Early Music Vancouver appoints soprano Suzie LeBlanc as artistic and executive director

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      Early Music Vancouver has just announced the appointment of Canadian soprano Suzie LeBlanc as its artistic and executive director.

      LeBlanc--the first female to take the helm at EMV since its founding in May 1970--will assume the role on January 4, 2021.

      "I am tremendously excited to be joining an organization I have long admired and with whom I have a deeply personal connection," says LeBlanc in a press release. "As I lead EMV in its next chapter, I approach this opportunity with great enthusiasm and a profound sense of responsibility. We are in an unprecedented time fraught with challenges, but also with great opportunity.

      "I look forward to building on the strong foundations of EMV and its excellent reputation to create meaningful and inspiring experiences for performers and audiences alike," LeBlanc continues. "Throughout my career, it has been important to me to uncover the work of women composers and amplify undervalued voices in historical music."
       
      As well as being an internationally celebrated soprano, the Montreal-based LeBlanc is an early-music specialist and educator. She has served as director of Cappella Antica at McGill University since 2018, and was the founder and artistic director of Le Nouvel Opéra from 2005-2019. She has been awarded four honorary doctorates for her contributions to music and music education, and was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2015.

      "It was clear to all involved that Ms. LeBlanc was the perfect leader to step into this demanding role at this extraordinary time in our collective history," says EMV board president Fran Watters. "Her appearances as a performer have consistently been some of our audience's most memorable concerts. We look forward to what we know will be equally memorable: her artistic vision, her programming initiatives, her sense of innovation, and her impact on the EMV community and beyond.”

       

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