Success Stories
Lara Secord-Haid
My name is Lara Secord-Haid, and I’m a soprano from Winnipeg. For the past few years, I’ve been based in Berlin, Germany. Moving to Berlin was a joyful experiment—a chance to see what my career could look like here and to experience life in a city with three major opera houses, each with its own distinct character. Beyond that, Berlin is bursting with institutions that program vocal music and audiences that embrace it with gusto. I continue to work as a freelance opera singer and have had the chance to collaborate with a collective of artists producing operas and recitals across the Berlin area. It was a proper trial by fire—exciting, scrappy, and full of lessons about how to make things happen with little money, passion, creativity, and sheer willpower. My love for music started early. I played the piano from the age of five and always enjoyed singing, though my first performances were with the Chai Folk Ensemble, where I fell in love with the energy of world music. That experience led me to classical singing under the guidance of Diane Berger and even a brief flirtation with jazz singing. I was incredibly lucky to have Diane as my first teacher—she never pushed me but nurtured my curiosity and let my voice develop naturally. Those lessons still guide me today when I wander off track. Being part of productions with the Little Opera Company was instrumental in my performance growth. First and foremost, getting stage time as a young artist is invaluable—there’s no substitute for learning by doing. But just as importantly, LOC showed me what grassroots opera production looks like up close. It made producing opera feel accessible, like, “Well, that’s just what you do.” Because my formative experiences were so community- driven, I’ve carried that ethos throughout my career. I often think back to something I heard in a masterclass years ago. Diane Berger took me along to a session at the Conservatory, where the master teacher—who was the then dean of Boston Conservatory—said something that stuck with me: “Music is like medicine. The smaller cities and rural areas are underserved.” As young musicians, he challenged us to question the instinct to flock to New York, Boston, Berlin, Munich, Vienna, and Paris and stay there. Music matters in people’s lives everywhere, not just in the most prestigious halls. That challenge resonates with me more and more these days. I am incredibly grateful for companies like LOC, which bring opera to audiences outside the big metropolitan centers. That work is vital, and I’m proud to have participated in it. www.larasecordhaid.com
Lizzy Hoyt
Hello! I’m Lizzy Hoyt, a classical mezzo-soprano and a Celtic-folk songwriter and multi-instrumentalist originally from Edmonton. I have worked as a free-lance and self- managed musician for (cough) years - mostly in Celtic, folk, and roots music. At the age of 30, I decided I wanted to study classical singing and opera so moved to Winnipeg and began studying with the one and only, Tracy Dahl. In the following years, I have been focusing more on classical music and opera. I am deeply grateful to the Little Opera Company, who has given me important professional opportunities during this transition - participating in their anniversary gala, online projects during covid lockdown, and notably, allowing me to embody Julia Child in their production of the one-woman opera, Bon Appétit (yes, I did make the cake while singing!). These opportunities allowed me to make my professional stage debuts with companies like Manitoba Opera, Brott Opera, and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra singing pinnacle roles for my voice type, such as Cinderella (La Cenerentola, Rossini), and Ruggiero (Alcina, Handel). Congratulations to everyone at LOC on their 30th anniversary! Here’s to many more! www.lizzyhoyt.com
Nicole Leung
My name is Nicole Leung, and I am a soprano currently based between Calgary and my hometown, Toronto. I recently made my debuts with Toronto City Opera and the Calgary Philharmonic, and I will be covering the lead soprano role in Opera Parallèle’s world premiere of The Pigeon Keeper in San Francisco, March 2025. I’ve had a passion for singing from a young age—whether it was participating in the school choir or singing along to the radio in the car. I am incredibly fortunate that my family and musical mentors encouraged me to pursue a career in singing. After many years of training, I’m proud to say I am now a professional opera singer. One of the most pivotal moments in my artistic journey was being part of The Little Opera Company’s production of The Magic Flute, where I performed the role of Pamina. This was not only my first time in Winnipeg, but also an opportunity to immerse myself in a new and vibrant musical community. This production was particularly meaningful as it marked my first principal professional contract. I hold this experience close to my heart, and I am deeply grateful to Spencer for entrusting me with the role of Pamina—a role I had long dreamed of performing. In fact, I began singing Pamina’s aria in high school, so having the chance to sing it professionally with LOC was a full-circle moment for me. I am thankful for this incredible experience and for the wonderful people who made it possible. www.nicoleleungsoprano.com
Sara Schabas
My name is Sara Schabas and I’m a soprano originally from Toronto. I’m currently living in Montreal finishing up my doctorate in voice performance at McGill University while freelancing with different companies and orchestras across Canada. I was lucky enough to grow up in an artistic family. My aunt and uncle on my mum’s side are both visual artists and my dad was a french horn player and my grandpa a clarinet player. My parents introduced me to opera at an early age and I quickly fell in love with it, even singing in the children’s chorus of the COC when I was in middle school (alongside LOC frequent director Rob Herriot in a production of Tosca!!). When it came time for university, my parents encouraged me to follow my passion… the rest is history!! With Little Opera Company, I sang in Jonathan Dove’s The Walk from the Garden, a very poignant allegory for the climate change crisis. Jonathan Dove’s music is beautiful yet intricate, and this production was a real challenge both musically and dramatically. In the end, I know we were all very proud of what we were able to bring to Winnipeg audiences and grew a lot from the experience. This production also helped me to connect with the very special Manitoba arts community. As a Canadian artist, it’s very special to connect with different communities across our vast country. Winnipeg is certainly one of the most amazing centres for arts in Canada, and a place I hope to return to over and over. -Sara Schabas www.saraschabas.com
