Vera Causa Opera is excited to announce the cast members for our November production of The Fairies (Le Villi) by Giacomo Puccini.
Philip Klaassen as Roberto
Saskatchewan-born tenor Philip Klaassen has performed as a chorus member with Saskatoon Opera and Manitoba Opera for productions such as La Boheme, Carmen, Rigoletto and Madama Butterfly. He has also performed roles with the Saskatoon Opera in Schools Tour in productions of The Magic Flute, The Brothers Grimm and The Barber of Seville and made his mainstage debut in 2014 as First Armoured Man in The Magic Flute. In 2017, Philip performed the role of Don Jose as a guest artist in the uOttawa production of Carmen and took part in the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Italy as Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi. Recently, Philip performed as tenor soloist with the University of Ottawa Chorus for Mozart's Requiem and Orff's Carmina Burana as well as Dvorak's Mass in D with the Nepean Choir. Upcoming engagements include the role of Don Ottavio in the uOttawa production of Don Giovanni. He studies privately with Laurence Ewashko.
Jorge Trabanco as Guglielmo
Brazilian lyric baritone, winner of the 12th Maria Callas (2014) and the 7th Carlos Gomes (2015) International Singing competitions, Jorge Trabanco stands out for his scenic and vocal performances, having already performed main roles in many Operas, Oratorios and Masses in Canada, United States, Italy and Brazil, including Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), Count (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) by Mozart, Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi) and Sharpless (Madama Butterfly) by Puccini, Danilo (The Merry Widow) by Lehar, Dandini (Cenerentola) by Rossini, Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, The Messiah by G. F. Handel, The Creation by Haydn, Elijah by Mendelssohn, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Mass in C Major and Schubert’s Mass in
B-flat Major.
Currently studying with the Canadian baritone Theodore Baerg as a Doctoral candidate at Western University of Ontario, Jorge earned his Master's degree from Georgia State University (Atlanta, US) and worked as a Voice and Vocal Pedagogy Teacher while conducting and directing the University’s Choir at the Nazarene University of Brazil for the past 6 years.
Allison Walmsley as Anna
Allison Walmsley is a Toronto-based soprano acclaimed for her “extensive upper register and resonate bottom” and is known to be a “natural and alluring actress” -Ludwig van Toronto. She is very excited to be jointing Vera Causa Opera as their featured artist for their 2018/2019 season. Hailing from Saskatoon, SK, she completed her Bachelor’s degree in voice performance at the U of S with Dr. Garry Gable and Kathleen Lohrenz Gable. Allison received her Master’s Degree in Voice Performance at Western University, under soprano Jackalyn Short, with whom she continues to study. She is a frequent participator in competitions, festivals, and other young artist opportunities including Gordon Wallis Opera competition (1st place), the CFMTA Young Artist competition (1st Place), the Toronto Mozart Competition (finalist), and the MYOpera intensive training weekend. Some of her opera roles include Adina (L’Elisir d’amore), Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute) with Opera Kelowna, Morgana (Alcina), Nanetta (Falstaff), Cat in Saskatoon Opera’s (The Bremen Town Musicians) and Emily (Our Town). This past summer, Allison has had the pleasure of performing two new works in VCO’s Canadian Opera Fest as Kate in The Covenant and Luna in Padajuča Zvijezda as well as participating in the Ukrainian Art Song Institute’s week-long intensive. In addition to opera, oratorio and concert work is a passion of Allison’s, and she particularly enjoyed understudying Haydn’s Creation this past year with Pax Christi Chorale, as well as putting together a recital with friends in March. In the year to come she looks forward to performing as soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the SSO, and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the North York Concert Orchestra and understudying Monica in The Medium with White Mills Theatre Co.