Biography

"Soprano imaginative and committed with ravishing treble" - La Libre Belgique, Florie Valiquette is a young Canadian opera singer on the rise.

She will open the season 2023-2024 taking part in two new productions at the Opéra royal de Versailles: Giulietta & Romeo (Matilde) amongst Franco Fagioli and Adèle Charvet, Gilles Rico staging and Stefan Plewniak conducting, followed by Don Giovanni (Donna Anna) under Maestro Gaétan Jarry and a mise en scène by Marshall Pynkoski. She will reprise the role of Gabrielle (La Vie Parisienne) at the Opéra de Montpellier and will sing Gloire, Sidonie & Lucinde in Lully’s Armide at the Opéra comique de Paris. During spring 2024, Florie will return at the Opéra royal de Versailles for her debut as Konstanze in a french version of Mozart’s Abduction of the Seraglio with Michel Fau and Maestro Gaétan Jarry. In this season concert engagements, Florie will sing with orchestras such as the Paris Mozart Orchestra for the C Minor Mass, with le Concert de la Loge in the role of Konstanze (Die Entführung aux dem Serail) at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, with Les Violons du Roy (Fauré’s La Bonne Chanson), Ensemble Arion (Mozart’s Requiem) and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse (Franck’s 7 dernières paroles du Christ).

This past season, Florie sang Sidonie, Mélisse & Bergère in a new production of Gluck’s Armide at the Opéra Comique de Paris staged by Lilo Baur and under the baton of Christophe Rousset. She returned to the Opéra Royal de Versailles in the role of Pamina in a french version of Die Zauberflöte with Hervé Niquet conducting. Still on the opera scene, Florie made a remarquable debut during summer 2023 at the Glyndebourne Festival and the BBC Proms singing the role of Soeur Constance (Dialogues des Carmélites) in a new production signed by Barrie Kosky and Robin Tacciati conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra. We also heard Florie on many occasions on the concert scene; notably with Le Concert de la Loge for the program In Furore, at the Opéra de Rouen for Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream (1rst Elf), in Poland with Ensemble Capella Cracoviensis for a concert version of Mozart’s Lucio Silla (Giunia), in “Splendeurs Mozartiennes” with Orchestre de l’Opéra de Tours and in Mademoiselle Duval’s Les Génies in Versailles. She sang the role of Frasquita in a concert version of Carmen, amongst Joyce Didonato and Michael Spyres at the Philharmonie de Strasbourg and at the Royal Albert Hall in London under Maestro John Nelson.

During the season 2021-2022, she made her debut as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Grand Théâtre du Luxembourg under Maestro Jérémie Rhorer and at the Opéra Royal de Versailles under Maestro Gaetan Jarry. She was Gabrielle in a new production of La Vie Parisienne staged by Christian Lacroix and conducted by Romain Dumas. She also sang Sophie in Werther the Opéra National de Bordeaux under Pierre Dumoussaud, Zerlina (Don Giovanni) at the Opéra de Québec and appeared in the show Mozart, A particular journey with Laurence Equilbey and Insula Orchestra at the Seine Musicale in Paris. In concert, Florie performed with Le Concert Spirituel and Hervé Niquet in Israël in Egypt in Grenoble, with Valentin Tournet for Tous les matins du monde at the Maison de la Radio, with Le Concert de la Loge and Julien Chauvin at the Misteria Paschalia Festival in Krakow for the Exsultate Jubilate and toured Bach without frontiers with Maestro Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques at the Bachfest Schaffhausen, The Froville Baroque Music Festiva, the Conservatoire Jean-Baptiste Lully and Baroque Festival in Stockholm. In Versailles, Florie sang under Gaetan Jarry for her recital “La Captive du Sérail”, in Les Leçons des Ténèbres with Stéphane Fuget and performed the role of La Paix in a concert version of Le Destin du Nouveau Siècle.

In 2020-2021, Florie sings Sophie at the Opéra de Lyon in a filmed concert version of Werther, starring Étienne Dupuis and Stéphanie D’Oustrac. She takes part in multiple recordings for the Label Château Versailles spectacles including her solo recital “Opéra Comique!” and the Chandos Anthems under Gaetan Jarry, Fauré’s Requiem with Hervé Niquet, Sylla and Glaucus (Circé) with Ensemble Il Giardino d’Amore and Stefan Plewniak and Campra’s Le Destin du Nouveau Siècle (La Paix) under conductor Patrick Bismuth. On the concert scene, she interpreted Micaëla in Aix-en-Provence for a Carmen Gala with Maestro Jérémie Rhorer, Rinaldo in Salieri’s Armida under Christophe Rousset at the Theater an der Wien (recording for Aparte Music label), the title role of Saint-Saëns’ Phryné at the Opéra de Rouen with Palazzetto Bru Zane, and sang in the Mozart’s Requiem at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater at the Maison de la Radio with Le Concert de la Loge (Julien Chauvin). On the Opera stage, other engagement included Falstaff* (Nanetta) at the Opéra de Bordeaux, conducted by Paul Daniel and staged by Laurent Pelly, Zélime in La Caravane du Caire * for Opéra de Tour under Hervé Niquet and in the role of Frasquita (Carmen)* at the Opéra-Comique de Paris under Long Yu and directed by Andreas Homoki. (* Production rescheduled due to COVID 19).

