The Artist of the Week is Canadian soprano Ariane Cossette. She is one of four Canadian competitors in the Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM). The CMIM is an internationally renowned competition presenting the best classical musicians of the new generation. Twenty-four singers from around the world will compete from May 25th to June 6th in Montreal (tickets and info here).
Ariane is a recent graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio and will be joining the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera this summer. Recent opera credits include Norina in Don Pasquale, Pepik and the Woodpecker in The Cunning Little Vixen, Frasquita in Carmen at the Canadian Opera Company and Micaëla in La tragédie de Carmen at Université de Montréal.
This week, Ariane shares what she is reading, why she loves being an opera artist and her favourite coffee shop. Read on to find out more.
When was your first singing lesson (and with whom)?
I sang in the Petits Chanteurs de Trois-Rivières children’s choir as a kid but my first classical singing lesson was at age 15, with mezzo-soprano Odette Beaupré.
Drink of choice?
Sparkling water.
Heels or flats?
When it comes to singing, always sturdy heels. In my daily life, I am a combat boots girl.
Top 3 favourite composers?
Korngold, Rachmaninov and Poulenc.
Top 3 favourite operas?
Carmen, Macbeth and Pagliacci.
What’s your favourite thing about singing with an orchestra?
What I love most about singing with an orchestra is all the amazing textures and colours you get from the different instruments – it’s like being surrounded by a living, breathing soundscape. It really inspires me to let my true voice come through, without holding anything back. And there’s just something so powerful about that many people coming together to create one piece of music. It feels bigger than any one person – like we’re all part of something really special.
Which role do you wish you could sing, but is not in your voice type?
Easy: Carmen! I am absolutely obsessed with the final Don José-Carmen duet. Gives me chills, every time!
What’s your favourite mind-calming practice?
Walking, especially on a windy or chilly day, always helps me feel more at peace. It helps me regulate my breathing but also be in the present moment by observing what surrounds me.
What’s your favourite movie?
Cinema Paradiso by Giuseppe Tornatore.
What’s your favourite non-classical band?
It would be a tie between First Aid Kit and Bear’s Den.
Where’s your favourite coffee shop?
My most recent favourite coffee shop is Café Aunja, in Montreal. It’s the perfect balance of coziness, calm ambiance, great menu and cute decor.
What’s the best thing about being an opera artist?
Meeting new, amazing colleagues on every project you take part in. I also love how opera is a multidisciplinary form of art. You can always learn about something you might have no knowledge about, like costumes, sets, lighting.
What book are you reading at the moment?
I am always reading a few books at the same time, depending on my mood. Right now, I am really enjoying Bad Cree by Jessica Johns and Babel by R.F. Kuang. I also usually have an audiobook of a romcom or cosy fantasy playing on my daily commute. The last one I truly enjoyed was The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune.
When did you know you wanted to be an opera singer?
I’m the odd one out in my family – no one else is a musician – so as a teenager, the idea of actually studying music wasn’t even on the radar. But then I started private voice lessons, and my teacher casually dropped the “you could really do this professionally” bomb. Total light-bulb moment. From there, it didn’t take me long to make up my mind – I was all in! It felt so logical all of a sudden!
What is one very popular thing that you have no interest in? Team sports like hockey or football. I would much rather go to a concert than to a game.
Are you a perfectionist?
I used to be, and it led me to a very difficult psychological place during my studies. Now, I do my very best and work hard, but I try to have compassion for myself. Perfection doesn’t exist, and I believe it’s the little differences that make a performance interesting!
LEARN MORE ABOUT ARIANE COSSETTE
VISIT HER WEBSITE
© Michael Cooper
As Frasquita in Carmen at the Canadian Opera Company with Alex Hetherington, J’nai Bridges, Jean-Philippe Lazure and Jonah Spungin
© Agostina Prigioni
In concert with the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra
© Dahlia Katz
As Norina in Don Pasquale at the Canadian Opera Company with Korin Thomas-Smith
Voice 2025
Concours musical international de Montréal
Daniel Noyola, Mexico
Hedvig Haugerud, Norway
Fleuranne Brockway, Australia
Ruby Dibble, United States
Karoline Podolak, Canada and Poland
Kresley Figueroa,
United States (Puerto Rico)
Ihor Mostovoi, Canada and Ukraine
Julia Muzychenko-Greenhalgh, Russia
Theodore Platt,
United Kingdom and Russia
Laureano Quant, Colombia
Katerina Burton, United States
Pete Thanapat, Thailand
Ricardo Garcia,
Nicaragua and United States
Valentin Ruckebier, Germany
Sophie Naubert, Canada
Daria Brusova, Russia
Ariane Cossette, Canada
Isabel Weller, Germany
Chanhee Cho, South Korea
Jaeeun Shin, South Korea
Jingjing Xu, China
Junho Hwang, South Korea
Fanny Soyer, France
Yewon Han, South Korea
From May 25 to June 6, 2025, the Concours musical international de Montréal (CMIM) celebrates the art of singing.
For the Voice 2025 edition, the CMIM presents the most exceptional, well-rounded singing artists of the new generation. Discover these young singers, poised to launch a major career on the international stage. Live the emotions of competition and follow the singers as they aim to ascend the steps of the podium.
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Máiri Demings is Opera Canada’s digital content specialist. She’s also a mezzo-soprano who has sung with Tapestry Opera, performs regularly with VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert and Toronto Operetta Theatre, and is one half of duo mezzopiano with pianist Zain Solinski.
