Vancouver Opera is thrilled to welcome new and returning participants of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program for 2026/27. Among those selected for the program is Michal Aloni. She, Callum Alden and Cecilia NguyenTran will join returning artists Marianne Bertrand, Julia LoRusso and Mihnea Nitu for a year of mentorship and training with leading Vancouver Opera artists and facilitators.
Launched in 2012 – and made possible through a generous donation by the family of Yulanda M. Faris – this residency functions as a bridge between formal education and the professional opera world. Emerging singers, pianists and stage directors receive one-on-one coaching, attend masterclasses and are offered performance opportunities. The program is led by director Leslie Dala and principal coach Tina Chang, with invited guest opera professionals like Judith Forst, Carol Isaac and Daniel Okulitch providing mentorship to participants.
This year, two young artists will perform in Vancouver Opera’s season-opening production of Puccini’s Tosca. Nitu (Sciarrone) and Alden (Spoletta) will join principal artists under the direction of Brenna Corner, who is herself an alum of the Young Artist Program. This winter, Bertrand will join principal artists in The Barber of Seville as Berta. In the spring, Alden (Gastone de Letorières), Bertrand (Flora Bervoix), LoRusso (Annina) and Nitu (Baron Douphol) join the cast of La Traviata on the Queen Elizabeth Theatre stage.
Aloni is a singer and stage director noted for her dramatic sensitivity and interdisciplinary approach. Recent engagements include Chants Libres, People Watching, the Canadian Opera Company and Opéra de Montréal. In 2026, she earned a diploma in stage directing at McGill University, participated in an observership at the Royal Opera House (in the United Kingdom) and joined Opera 5 as a portfolio artist. Aloni holds voice performance degrees from Western University and the Jerusalem Academy of Music.
Annually, Vancouver Opera selects program participants who are poised to take their opera career to the next level. Those interested in the program are encouraged to visit Vancouver Opera’s website, vancouveropera.ca, where tickets for the entire 2026/27 season are also available.
