Coloratura soprano Marie-Claire Fafard-Blais, a native of Gatineau, Québec, Canada, attended the Université de Montréal and earned her Bachelor of Music in voice performance in 2007 with Yolande Parent. In 2009, she obtained a master’s degree in voice performance at the University of Ottawa with mezzo-soprano Sandra Graham. Marie-Claire’s operatic repertoire includes the roles of Noémie (Le testament de la tante Caroline, Roussel), Maria (West Side Story, Bernstein), Despina (Così fan tutte, Mozart), Gabrielle (La vie parisienne, Offenbach), and Loena (La belle Hélène, Offenbach). From 2009 to 2011, she was a chorus member of Opera Lyra Ottawa, singing in Tchaikowsky’s Eugene Onegin, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Verdi’s Macbeth, Massenet’s Manon, Puccini’s Turandot and Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. As well as singing in the chorus, Marie-Claire sang comprimario roles in Macbeth and in Turandot.
Known for her uniquely clear and agile voice, Marie-Claire was a finalist at the Grand Concours de Chant 2008, held by the Franco-American Vocal Academy (FAVA) in Austin, Texas. She was subsequently invited to participate in the 2008 and 2009 FAVA summer programs in France. In June 2010, Marie-Claire performed at OLO’s Italian Garden Party, presented at the Embassy of Italy. She also participated in the Professional Advantage summer opera program in July 2010, covering the role of Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore. During the 2010-2011 season, she sang the roles of Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel and of Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte as a member of Opera Lyra Opera Studio. She also won the studio competition’s Opera Studio Award and the Audience Favourite Award. During summer 2011, she sang the role of Die Königin die Nacht in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in Salzburg, Austria, with the Austrian-American Mozart Academy. Also in 2011, Marie-Claire was invited to sing as a soloist with choirs of the Ottawa-Gatineau region, including Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Dixit Dominus, and Haydn’s Missa Brevis.
Since September 2011, Marie-Claire has been living in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where she is pursuing her career.