Karina Gauvin, three-time GRAMMY Award-nominated Canadian soprano, has been named the inaugural collaborative Artist in Residence for Mécénat Musica.
Gauvin, whose 50+ recordings and acclaimed interpretation of Baroque opera have earned her international renown, has an established history with Mécénat Musica, a cultural program that supports arts donors and facilitates sustainable contributions to music, culture, and health. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gauvin gave five outdoor concerts as part of Mécénat Musica’s outreach programs; to date, she has performed with 21 of Mécenat’s grant recipients, including Jeunesses Musicales Canada and Orchestre Métropolitain.
“As collaborative Artist in Residence Ms. Gauvin will be performing with Mécénat Musica organizations and is also a donor under the Mécénat Musica program to keep culture healthy, in perpetuity, for generations to come,” states a Mécenat press release.
Canadian soprano Karina Gauvin. Photo: Julien Faugère.
Gauvin is also a 2017 Opera Canada Rubies Awards Honouree. “I’ve never thought in terms of three or five-year career plans, mine has always been a more organic vision of my craft, of my artistic life,” she told Opera Canada ahead of the 2017 Rubies. “It is a life-long journey. I’ve lived through a number of personal difficulties that helped me understand, discover and learn much more about myself.”
Gauvin’s mandate for her residency is to increase her collaborations with Mécénat Musica organizations. Already scheduled are performances with Ensemble Caprice, Ensemble Vocal Arts-Québec, Aramusique, and Orchestre classique de Montréal.
Jenna is the editor and co-creator of Schmopera. She also writes for The Globe and Mail and Opera Canada. She’s a pianist and vocal coach, and working with singers is how she fell in love with opera.
