Valdine Anderson, Artistic Director
Born in Winnipeg, Canada, Valdine Anderson is the Founder and Artistic Director of Esprit Singers.
Valdine Anderson is world-renowned for a career that spanned over two decades as an international soprano soloist. Working with all the major orchestras and composers in the world, Valdine has toured with the London Sinfonietta, Germany’s Ensemble Moderne, France’s Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and more. In 2004, Valdine stepped in for an ailing Dawn Upshaw and toured the U.S.A. with the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle. Premieres written for and interpreted by Valdine include works by Kaija Saariaho, Gerard Grisey, Henryk Gorecki, Witold Lutoslawski, Thomas Ades, George Benjamin and Elliot Carter, to name some of the composers that Valdine collaborated with personally. Conductors that Valdine has worked with as a soloist include Pierre Boulez, Daniel Barenboim, David Robertson, Winton Marsalis, Bramwell Tovey, Esa Pekka Salonen, Sir Colin Davis and Edo de Waart. Her recordings include Szymanowski’s Songs of the Fairy-Tale Princess, Eliot Carter’s opera What Next, Michael Torke’s Book of Proverbs, among others. Valdine has presented solo recitals at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, the Purcell Room and Wigmore Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York with British composer Thomas Ades at the piano. Valdine’s world premiere of Gavin Bryars’ opera Dr. Ox’s Experiment at the English National Opera was directed by award-winning Canadian film maker Adam Egoyan, and coincided with the reopening of Canada House in Trafalgar Square where Valdine was invited to meet Queen Elizabeth II. Valdine’s Mahler’s 4th Symphony CD with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra won a Prairie Music Award (now Western Canadian Music Awards), and her recording of the opera Powder Her Face by Thomas Ades was nominated for Grammy. Her signature aria from this recording, Fancy Being Rich, was made into a short music video by Canadian film director Guy Maddin called ‘Fancy, Fancy Being Rich’ in 2002.
Valdine Anderson holds a post-graduate Opera Diploma from the University of Toronto as well as Bachelor’s Degrees in both Music and Music Education. Other studies include summer programs at The Banff Centre and the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in Aldeburgh, England, both on full scholarship. Valdine was the recipient of two consecutive Canada Council for the Arts Career Development Grants. Valdine is an accomplished pianist and flutist and achieved an A.R.C.T. in Voice Performance.
Valdine Anderson is a regular juror for Canada Council for the Arts, a sought-after adjudicator for provincial, national and international music competitions and new music coach. Most recently, Valdine is the Artistic Director and Consultant of Pembina Trails Voices. Valdine has been on faculty at the University of Manitoba as sessional voice instructor, chamber music consultant, and masterclass clinician for over ten years. Valdine maintains a private voice studio in her home.
A natural extension of a solo singing career, Valdine turned to choral conducting and founding of Esprit de Choeur in 2011, as a one-time ensemble of voice students who wanted to sing together for a local competition. Several years later, this ensemble, now operating as Esprit Singers, has collected awards and a growing reputation, having performed with collaborative artists like Juno award winner Corey Hamm, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s principle harpist Richard Turner and cellist Desiree Abbey.