A former Estevan resident is going to return to the Energy City for an encore performance of her graduation recital.
Avery Lafrentz, a soprano who has graduated from the University of Toronto, will perform at St. Paul’s United Church May 9, starting at 7 p.m.
Her mother, Arlene Lafrentz, said this is an opportunity to showcase local musical talent.
“She will sing to us in different languages,” she said. “She will sing some in German and Italian. She will have a couple of arias that she will sing in Italian. And she will have a lot of English songs that can be relatable to our audience.”
It will be a full program of different genres for operatic singing.
Arlene hopes to see a large crowd, not only because she wants to see people support her daughter, but because the money gathered at the door goes directly to the performers. Avery will be accompanied by Cherith Alexander from Weyburn.
The United Church’s women’s league will host a reception after the concert.
Avery has sung with choirs conducted by Robert Cooper, Hilary Apfelstadt and David Fallis. In spring of 2018, she performed with the MacMillan Singers at the Lincoln Centre in New York City.
Last year also marked Avery's first nod to collaboration as a vocal technique consultant with Vox Populi (Latin for the voice of the people), an inclusive LGBT+ choral project fostered by social justice aimed to celebrate diversity by giving the voice back to the people.
In the summer of 2018, Avery attended the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, on the Irma Cooper Memorial Scholarship. She performed in master classes taught by soprano Linda Watson and conductor Lukas Beikircher. She also participated in multiple concerts hosted throughout the city and was named a semi-finalist in the annual Meistersinger Competition.
This summer, Avery will attend the prestigious art song festival SongFest held at The Colburn School in Los Angeles as a young artist, on a partial scholarship from SongFest's advisory board, with an additional grant awarded to her from the Art Song Foundation of Canada to support her continued refinement in the performance of this genre.
Last season, Avery opened the Toronto Masque Theatre’s final year as a soloist in the Canada in Words and Music salon, which has enriched her passion for being able to sing and represent Canadian art song.
Avery will also make an exciting announcement during the Estevan concert.
