Dominique Côté & Esther Gonthier
Biography Dominique Côté & Esther Gonthier
Dominique Côté
First opera prize at the Canari International Singing Competition in Corsica (chaired by Gabriel Bacquier) and winner of the audience's prize at the Marmande International Singing Competition in France, baritone Dominique Côté is hailed by the public and critics for his warm voice and his moving interpretations. The New York Times called his recent performances in Une Éducation Manquée by Chabrier and Léonore de Gavaux in New York and Washington a "fine vocal performance". His portrayal of the Countess in the opera Les Feluettes by Michel Marc Bouchard and Kevin March at the Edmonton Opera has been described as "virtuoso" by the press.
Also trained as an actor, Dominique has played several roles on the small screen, including Étienne Bernard in Emma on TVA and Renaud in Virginie on the CBC. Very popular in musical works with dialogues, we have heard it in Strauss's Die Fledermaus at the Geneva, Montreal and Quebec Opera houses, Hérold's Le Pré aux Clercs at the Wexford Opera Festival, Offenbach's La Belle Hélène at the Marseille Opera, Carmen by Bizet at the Pacific Opera Victoria and at the Opéra de Montréal, Le Roi Carotte by Offenbach at the Opéra de Lille…
In concert, he sings under the direction of conductor such as Jacques Lacombe, Kent Nagano, Theodor Guschlbauer, Christophe Rousset, Dina Gilbert, Jean-Marie Zeitouni, Martin Dagenais, Timothy Vernon and John Keenan various works like Carmina Burana de Orff, Te Deum by Lully, Requiems by Fauré, Mozart, Brahms and Duruflé, Messiah by Handel, as well as several extracts from operas.
His discography includes several world premieres: La Société Anonyme des Messieurs Prudents by Louis Beydts with the Avignon-Provence Orchestra conducted by Samuel Jean, Nicandro e Fileno by Paolo Lorenzani with Les Boréades conducted by Francis Colpron, L'affaire Tailleferre by Germaine Tailleferre with the Opéra de Limoges conducted by Christophe Rousset, Léonore de Gavaux conducted by Ryan Brown with Opéra Lafayette and Gagnon's Nelligan with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal conducted by Jacques Lacombe.
Most recently, he sang Berlioz's Lélio conducted by Maestro Nagano with OSM and he was the solo baritone in Carmina Burana with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens under the direction of Dina Gilbert, in Edward Clug's brand new choreography. He was extremely successful in the title role of Nelligan at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, directed by Normand Chouinard. A full audio recording of this production will soon be available on the ATMA Classique label.
For the 2020-21 season, despite the pandemic we were able to hear him in Colorado and on the web in the title role of Le Maréchal Ferrant by Philidort with Opéra Lafayette as well as at the Gala de l'Opéra de Québec in February. He was also back with Les Cowboys Fringants and the OSM, for the web version of the immense success of their symphonic show. This summer, he will play Anthony in Les Lessons de Maria Callas at the Festival Opera de Québec, directed by Jacques Leblanc. He will also be Schaunard in Puccini’s La Bohème at l’Opera du Royaume. Finally, let us underline the release of his first solo disc with ATMA Classique in early 2022, an album dedicated to the work of Lionel Daunais.
