Pierrette Alarie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierrette Alarie
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| Background information | |
| Born | November 9, 1921 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | July 10, 2011 (aged 89) Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Canadian singer and operatic soprano |
| Years active | 1938–1970 |
Pierrette Alarie (born November 9, 1921 – died July 10, 2011) was a famous French Canadian opera singer. She was a soprano, which means she sang the highest female voice parts. She was especially known as a "coloratura soprano," meaning she could sing very fast, fancy, and high notes. Pierrette was married to another talented singer, the French-Canadian tenor Léopold Simoneau.
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Life as a Singer
Pierrette Alarie was born in Montreal, Quebec. Her father led a choir, and her mother was also a singer and actress. So, music was a big part of her life from the start!
Early Years and Training
Pierrette began studying singing and acting when she was very young. By the age of 9, she was already performing on the radio! First, she acted in shows, and later she sang popular songs. She studied voice with a teacher named Victor Issaurel. In 1938, she made her first big stage appearance in an operetta called The White Horse Inn. She also sang important roles in other operas like La fille du régiment and Mireille.
Later, Pierrette won a special scholarship. This allowed her to go to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. There, she continued to improve her singing skills with a famous teacher named Elisabeth Schumann.
Making it Big: The Metropolitan Opera
Pierrette Alarie won a major competition called the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air. This led to her big debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on December 8, 1945. She sang the role of Oscar in the opera Un ballo in maschera. She performed at the Met for three seasons. During this time, she sang roles like Olympia in Les contes d'Hoffmann and Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail.
Singing with Her Husband
In 1946, Pierrette married Léopold Simoneau, a talented French Canadian tenor. They had met years earlier in Montréal. In 1949, the couple moved to France. Pierrette made her debut at the Opéra Comique in Paris. She sang lead roles in many famous operas. These included Les pêcheurs de perles, Lakmé, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Rigoletto.
Pierrette and Léopold became a very famous singing duo in Europe. They were invited to perform at major music festivals. These included Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg, Glyndebourne, and Edinburgh. They also performed in important opera houses in cities like Vienna and Munich.
Career in North America
Pierrette Alarie also had a very successful career in North America. She performed in operas and gave concerts in cities like San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York City, and New Orleans. A pianist named Gérard Caron often played for her and Léopold during their concerts in the US and Canada.
In Canada, Pierrette was often seen on television. She performed regularly on Radio-Canada and CBC. She also sang with the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto and the Vancouver Opera. Pierrette gave her final performance on November 24, 1970. She sang in Handel's The Messiah with her husband in Montréal.
After Singing
After she stopped performing, Pierrette Alarie became a teacher. She taught at the Ecole Vincent d'Indy in Montréal. Later, she taught at the Banff Centre. In 1982, she and her husband started their own opera company. It was called Canada Opera Piccola and was based in Victoria, British Columbia.
Awards and Honors
Pierrette Alarie received many important awards for her amazing talent:
- In 1959, she won the Calixa-Lavallée Award.
- In 1967, she received the Medal of Service of the Order of Canada. This later became Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1995, she was promoted to Companion, which is the highest level of the Order of Canada.
- In 1997, she was made a Knight of the National Order of Québec.
- In 2003, Ms. Alarie received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award. This award recognized her lifetime of artistic achievement.
Family Life
Pierrette Alarie and Léopold Simoneau had two daughters, named Isabelle and Chantal. Léopold Simoneau passed away in 2006. Pierrette Alarie died in Victoria, British Columbia on July 10, 2011, at the age of 89.
