Joseph Rouleau

Joseph A. Rouleau, CC GOQ (born February 28, 1929) is a French-Canadian bass opera singer, particularly associated with the Italian and French repertories.

Contents

• Joseph Rouleau sings Flix Leclerc
• Joseph Rouleau sings Boris Death Scene
• Selected recordings
• Songs
• References

Born in Matane, Quebec, he studied privately with Edouard Woolley and Albert Cornellier in Montreal, and at the Conservatoire de musique du Quebec a Montreal with Martial Singher. He went to Milan, Italy, for complementary studies with Mario Basiola and Antonio Narducci. He sang small roles with the Opera national du Quebec, but his real debut was as Colline in La boheme, in New Orleans Opera, in 1955. He made his Opera Guild of Montreal debut as Philip II in Don Carlos (one of his greatest roles) in 1956. He also appeared in concert and on Canadian radio and television.

Engaged by the Royal Opera House in London, Rouleau sang with the company in Cardiff, Manchester, and Southampton prior to his London debut as Colline on 23 April 1957. Leading roles followed in over 40 productions there during the next 20 years. His Count Rodolfo in Bellini's La Sonnambula in 1960 with Joan Sutherland, led to a collaboration with the soprano which included his debut at the Paris Opera that year as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor and a 1965–66 Australian tour during which he won high praise particularly for his Assur in Rossini's Semiramide.

A consummate actor and musician, Rouleau sang a wide range of roles, he expanded his repertoire to include German and Russian roles, notably Titurel in Parsifal, and the lead in Boris Godunov. He also won considerable acclaim as Don Quichotte, and Mephistofeles in Faust. In 1976, he participated for the BBC, in a performance of the complete French version of Don Carlos, singing Philippe II.

He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera on April 13, 1984, as the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos, under James Levine. Since 1987 he has appeared in concerts and recitals with accompanist Pierre Brabant. Many of their recitals together have been devoted to the music of Felix Leclerc.

In 1977, he was made an officer of the Order of Canada, and was promoted to companion of the Order of Canada in 2010. In 1999, he was made an officer of the National Order of Quebec was promoted to grand officer in 2004. In 1990, he was awarded the Prix Denise-Pelletier award of the Prix du Quebec. Mr. Rouleau was the recipient of a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2004. Rouleau was chosen as the mentor in the 2014 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards' Mentorship Program in which a mid-career artist is paired with a past Governor General's Performing Arts Awards recipient. The mentor and protege learn from each other's experiences. Rouleau mentored tenor Jean-Philippe Fortier-Lazure.

He was also active as a teacher at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal, where he founded an opera workshop, in collaboration with soprano Colette Boky.