The Artist of the Week is Canadian mezzo-soprano Florence Bourget. She will be singing the role of Tisbe in Rossini‘s La Cenerentola with Opéra de Québec from October 25th to November 1st (tickets and info here).
Florence’s versatility extends from baroque to contemporary and opera to chamber music. Favourite operatic roles include Mrs. Grose in The Turn of the Screw, Sesto in La clemenza di Tito and Albertine at 40 years old in Albertine en cinq temps– l’opéra. On the concert stage, she has collaborated with Orchestre Métropolitain, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre Symphonique de Laval and Orchestre Symphonique de Mâcon among others.
This week, Florence shares her love of yoga, cats and the music of Handel. Read on to find out more.
What/who inspired you to sing?
My grandmother. As a little girl you could always find me sitting next to my grandmother when she was rocking and lulling my little sister or one of my cousins. I wanted to sing with her all the time. She insisted to my parents that I had to take singing lessons at age nine and I never stopped.
Favourite place?
I love being close to water. I have the privilege to have access to my family chalet that has its own little beach and dock on the magnificent Lac Saint-Jean, so I would say, my favorite place is the wooden dock of my chalet.
If you weren’t a singer, you’d be..?
An Interior designer. I love decorating spaces. I even took some classes during the pandemic. As a kid, I loved drawing floor plans with all the details of each room.
Top 3 favourite composers?
This is extremely difficult to choose! Firstly, I would say Brahms, because he made me fall in love with the art of singing. I don’t know how many times I listened to the recordings of Christa Ludwig or Anne-Sofie Von Otter singing Brahms Lieder.
I absolutely have a thing for French opera, and Massenet would be my favourite. He is a genius of prosody and vocal lines.
I love baroque music, and in my opinion, as a singer you cannot be indifferent to Handel. Handel has such masterpieces. I am very grateful for his Messiah (it made me tour quite a bit).
Which opera role do you want to be singing right now?
I would love to sing Charlotte in Werther by Massenet. What a beautiful and profound role.
What’s your favourite orchestral instrument? Why?
Every instrument in the orchestra has its place and significance, but I have a thing for the cor anglais. The opera Albertine en cinq temps, by Catherine Major, was written for six singers, one piano, a violin, a cello, a bass and a cor anglais. This instrument has such a profound piercing sound. It is so rich and expressive, when I sing that opera, the sound of the cor anglais inspires me so much. I cannot write about this opera without mentioning who is playing the cor anglais in that project, Elise Poulin, whose playing is astonishing.
What’s your favourite thing about singing with an orchestra?
The colour palette it brings to the music. It helps my inspiration and imagination to flow. Even though an orchestra is imposing, it has something enveloping about it.
Which role do you wish you could sing, but is not in your voice type?
I would say the soprano role of Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare by Handel. I love all the arias of that role. I also have to say Mozart’s Queen of the Night because it rocks so much, especially “O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn”!!!!
Coffee or tea?
I am a coffee snob. During my studies, I had a barista job in the cutest third-wave café, and I really enjoy learning about coffee and making latte art.
What’s your favourite mind-calming practice?
I am a Yogi. It is my way of starting the day. Yoga changed my life. I started it during the pandemic and I never stopped. I loved the process of learning it gently without judgement and made me realize I needed to also be softer with the process of singing. I accepted that it will be a learning experience for singing, yoga and life in general.
What’s the best thing about being an opera artist?
The PEOPLE. Working with wonderful colleagues and performing with them, what a gift! I meet so many amazing humans!
Are you a cat person or dog person?
I love all the animals of the planet and respect them (I’m vegetarian), but I am definitely a cat person! I have a cat named Gédéon, he is a Siberian hypoallergenic cat because I had a lot of allergies and with him I have been able to be a cat mom, a dream! Cats are so mysterious and weird, and that is something I love.
If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
I love birds and one of my favourite birds is the Cormorant. What life would be better than flying, diving and living near the water in communities?
Which TV show did you binge-watch last?
Reservation Dogs. An amazing show that follows the lives of Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma. (You can watch it for free on CBC Gem).
What is one thing that you cannot live without?
I can not live without parmigiano reggiano. I love my pasta with parmesan!
What is one very popular thing that you have no interest in?
Chat GPT or AI. I want to do the things myself and in the respect of human skills.
Who has been inspiring you lately?
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur, for her stance for humanity. This woman is a force of nature.
When was the first time you cried at the opera?
When I was a preteen, I went to see Madama Butterfly by Puccini at Opéra de Québec with my sister and our music school. I cried so loudly and intensely, my sister could not stand me – she was utterly embarrassed.
LEARN MORE ABOUT FLORENCE BOURGET
VISIT HER WEBSITE
© Jessica Latouche
In Carmen at Opéra de Québec (2025)
© Véronique Duplain
In Albertine en cinq temps (2022)
© Gabriel Fournier
Alma Mahler concert with Orchestre Symphonique de Laval (2023)
La Cenerentola
Opéra de Québec
MUSIC DIRECTOR: Jean-Marie Zeitouni
DIRECTOR: Véronika Makdissi-Warren
SET DESIGN: Christian Fontaine
COSTUME DESIGN: Émily Wahlman
LIGHTING DESIGN: Nyco Desmeules
ANGELINA: Camille Sherman
DON RAMIRO: Joseph Doody
DANDINI:Christophe Gay
DON MAGNIFICO: Jean-Luc Ballestra
CLORINDA: Odéi Bilodeau
TISBE: Florence Bourget
ALIDORO: Jean-Philippe Mc Clish
In this sparkling version of Rossini’s opera, the magic lies in the music and true elegance comes from the heart!
La Cenerentola is a dramma giocoso by Gioacchino Rossini, loosely based on the tale of Cinderella by Charles Perreault. Librettist Jacopo Ferreti replaces magic with ingenuity and humor while retaining the universal theme of the triumph of kindness over arrogance. In this joyful drama, rife with misunderstandings and disguises, a ridiculous stepfather replaces the wicked stepmother, and bracelets replace the vair slippers. To interpret the delightful characters of this sparkling work, the Opéra de Québec relies on the talent and flamboyance of great performers such as Jean-Luc Ballestra and Christophe Gay.
The opera was only performed once at the Opéra de Québec, in 1996. Opera lovers will be delighted to rediscover the highly virtuosic score, which combines effervescent ensembles and sparkling vocalizations, in a brilliantly contrasting ensemble with the tender melodies of Don Ramiro and the sweet Angelina.
For her first production at the Opéra de Québec, Véronika Makdissi-Warren brings to life her passion for clowning and unleashes her talent for youth productions with a transposition of Rossini’s La Cenerentola into the bubbling world of fashion. Here, it’s no longer a prince looking for his princess, but rather a haute couture designer in search of his new muse. It’s a proposition that will appeal to young fashionistas as well as fans of marvelous tales of all ages.
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