Vancouver International Vocal Workshop Guest Faculty
Judith Forst
Judith Forst was born in New Westminster, November 7 1943. She studied piano as a child and voice later with at the University of British Columbia, and was coached by Harold Brown. A participant 1966-8 in the Vancouver Opera Association training program, Forst won the 1967 western finals of the San Francisco Opera auditions and the 1968 CBC Talent Festival. A 1968 audition for the Metropolitan Opera led to a contract and her debut there that same year. Forst lived 1968-75 in New York where she performed as a regular member of the Metropolitan Opera. In 1975 she returned to Vancouver. Forst sang Hansel in the CBC’s 1970 TV production of Hansel and Gretel and made her COC debut in 1972 as Olga in Eugene Onegin. She made her San Francisco Opera debut in 1974 as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. She sang Jane Seymour in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena with Joan Sutherland in the title role for the COC in 1984. In 1985 she made her European debut in Paris in a concert performance of Les Contes d’Hoffmann and in 1988 made her debut in Munich in La Forza del Destino. Forst appeared in Vancouver operas and in the operatic productions of Festival Ottawa and Opera Lyra Ottawa. In 1988 she sang in the premiere of Rudolf Komorous’ opera No No Miya for the Vancouver New Music Society and in 1989 she premiered Malcolm Forsyth’s Sun Songs with the Calgary Philharmonic. Among her many other COC roles, she created the part of Pamphilea for the 1999 world premiere of The Golden Ass (by Randolph Peters and Robertson Davies). With the Metropolitan Opera in 2001, she took on the role of the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, singing the part again with the Arizona Opera the following year. For the Met, Vancouver Opera and Netherlands Opera, she sang Madame de Croissy in Dialogues of the Carmelites. She appeared often for San Francisco Opera, including in the world premieres of Conrad Susa’s Dangerous Liaisons (1994). In 2003 Forst appeared as Klytemnestra in the Vancouver premiere of Elektra. She was also a frequent guest instructor at the University of British Columbia. Forst is called ‘one of the few truly world class coloratura mezzo-sopranos on the operatic stage,’ with a voice that is ‘bright, sensuous, seamless through its range, full of secure, shining high notes’ (COC Magazine Apr 1988). https://bcentertainmenthalloffame.com/forst-judith/
Dale Throness
Lyric Baritone Dale Throness, a native of Grande Prairie, Alberta, received his early musical training in Winnipeg and subsequently obtained his Master of Music in Voice Performance at the University of British Columbia. Post-graduate studies were undertaken at the Vancouver Academy of Music and the Britten Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies in Aldeburgh England. He has sung a number of operatic roles including the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni under director David Walsh, and Marcello in La Boheme with conductor Tyrone Patterson and the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra for Viva Musica in Kelowna.
Recent Concert engagements include performing with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in their Tea and Trumpets series and a concert of Brahms’ lieder for their Brahms Festival, and performances of the Brahms and Faure Requiems. He has also sung Carmina Burana on a number of occasions, including a performance at the Orpheum Theatre under conductor Kazuyoshi Akiyama. In addition to his performing schedule, Mr. Throness is on the voice faculties of the University of British Columbia and Kwantlen College.
Anton Belov
Since winning the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in 2002, baritone Anton Belov has expanded his career to reach major opera houses and concert halls across the United States. His voice has been called rich and mellifluous by the New York Times, while the Florida Weekly compared his performance to casting a mystical spell over the audience. A graduate of the Juilliard Opera Center, he has appeared with numerous companies and orchestras throughout the United States and has earned critical acclaim for his portrayals of characters as diverse as Count di Luna (Il Trovatore), Don Giovanni, Escamillo (Carmen), Germont (La Traviata), Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Doctor Malatesta (Don Pasquale), and Eugene Onegin. Dr. Belov performed throughout the United States appearing with Boston Lyric Opera, Portland Opera, Opera Boston, Opera Delaware, Connecticut Grand Opera, Tacoma Opera, Opera New Jersey, Anchorage and Eugene Operas among others. Equally at home with oratorio and concert repertoire, Mr. Belov presented over 100 recitals throughout the United States appearing at such venues as Carnegie Recital Hall in New York City and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The highlights of his concert career include Rachmaninoff’s "Bells" at Symphony Hall in Boston, Handel’s “Messiah” at Avery Fischer Hall in New York City, Brahms’ “Requiem” at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Verdi’s “Requiem” with the Anchorage Concert Chorus; and Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins with the Detroit Symphony at Carnegie Hall. His concert resume also includes multiple performances of Beethoven’s iconic Ninth Symphony with the orchestras of Hartford, Connecticut; Bozeman, Montana; Charlottesville, Virginia; Huntsville, Alabama; and Kalamazoo, Michigan; among others. In addition, he has appeared with the Colorado Symphony, Eugene Concert