During the season 2019-2020, she makes her debut at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in a new production of Le Nozze di Figaro (Barbarina) directed by the American movie director James Grey and the conductor Jérémie Rhorer. She also makes her debut in the role of Pamina (The Magic Flute) at Opéra royal de Versailles and Opéra Grand Avignon under Maestro Hervé Niquet and stage directors Cécile Roussat & Julien Lubek. In addition, Florie sings the title role of Massenet’s Cendrillon* at the Opéra de Limoges (Robert Tuohy conductor & Ezio Toffolutti stage director), before making her debut at the Glyndebourne Festival interpreting the role of Soeur Constance in a new production of Dialogues des Carmélites* by Barrie Kosky and under Maestro Robin Ticciati. (* Productions rescheduled due to COVID 19) In recital, Florie performs at the Opéra de Lille with pianist Hélio Vida, with baryton Yoann Dubruque and pianist Marine Thoreau at Opéra Comique de Paris and in concert with Le Concert de la Loge under Julien Chauvin at the Cité musicale de Metz ( Haydn’s Stabat Mater). She records Les Leçons des Ténèbres with Stéphane Fuget for Château Versailles Spectacles Label and the role of Rinaldo in Salieri’s Armida under Maestro Christophe Rousset for Aparte Music.

She begins the 2018-2019 season by singing the title role of English composer Mark-Anthony Turnage’s opera, Coraline. This children's literature success is co-produced with the Royal Opera House in London and presented in a French version at the Opera de Lille under Maestro Arie Van Beek and stage director Aletta Collins. Member of the troupe Favart for the 2019 season, Florie plays the role of Madeleine in a new production of Le Postillon de Lonjumeau at the Opéra-Comique in Paris under Sébastien Rouland and stage director Michel Fau. In addition, she sings the roles of Tytania (Midsummer Night's Dream) at Opéra de Montpellier (Musical direction Tito Munoz and staging Ted Huffman) and Sophie (Werther) at the Capitole de Toulouse (under the baton of Jean François Verdier and the stage director Nicolas Joel). In addition to the opera stage, Florie performs in concert with Les Moments lyriques and Orchestre Prométhée in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Handel’s Dixit Dominus, as well as with Le Concert de la Loge for Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier (Stabat Mater de Haydn).

During season 2017-2018, she returns to Opernhaus Zürich as a member of the Ensemble, where she takes part in four productions, singing Papagena in die Zauberflöte under Karina Canellakis; Birk in a New Production of Ronja die Räubertochter conducted by Carrie-Ann Matheson and directed by Marie-Eve Signeyrole; a Blumenmädchen in Parsifal under Simone Young and Fortuna & Damigella in the New Production of L'incoronazione di Poppea conducted by Ottavio Dantone and directed by Calixto Bieito. Prior to her return to Opernhaus Zürich, she reprises the role of Milica in the modern opera Svadba with the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence at the Ljubljana Opera. In addition, she is invited to Montreal to sing Mozart's C minor Mass with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, as well as for a recording of Tanzer lieder by Ana Sokolovic with the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, to be released under the Atma classique label in the fall 2019. She will close the  season making her debut as Sophie in a concert version of Werther at the summer Festival of Opéra de Vichy under Maestro Pierre Dumoussaud among singers Karine Deshayes and Jean-François Borras, notably. 

She has joined the International Opera Studio at Opernhaus Zürich for the 2016-2017 season, interpreting Barbarina, in Le nozze di Figaro, conducted by Maestro Giovanni Antonini and directed by Sven Eric Bechtolf; Madam Silberklang, in Der Schauspieldirektor conducted by Maestro Thomas Barthel and directed by Mr. Rüdiger Burbach. For the opening of 2017, she interprets l'Amour and Premier Fantôme in the New Production of Charpentier’s Médée, conducted by Maestro William Christie and directed by Mr. Intendant Andreas Homoki.

Prior to making her debut with Maestro Charles Dutoit as Frasquita (Carmen) in a Medici.tv broadcasted concert at the 2016 Verbier Festival, Florie Valiquette held Elisetta in Il Matrimonio Segreto at De Nationale Opera conducted by Maestro Benjamin Bayl and directed by Mme Monique Wagemakers, before reprising the lead role of Milica of Svadba-Wedding by Ana Sokolovic at l’Opéra d'Angers-Nantes. As well, she was part of Manon fait de la danse’s creation of Fin de série at the FTA‑Festival TransAmériques.