Success Stories
Lara Secord-Haid
My name is Lara Secord-Haid, and I’m a soprano from Winnipeg. For the past few years, I’ve been based in Berlin, Germany. Moving to Berlin was a joyful experiment—a chance to see what my career could look like here and to experience life in a city with three major opera houses, each with its own distinct character. Beyond that, Berlin is bursting with institutions that program vocal music and audiences that embrace it with gusto. I continue to work as a freelance opera singer and have had the chance to collaborate with a collective of artists producing operas and recitals across the Berlin area. It was a proper trial by fire—exciting, scrappy, and full of lessons about how to make things happen with little money, passion, creativity, and sheer willpower. My love for music started early. I played the piano from the age of five and always enjoyed singing, though my first performances were with the Chai Folk Ensemble, where I fell in love with the energy of world music. That experience led me to classical singing under the guidance of Diane Berger and even a brief flirtation with jazz singing. I was incredibly lucky to have Diane as my first teacher—she never pushed me but nurtured my curiosity and let my voice develop naturally. Those lessons still guide me today when I wander off track. Being part of productions with the Little Opera Company was instrumental in my performance growth. First and foremost, getting stage time as a young artist is invaluable—there’s no substitute for learning by doing. But just as importantly, LOC showed me what grassroots opera production looks like up close. It made producing opera feel accessible, like, “Well, that’s just what you do.” Because my formative experiences were so community- driven, I’ve carried that ethos throughout my career. I often think back to something I heard in a masterclass years ago. Diane Berger took me along to a session at the Conservatory, where the master teacher—who was the then dean of Boston Conservatory—said something that stuck with me: “Music is like medicine. The smaller cities and rural areas are underserved.” As young musicians, he challenged us to question the instinct to flock to New York, Boston, Berlin, Munich, Vienna, and Paris and stay there. Music matters in people’s lives everywhere, not just in the most prestigious halls. That challenge resonates with me more and more these days. I am incredibly grateful for companies like LOC, which bring opera to audiences outside the big metropolitan centers. That work is vital, and I’m proud to have participated in it. www.larasecordhaid.com
Lizzy Hoyt
Hello! I’m Lizzy Hoyt, a classical mezzo- soprano and a Celtic-folk songwriter and multi-instrumentalist originally from Edmonton. I have worked as a free-lance and self-managed musician for (cough) years - mostly in Celtic, folk, and roots music. At the age of 30, I decided I wanted to study classical singing and opera so moved to Winnipeg and began studying with the one and only, Tracy Dahl. In the following years, I have been focusing more on classical music and opera. I am deeply grateful to the Little Opera Company, who has given me important professional opportunities during this transition - participating in their anniversary gala, online projects during covid lockdown, and notably, allowing me to embody Julia Child in their production of the one-woman opera, Bon Appétit (yes, I did make the cake while singing!). These opportunities allowed me to make my professional stage debuts with companies like Manitoba Opera, Brott Opera, and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra singing pinnacle roles for my voice type, such as Cinderella (La Cenerentola, Rossini), and Ruggiero (Alcina, Handel). Congratulations to everyone at LOC on their 30th anniversary! Here’s to many more! www.lizzyhoyt.com
Nicole Leung
My name is Nicole Leung, and I am a soprano currently based between Calgary and my hometown, Toronto. I recently made my debuts with Toronto City Opera and the Calgary Philharmonic, and I will be covering the lead soprano role in Opera Parallèle’s world premiere of The Pigeon Keeper in San Francisco, March 2025. I’ve had a passion for singing from a young age—whether it was participating in the school choir or singing along to the radio in the car. I am incredibly fortunate that my family and musical mentors encouraged me to pursue a career in singing. After many years of training, I’m proud to say I am now a professional opera singer. One of the most pivotal moments in my artistic journey was being part of The Little Opera Company’s production of The Magic Flute, where I performed the role of Pamina. This was not only my first time in Winnipeg, but also an opportunity to immerse myself in a new and vibrant musical community. This production was particularly meaningful as it marked my first principal professional contract. I hold this experience close to my heart, and I am deeply grateful to Spencer for entrusting me with the role of Pamina—a role I had long dreamed of performing. In fact, I began singing Pamina’s aria in high school, so having the chance to sing it professionally with LOC was a full-circle moment for me. I am thankful for this incredible experience and for the wonderful people who made it possible. www.nicoleleungsoprano.com
Sara Schabas
My name is Sara Schabas and I’m a soprano originally from Toronto. I’m currently living in Montreal finishing up my doctorate in voice performance at McGill University while freelancing with different companies and orchestras across Canada. I was lucky enough to grow up in an artistic family. My aunt and uncle on my mum’s side are both visual artists and my dad was a french horn player and my grandpa a clarinet player. My parents introduced me to opera at an early age and I quickly fell in love with it, even singing in the children’s chorus of the COC when I was in middle school (alongside LOC frequent director Rob Herriot in a production of Tosca!!). When it came time for university, my parents encouraged me to follow my passion… the rest is history!! With Little Opera Company, I sang in Jonathan Dove’s The Walk from the Garden, a very poignant allegory for the climate change crisis. Jonathan Dove’s music is beautiful yet intricate, and this production was a real challenge both musically and dramatically. In the end, I know we were all very proud of what we were able to bring to Winnipeg audiences and grew a lot from the experience. This production also helped me to connect with the very special Manitoba arts community. As a Canadian artist, it’s very special to connect with different communities across our vast country. Winnipeg is certainly one of the most amazing centres for arts in Canada, and a place I hope to return to over and over. -Sara Schabas www.saraschabas.com