Choir, Boston Baroque, the Wyoming Symphony, the California Symphony, Opera Orchestra of New York, the Oregon Symphony, the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Rhode Island Philharmonic and the Portland Chamber Orchestra. His pre-pandemic schedule included the title role in “Eugene Onegin” with the Northern Lights Festival in Minnesota, the title role in “Nosferatu” by Alva Henderson at the Rimrock Opera, Germont in “La Traviata with Vashon Opera; the role of the Pilot in the “Little Prince” with Opera Theater Oregon; Rachmaninoff’s “The Bell’s” with Nashville Symphony Orchestra; Mozart’s Grand Mass in C minor with the Eugene Concert Choir, Brahms’ “Requiem” at Benaroya Hall in Seattle; as well as two recital tours that included performances in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Minneapolis and Vienna. Mr. Belov is the first-place winner of numerous vocal competitions including the George London Competition, Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Competition, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Eastern Regional Winner) and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. A native of Moscow, Mr. Belov holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from The New England Conservatory, an Artist’s Diploma and a Master of Music Degree from The Juilliard School and the Doctorate of Music from Boston University. A specialist in Russian lyric diction, he is the author of Russian Opera Libretti in Word-to-Word Translation and IPA Transcription and the Anthology of Russian Arias (Leyerle Publications 2004-06) and the Anthology of Russian Art Song (Classical Vocal Reprints, 2015). Since the beginning of the Ukraine War, Mr. Belov has been outspoken in his criticism of the Russian invasion. He has been instrumental in producing numerous benefit concerts that to date raised over $40,000 for Ukrainian medical relief organizations.
Yichan Shu
Shu Yichan graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a Master's degree in Vocal Studies and the University of British Columbia with a Master's degree in Opera Performance. She has performed at the Stiftung Schleswig-Holsyein Music Festival in Germany, was a featured soloist at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's Verdi Memorial Concert, and has played leading roles in operas such as "Falstaff," "Il Cappello di Paglia di Firenze," and "Cosi fan tutte." After graduating, she has been involved in music education for decades and is currently the Principal of Vizhi Education, the Artistic Director of Music, and a senior vocal coach. She founded the Vizhi International Music Art Exam Project, which has sent many outstanding music talents to professional music schools worldwide. Her students have been admitted to the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada, the Berklee College of Music, and the University of British Columbia's Vocal Department with priority and high scholarships. Shu Yichan is also the organizer and host of several major events, such as the 28th The World Music Competition, where she serves as the CEO of the North American region; the OYMI Canadian International Music Festival, where she serves as the Vocal Director of the Western Canada region; the Hunan Satellite TV Golden Eagle Cartoon "China New Voice" Season 6 North American region; the "WIN3 I Am a Supermodel" North American region; and the Youku Youth Web Variety Show "New Kids" global overseas region.
Stephanie Nakagawa
Soprano, Dr. Stephanie Nakagawa, has a great passion for Canadian opera. Her outstanding contribution to the field and her publication, A Canadian Opera Aria Anthology for Soprano has been recognized by the Canadian Music Centre with the Barbara Pentland Award of Excellence. Stephanie completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Voice and Opera from the University of British Columbia, where she was also awarded the UBC Public Scholars Award, UBC Wesbrook Scholar, Johann Strauss Foundation Scholarship, UBC Medal, Canada Millennium Scholarship, and the BMO National Scholarship. In addition, Stephanie holds a Master’s degree from Indiana University, a Bachelor of Music in Opera from UBC, and ARCT Performance Diplomas in both piano and voice. She was also awarded the Voice National Gold Medal from the Royal Conservatory of Music. An active performer and recitalist, Stephanie has performed with various ensembles including the Aspen Music Festival, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Bard on the Beach, Westcoast Symphony, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, Prince George Symphony, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Gerdine Young Artist, Indiana University Opera Theatre, Oberlin in Italy, Pacific Opera Victoria Lunchbox Series, and the Canadian Music Centre. Her stage credits include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Vixen (The Cunning Little Vixen), Gretel (Hansel & Gretel), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Amy (Little Women), Musetta (La Bohème), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), and Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring). Stephanie’s other accolades include the regional winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, first place at the BC Provincial Festival of the Performing Arts, BC Arts Council Award, and Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques Laureate. In addition to performing, Stephanie loves to work with young aspiring singers and is the music director and conductor of the Vancouver women’s chamber choir, Coro Cantare and the Japanese choir, Sazanami Singers.