In 2015, Florie made her debut at the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal in the role of Frasquita (Carmen) under Maestro Kent Nagano. Starring Michèle Losier(Carmen) and Joseph Kaiser (Don José), the opera was presented outdoor in front of 45 000 people during the OSM's Classical Spree Festival. Florie also sang Yniold (Pelléas et Mélisande)  for the 2015 opening concert of the OSM, sharing the stage with star singers Bernard Richter, Hélène Guilmette, Philippe Sly, Nicolas Testé and Marie-Nicole Lemieux, amongst others.

In July 2015, Florie returned at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence to sing the lead role of Milica for the new production of the opera Svadba-Wedding by Ana Sokolovic. Praised by the press, the opera was broadcasted by Arte Concert.

" [...] soprano Florie Valiquette made gorgeous work of Milica’s extended aria at the end. As the others join in harmony, Milica settles on a blurted high pedal point, which gave Ms. Valiquette a final triumph of another sort."  - James R. Oestreich, The New York Times, July 12, 2015

Beforehand in 2015, she sang with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Steven Fox in Harmony Mass by Haydn and with Les Violons du Roy under Maestro Mathieu Lussier in the title role of Zémire et Azor, staged by oscar winning film director Denys Arcand.

Florie made her Opera de Montréal debut in 2013 in the roles of Javotte (Manon), Miss Ellen (Lakmé), and covered the role of Nanetta (Falstaff) in 2014. Other credits include Teutile (Motezuma), Arsena (The Gypsy Baron) and Zerlina (Don Giovanni). Artist in residence at the Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal from 2012 to 2015, she held the roles of the Sandman and the Dew Fairy (Hänsel und Gretel), Laetitia (The Old Maid and the Thief) and Galatea (Acis and Galatea).

She was invited as a baroque soloist by several leading ensembles such as les Violons du Roy, le Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, Caprice Ensemble, Montreal Baroque and the Lamèque International Baroque Music Festival.

In contemporary music, in addition to Svadba-Wedding, composer Denis Gougeon recommended her for singing his composition Voix-Venus with pianist Louise-Andrée Baril in a tribute concert of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec, broadcasted on Espace Musique (now Icimusique.ca), the french music radio of the CBC.

Florie was revealed to the public in 2010 by interpreting Maria Von Trapp (The Sound of Music) in a Just for Laughs production staged by Denise Filiatrault. Critically acclaimed, the production was attended by more than 100,000 spectators in Montreal and received a nomination for the Show of the Year - Acting at the Québec Association for the Recording, Concert and Video Industries Gala in 2011.

She also collaborated numerous times with Cirque Éloize in corporate events, as well as with the National Circus School for the Atelier Lyrique’s 30th anniversary production Hänsel und Gretel.

In chamber music, Florie has been working with pianist Martin Dubé since 2009. They performed hailed recitals in Canada, Belgium and the United States. She also appeared at the Orford Festival and the Lachine Festival with pianist Olivier Godin, and with pianist Ilmo Ranta, in Helsinki, in a recital broadcasted on the Finnish national television Yle Klassinen. She also collaborates with the distinguished quintet Pentaèdre.

Florie has been supported by the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation for Young Canadian Opera Singers and has distinguished herself in several competitions such as the 2015 Queen Sonja International Music Competition, the 2014 Mirjam Helin Competition, the 2014 Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition, the International Stepping Stone of the Canadian Music Competition and the Prix d’Europe.

Her discography includes Tanzer lieder by composer Ana Sokolovic for the album Sirènes with the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal (Atma classique), Phryné (Phryné) with the Palazzetto Bru Zane and Hervé Niquet conducting the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Rouen, Armida (Rinaldo) under the baton of Christophe Rousset and Les Talens lyriques, as well as Haydn’s Stabat Mater with Julien Chauvin & Le Concert de la Loge under the label Aparté. Under the Label Château Versailles Spectacles: La Flûte enchantée (Pamina) with Hervé Niquet, Les Leçons des Ténèbres by Couperin with Stéphane Fuget, La Captive du Sérail and Handel’s Chandos Anthems under Maestro Gaétan Jarry and Campra’s Le Destin du Nouveau siècle (La Paix) with Ensemble La Tempesta and Patrick Bismuth. Soon to be released, a recording of Scylla et Glaucus (Circé) with Stefan Plewniak and the Ensemble Il Giardino d’Amore.

She holds a Master in Music performance from the University of Montréal and pursues her vocal training under the guidance Marlena Malas in New York. She is represented by Intermezzo Management in Paris.

September 2022