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Under Cover: Marie-Josée Lord

Haitian-born Montreal soprano Marie-Josée Lord studied in Italy, took master classes with Edouardo Müller, made her professional debut at the Vancouver Opera as High Priestess Aida in 2002, and wowed audiences as Mimi in L'Opéra de Montréal's 2004 production of La Bohème. Then Lord's career really took off when she sang with Italian tenor Salvatore Licitra, widely hailed as the heir to Luciano Pavarotti, and starred in the symphonic version of Luc Plamondon's rock opera Starmania with the Montreal Symphonic Orchestra in Montreal and Paris in 2005, the same year she was among the privileged few to compete in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2005 competition. It was there at Cardiff that the world also noticed Lord as also a world-class beauty.

"I don't like reading thick books, but I do enjoy biographies. Right now I'm reading the 1940 autobiography of [the late French mezzo-soprano diva] Emma Calvé, called Sous tous les ciels, j'ai chanté [I've Sung Under Every Sky]. It describes her 'arrival' in Europe and her first singing courses. Her book allows me to observe the life of a young woman achieving international stardom. It's a way for me to see what happens."

Marie-Josée Lord performs arias by Handel, Puccini, Verdi, Gounod and Gershwin VW Scroll Crash with L'Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal as part of the 42nd season of Les Concerts populaires de Montréal, July 26 at Centre Pierre-Charbonneau (3000 Viau). Surf to www.orgueetcouleurs.com.