Monika Mazanka

LYRICO-SPINTO SOPRANO

A lyrico-spinto soprano with a rich timbre, Monika was born in Cameroon and discovered singing in early childhood by participating in parish choirs with her family.
She fell in love with operatic singing around the age of 10, upon hearing W.A. Mozart's Requiem for the first time.
She is equally at home in Baroque and Classical music as she is in Jazz and Gospel.

Monika initially set out to pursue scientific studies. It was during her microbiology studies that she decided to switch to music, following the valuable advice of her genetics professor.

Having just completed her training with an award from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and a graduate diploma (DESS) from the Université de Montréal, Monika is a gem that the world is just beginning to discover.

Following in the footsteps of her idols Jessye Norman and Leontyne Price, Monika, while comfortable across all musical eras, has a particular affinity for Romantic music. She focuses on a repertoire suited to "great voices," such as the roles of the Countess and Donna Anna in Mozart’s operas, Liù in Puccini’s works, as well as music by Verdi and Richard Strauss.

In the realm of opera, Monika has garnered praise for her performances as the Countess in Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro”, Dido in Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas”, and Sister Opportune in Varney’s operetta “Les mousquetaires au couvent”.

Very comfortable on stage, Monika Dongmo places great importance on acting, and beyond vocal performance, conveying the emotion of each piece is important to her. The renowned director François Racine says of her "that she is a sensitive, creative, and very intelligent artist."

Very much at ease on stage, Monika Dongmo places great importance on performance; beyond the vocal delivery, conveying the emotion of each piece is vital to her. Renowned stage director François Racine describes her as "a sensitive, creative, and highly intelligent artist."

Monika is currently studying under Adrienne Savoie, a voice professor at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal and the Université de Montréal, as well as under Fernande Chiocchio (voice professor), Olivier Godin (collaborative pianist at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal and McGill University), and Elisabeth Upchurch (collaborative pianist and director of the COC Ensemble Studio).

She holds fast to her credo:
“Singing well soothes not only the listener’s soul but also the singer’s.”

       

 

Video clips

The Exquisite Hour - No. 5 (IRH 16) - R. Hahn
Monika Mazanka, Soprano
Geneviève Jalbert, piano
September 2021

 

Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro – « Dove sono i bei momenti »
Performer: Monika Dongmo Mazanka, soprano
Musical direction: Jean-François Rivest
Staging: François Racine
Director of the Opera Workshop: Robin Wheeler

Video production: Richard Gravel