Mysterium ! Together

Frédéricka Petit-Homme

Montréal-born soprano Frédéricka Petit-Homme is celebrated for the warmth and strength of her full tone. She has distinguished herself as a dynamic and engaging performer. Her recent performances include Tim Brady’s Rise: Personal Pandemic and Backstage at Carnegie Hall as well as Vanishing Point, a new opera by Parisa Sabet and Nika Khanjani. Her musical prowess and collaborative spirit have provided her with opportunities to perform with the city’s premier ensembles, notably l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, l’Opéra de Montréal and Ensemble Obiora, Canada's first orchestra composed mostly of musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Frédéricka holds a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance and a Master of Music degree in conducting, both from McGill University. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Music Education at the Schulich School of Music and is the new host of Choral Concert on CBC Music. An advocate of community music, Miss Petit-Homme is the founder of Nigra Sum, a cultural organization promoting afro-centric choral performance.

Anne-Rose Cupidon

Anne-Rose Cupidon’s passion for dance led her to begin dancing when she was 21, at DMA, where she has now been teaching for several years. She completed her DEC in dance at Collège Montmorency and has taken part in a number of major shows, including Le Bodyguard, Rock of Ages, Aïda, Marie Mai, Célébration, Shéhérazade, Famous, Cabaret Burlesque, Génération Motown, and many others. She has begun to appear on television, and she recently developed a new passion: singing. For Anne-Rose, it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.

Marie-Cécile Dietlin is a French filmmaker and video artist. Her images have been broadcast by CBC, APTN, Canal D, Canal Vie, TVA, VOX TV and Canal Évasion as well as at film festivals. She has worked as a television producer and as director of photography for various projects related to Indigenous issues (APTN, CBC, Wapikoni). Dietlin is a versatile artist who has also worked on documentary films abroad. In recent years, she has produced, filmed and edited more than 250 music videos with emerging classical musicians across Canada. A trilingual filmmaker, Dietlin has a passion for true stories, as well as for social justice, the arts, the environment, health and Indigenous cultures. Her goal is to use film as a transformational tool in raising global consciousness.

Nigra Sum is a cultural organization promoting access to Afro-descendant vocal performance. The ensemble debuted in August 2022 with a Gospel music workshop, thanks to generous support from the Schulich School of Music’s Community Engagement Program. This February, Nigra Sum collaborated with Julien Proulx and the members of the Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville on Du jazz au gospel, an event in the Causeries musicale Soprema series. Nigra Sum is thrilled to collaborate with Ensemble Caprice and Ensemble ArtChoral as part of the Montreal Baroque Festival.

Ensemble Caprice

Ensemble Caprice was founded by acclaimed conductor and recorder soloist Matthias Maute and has become known for its innovative and adventurous approach to an increasingly expanding musical repertoire. In addition to its series of concerts in Montreal, the group tours extensively, giving dozens of concerts in Quebec, Canada, the USA, Europe, Asia and Africa. This remarkable touring schedule has established Ensemble Caprice as a very important baroque ensemble on the present day musical scene. In November of 2009, the New York Times published a lengthy article hailing the musicians’ innovative and refreshing approach, praising them as “imaginative and powerful; and the playing is top-flight.”

Ensemble vocal Arts-Québec

Ensemble ArtChoral is a professional choir steeped in the grand tradition of choral music in Québec. After almost 40 years under the baton of founder Yves Courville, the choir appointed Matthias Maute as its new music director. The Ensemble has since performed extensively across Quebec and Canada, including notable appearances at the Montréal Baroque Festival and the Music and Beyond festival in Ottawa. Since its inception, Ensemble ArtChoral has been bringing masterpieces from the choir and orchestra repertoire to life. After several highly successful performances of Handel’s oratorio The Triumph of Time and Truth, the choir took part in Ensemble Caprice’s 30th-anniversary celebration, singing Bach’s B Minor Mass in Bourgie Hall. Since 2018, the choir’s frequent collaborations with Caprice have led them to perform in Saint-Jérôme, Saint-Jean-sur- Richelieu, Terrebonne, Westmount and Montreal. On one recent tour, the Ensemble presented Handel’s Messiah in numerous locations across Québec.