Bel canto, bel canto, bel canto!

Backstage of Norma with Patricia Westley

Here we are at the end of summer! These past few months were blissfully full of music making: just the right balance of work, family visits, and rest that made for both a stimulating and restorative season. Since the old trope of “feast or famine” is absolutely true in this profession, I am beyond grateful to have enjoyed such a steady work and life balance this time around. ☺️☺️☺️

The final two contracts of the summer, which bled into the opening of the 2025/26 season, included two bel canto role debuts: Adalgisa in Norma (Bellini) and Ugo D’Asti in Dalinda (Donizetti).

In stark contrast to my previous blog posts about Monteverdi and Handel, where I often battle being self conscious and timid, bel canto is where I feel most alive as a singer. Singing long, flowing lines and shaping the text within them feels natural and exhilarating.

When I received the offer to sing Adalgisa with Bühnen Bern, I was over the moon. Adalgisa has long been a dream role. After performing Romeo in Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi this past winter, I knew it would be an excellent fit. The role fit my voice almost immediately. Some roles can take a month or two to settle in, but Adalgisa felt comfortable right away. Perhaps this is a combination of experience and vocal development, but I have not felt this confident since preparing Sara in Roberto Devereux.

When I arrived for music rehearsals, I was delighted to meet my conductor for both Norma and Dalinda, Andrea Sanguneti, who clearly knows bel canto inside and out. Working with someone so attuned to singers was a gift for these debuts. The incredible Nobulelo Yende was my Norma. We had met at Cardiff Singer of the World in 2023, and I was already a big fan. To see her thrive in such a monumental role was pure joy. Next came tenor Joseph Dahdah. I admit I did not know him before this contract, and then he started singing… I was blown away: his voice is world class, and he delivers text with both clarity and sincerity. I was a happy little mezzo! To top it off, my dear friend Patricia Westley, whom I met at Merola in 2018, was also in the cast. All in all, the vibes were fantastic.

Associated with Bühnen Bern and playing for this concert was the period orchestra La Banda Storica. Their tuning was at 430 Hz, which always feels a little odd in the voice at first, but what a luxury it was to sing with such extraordinary musicians (who are, unequivocally, massive music nerds like me). 1000% love! ❤️❤️

This performance was sheer joy. I absolutely love singing bel canto, and sharing it with such an encouraging audience made it even more special. Bern itself was a lovely city to spend time in. I felt connected to my Swiss roots, explored the historic architecture, and soaked in the mountain views, while my dog Tanji enjoyed every park we came across.

Post-performance picture after Dalinda

After a week off, I headed to Amsterdam to begin rehearsals for NTR ZaterdagMatinee with the Radio Symphony Orchestra at Concertgebouw. We rehearsed in Hilversum: a peaceful little suburb gave the perfect energy to work on Dalinda. I joined as a replacement, but thankfully had enough time to prepare. My role, Ugo D’Asti (de caliss de tabarnak!), sat much lower than many of the roles I usually sing. It felt like a minor risk, but I am so glad I took it on. Strengthening my chest voice and exploring new colors in the lower range was deeply satisfying.

Lidia Friedman was in the title role. The role of Dalinda is incredibly demanding, with high stamina and great vocal challenges. To hear Lidia sing it was breathtaking. Her voice has incredible depth, and her technique is flawless from top to bottom. Again, we had a fantastic team all around. 🥰

This gig also reunited me with fellow Canadian Lucas van Lierop, with whom I worked on a touring children’s opera thirteen years ago with Vancouver Opera. It was our first time working together since then, which brought me so much joy to share memories and stories. I absolutely love collaborating with my fellow Canadians! 🍁

For the dress rehearsal, we moved into the Concertgebouw, which made the experience even more emotional. My parents, both musicians, once lived in Amsterdam and dreamed of performing in that hall. When I told them I would be debuting there, they lit up with excitement more than any other venue I have sung in so far! Standing on that stage during the dress rehearsal, I felt a deep sense of accomplishment. To sing in this historic hall, with this cast and this orchestra, was surreal. The moment was even more powerful when I walked out to a nearly sold out Saturday matinee audience.

We wrapped up the evening with some Italian cast members and the Canadian contingent, enjoying pizza at an Italian restaurant. At some point, we were outed as opera singers, and the whole place turned into an operatic karaoke party with everyone singing and dancing. I am sure the tourist couple from Michigan had a much more cultural night out than they expected.

All in all, working on these two bel canto operas was an absolute joy. It always feels good to sing, but especially when working with conductors who understand and respect the voice and where it needs to go. All while working with excellent cast members that I look up to greatly.

Now off to Hamburg for rehearsals of Così fan tutte!

- Simone ❤️❤️❤️