conductor/composer
Berlin-based Canadian conductor Vanessa Chartrand-Rodrigue is a 2020 Opera Awards Foundation bursary recipient and scholarship holder from the Royal Philharmonic Society of London. From her rich background as a classical singer and viola da Gamba player, her conducting encompasses symphonic works, contemporary music, baroque music and opera.
Vanessa has worked with …
- Orchestre National d’Auvergne
- Royal Opera House of London ( assistant to Vladimir Jurowski)
- Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra
- Berlin Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra ( un. Assistant to Vladimir Jurowski)
- Kiev Symphony Orchestra
- Chamber Orchestra of Cascais ( Portugal)
- Ensemble UnitedBerlin
- Zafrann Ensemble
- Mosaik Ensemble
- Chroma Ensemble
- Phoenix16
Opera conducted
- Carmen – G.Bizet
- Don Giovanni – W.A.Mozart
- Les Contes d’Hoffmann – J. Offenbach
- Le Nozze di Figaro – W.A.Mozart
- Orlando -G.F. Haendel
- L’elisir d’amore – G.Donizetti
- The Fairy Queen – H.Purcell
and she has performed at many Festivals including:
- MärzMusik,
- MIKROMUSIK Festival for Experimental music and sound art
- ULTRASCHALL Festival
- Documenta 14
- Ruhrfestspielhaus Recklinghausen
- Duisburger Akzente
LONG BIOGRAPHY
Vanessa recently debuted in France with the Orchestre National d’Auvergne in a program of 20th century music with soloist Romain Leleu, performed at the Auditorium de Bordeaux. She also enchanted the public in her rendition of Mendelssohn’s 4th Symphony with the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra. She most recently worked as assistant conductor to Vladimir Jurowski at the London Royal Opera House’s in a production of Jenufa, and with the Berlin Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra on works by Mahler, Beethoven, Zemlinksy, Schubert and Mozart.
in 2021, she conducted the Kiev Symphony Orchestra in a beautiful program of Debussy, Stravinsky and Bartok. And she thrilled the members of the Chamber Orchestra of Cascais the following month when working with them on Hadyn’s Symphony No.74 and Mozart Oboe concerto K314.
Vanessa counts among her conducting mentors Vladimir Jurowski and Jessica Cottis. She has worked as well with Luigi Gaggero, Hervé Niquet, Jay Bernfeld, Skip Sempé, and has coached with Alexander Schmalcz, Michael McMahon, Rainer Mühlbach, Falk Struckmann, Xenia Meijer.
Furthermore, Vanessa conducted the world premiere of New York composer Lisa Bielawa’s Mauer Broadcast for double choruses, ensemble and soloist for the Berlin wall celebration at the Berlin Brandenburger Tor.
Vanessa has collaborated as a conductor and singer with renowned ensembles including Ensemble UnitedBerlin, Zafrann Ensemble, Mosaik Ensemble, Chroma Ensemble, Phoenix16, DELTA Ensemble (France), Michaelis Consort, and performed at major contemporary music festivals such as MärzMusik, MIKROMUSIK Festival for Experimental music and sound art, ULTRASCHALL Festival, Documenta 14, Ruhrfestspielhaus Recklinghausen, and Duisburger Akzente.
She graduated with honours from McGill University in voice. Thereafter, she attended a Master’s degree in viola da Gamba at the Université de Montréal before moving to Germany to pursue her operatic studies with Ks. Jeanne Piland. She has sang the roles of Carmen, Giulio Cesare (Portugal) , Ciesca ( Deutsche Oper am Rhein), Cherubino (Barcelona Opera Studio), Hänsel, Dorabella, Medoro, Hermia, Nicklaus. She also sang the solo parts of Mahler ‘s Symphony no4, Mozart’s Requiem, Saint-Seans’ Oratorio, and Monteverdi’s Beatus Vir.
She is the Musical Director and founder of OpusXX Orchestra, a new Berlin based Ensemble focusing on the revival of works by women composers.
Vanessa Chartrand-Rodrigue conducts an eclectic and challenging program with precision and musicality. She manœuvres with ease going from the avant-gardism of the Ezercizi from Morricone, to the rich colours of Nino Rota’s Concerto per archi, all while accompanying the soloist, Romain Leleu, with mastery and finesse in the Concertino pour trompette from G. Delerue.
Benoit Daldin
Artistic Director, Festival ciné-notes Opera National de Bordeaux