of La Marquise de Berkenfield in La Fille du Regiment and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Vera Causa Opera (Kitchener and Cambridge, ON), and covered the role of Mercédès in Carmen with the Brott Opera Festival in Hamilton, ON. She has made her professional debut in 2015 in the role of Gretchen (The StudentPrince) with the Toronto Operetta Theatre. Other credits include with Vera Causa Opera, Zita in Gianni Schicchi and Sour Osmina in Suor Angelica with the Halifax Summer Opera Festival, Larina in Eugene Onegin with “Troyka, Semerka, Tuz”, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Erika in Vanessa with Summer Opera Lyric Theatre. Ms Utochkina is a graduate of the Performance Diploma Program at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music, where she has also performed in a number of opera productions, appearing as La Mere Michele in Le Laureat, Third Model in The Silent Serenade and The Innkeeper’s Wife in The Cunning Little Vixen. Apart from operas Ms Utochkina has also performed solo recitals in Mazzoleni Hall and was a recipient of The Karen Dart Vocal Scholarship and The Deanna Prezio Scholarship at The Glenn Gould School for the 2014/2015 academic year.
Grace Quinsey as Zulma
Grace Quinsey is delighted to be making her VCO debut as Zulma in L'italiana in Algeri. She has most recently performed the roles of Helen and Robin (A Northern Lights Dream, Michael Rose) and Alice (Night Blooming Cereus, John Beckwith), with the Summer Lyric Opera Theatre. This past year Grace joined the Toronto Operetta Theatre for their productions of Candide and The Chocolate Soldier. She is part of Opera In Concert’s chorus, performing as a soloist in their Chorus Fire production and their Shakespeare 400 Benefit Concert. She played Zerlina in Don Giovanni with the Connecticut Lyric Opera Company in Greve in Chianti. In addition to her operatic experience, Grace has performed in many Gilbert and Sullivan operettas: Josephine (HMS Pinafore), Patience (Patience), Julia (The Grand Duke), and Casilda (The Gondoliers). She has a comprehensive Cecchetti ballet background and a distinguished record of success in competitions for classical voice and ballet. Grace has been noted for her unique characterization, stage presence, and dramatic capabilities on stage as well as her vocal quality and ease of direction. She is a recent UofT gradaute, and when not on stage, Grace works as a software developer. Next up, you can catch Grace as Norina in Don Pasquale with Opera By Request this upcoming April and as Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte with Summer Opera Lyric Theatre this summer.
Domenico Sanfilippo as Mustafa
Baritone Domenico Sanfilippo has received many positive reviews from esteemed critics such as his voice teacher, his wife and his mom. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Queen's University and an ARCT diploma in voice performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Domenico has appeared on stage with Chorus Hamilton, Toronto Operetta Theatre, Voicebox: Opera in Concert, the Halifax Summer Opera Festival, Summer Opera Lyric Theatre, Accademia Europea dell'Opera and the Brott Music Festival. He continues his vocal studies at the studio of Maria Vetere. Domenico would like to thank Vera Causa Opera for letting him be a part of this wonderful production.