“Alain Coulombe is flawless and disturbing as Sparafucile. His massively deep bass voice probes the theatre like the growl of a lion.”
Grania Litwin, Times Colonist, April 2006

“The star had to be Toronto-based Alain Coulombe, whose rich, commanding basso was tailor-made for the role of the King of Clubs.”
John Terauds, Toronto Star, February 2005

“With his lush, resonant voice…Alain Coulombe was as magisterial a Sarastro as one could wish. His bass plumbed the challenging depths of “In diesen heil’gen Hallen” with full security of tone.”
Christopher Hoile, Stage Door, December 2005

“From the pungent opening chords of L’Opéra de Montréal’s The Rape of Lucretia, one sensed immediately that this was going to be a performance of special merit…above all Alain Coulombe, a superb Collatinus, with a voice most Wotans would envy…”
Robert Markow, Opera News, April 2003

“The best work is by Alain Coulombe as the duplicitous King Créon. He’s a real singing actor who uses all the tools at hand to create a memorable character.”
Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine, November 2002

Praised for “his deep stentorian bass voice” and “his powerful stage presence”,  French Canadian bass Alain Coulombe is one of the most commanding and exciting singers of his generation. Well known and acclaimed for his musical and dramatic versatility, as well as for his unique basso profondo voice, Mr. Coulombe is a favorite of critics and public alike. His passion for the singer-actor’s craft has won him numerous acclaims over the years, his sheer dedication to each one of his roles being a way of life for him, as well as being his one-of-a-kind and widely recognized trademark.  An alumni member of both l’Opéra de Montréal and the Canadian Opera Company’s Young Artists Programs, he has worked with conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Andrew Parrott, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Richard Bradshaw, Hervé Niquet, David Fallis, Jacques Lacombe, Judith Yan, Daniel Lipton, David Agler, Johannes Debus, David Jackson, Stephen White, Jonathan Darlington, Anthony Walker, Jean-Marie Zeitouni, Helmut Rilling, Joseph Rescigno, Mark Flint, Edoardo Muller and Bernard Labadie.

Over the last four seasons, on the operatic stage, he performed roles such as Raymond in LUCIE DE LAMMERMOOR and The Bonze in MADAMA BUTTERFLY with Cincinnati Opera, Collatinus in THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA with l’Opéra de Montréal and Pacific Opera Victoria, Sarastro in THE MAGIC FLUTE with the Canadian Opera Company, Sparafucile in RIGOLETTO and Oroveso in NORMA with Pacific Opera Victoria, Seneca in THE CORONATION OF POPPEA for Cleveland Opera, Lignière in CYRANO for Michigan Opera Theatre, Don Fernando in FIDELIO and Count Horn in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA for Vancouver Opera, Colline in LA BOHÈME for Edmonton Opera and for L’Opéra de Québec, Créon in Charpentier’s MÉDÉE and Hidraot in Lully’s ARMIDE for Toronto Opera Atelier and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.  A regular guest artist at the Canadian Opera Company, he recently was Count Ilya Rostov in WAR AND PEACE, The Priest in LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK, Doctor Grenvil in LA TRAVIATA, Le Médecin in PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE, Superintendent Budd in ALBERT HERRING, Zuniga in CARMEN, as well as covering the roles of Il Commendatore in DON GIOVANNI, Arkel in PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE, Wurm  in LUISA MILLER, Basilio in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and The Old Convict in LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK.

Over the last four seasons, on the concert stage, he performed the Bass Solo (Pater profundus) in Mahler’s 8th SYMPHONY at Brott Music Festival, Vivaldi’s DIXIT DOMINUS with the National Ballet of Canada, Tiresias  in OEDIPUS REX with  L’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Lord Valton in Bellini’s I PURITANI, Die Heremit in von Weber’s DER FREISCHÜTZ, Nourabad in Bizet’s LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES and Arkel in Debussy’s PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE for Festival Vancouver and Vancouver Opera, Le Roi de Trèfles in L’AMOUR DES TROIS ORANGES by Prokofiev with Toronto Opera In Concert, Christos Hatzis’ KYRIE for CBC Radio, Kurt Weill’s THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS and THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK for Calgary Opera Association, Tchaikovsky’s IOLANTA and a BELLINI GALA with L’Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, Schubert’s A FLAT MASS with The CBC Orchestra for Festival Vancouver, Mozart’s REQUIEM with The Elora Festival, Orchestra London and the Symphony Orchestras  of  Windsor, Thunder Bay, Victoria and Edmonton.  He also performed at the opening ceremonies of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, new home of the Canadian Opera Company and in Berlioz’s L’ENFANCE DU CHRIST with the Boston Symphony and the Dresdner Philharmonie, Germany.

Other operatic credits include Pistola in Verdi’s FALSTAFF at the Tanglewood Music Festival, The Sacristan in TOSCA and Sparafucile in RIGOLETTO for L’Opéra de Québec, Ashby in Puccini’s LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST and Zuniga in CARMEN for Vancouver Opera, Colline in LA BOHÈME, Collatinus in THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA, Masetto in DON GIOVANNI, Count Horn in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA, Lieutenant Ratcliffe in BILLY BUDD, Lodovico in OTELLO, Talpa in IL TABARRO and Don Prudenzio in IL VIAGGIO A REIMS at the Canadian Opera Company.  He was The High Priest in NABUCCO and The Mayor in JENŮFA with l’Opéra de Montréal, as well as Don Basilio in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and Don Magnifico in LA CENERENTOLA for Les Jeunesses Musicales du Canada. He also marked more acclaimed appearances as Cadmus in Handel’s SEMELE for Toronto Opera In Concert and as Seneca in Monteverdi’s L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA for Opera Atelier and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.

Mr. Coulombe appeared as Leporello alongside Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s Don Giovanni  in concert at the George Weston Recital Hall and was featured as Masetto in the Gemini winning Rhombus Media film DON GIOVANNI UNMASKED, again starring Hvorostovsky.  He also sang the role of Phinée in the live DVD production of Lully’s PERSÉEunder EuroArts with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Opera Atelier.

His recording credits include Ravel’s L’ENFANT ET LES SORTILÈGES with the Prague Symphony Orchestra for  Le Théâtre Sans Fil, Harry Somers’ SERINETTE, CHURA CHURAM and THE DEATH OF ENKIDU for Centrediscs Records, the World Premiere of David Di Chiera’s CYRANO for Michigan Opera Theatre, the soundtrack of Rhombus Media’s movie DON GIOVANNI UNMASKED under  CBC Records, as well as numerous live radio broadcasts of opera performances and concerts across North America.

This season’s upcoming performances  include Pietro in Verdi’s SIMON BOCCANEGRA at the Canadian Opera Company and Raimondo in Donizetti’s LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR with l’Opéra de Montréal.  Upcoming seasons’ highlights include Oroveso  in Bellini’s NORMA with Vancouver Opera, Comte Des Grieux in Massenet’s MANON with Ottawa Opera Lyra, Zuniga in Bizet’s CARMEN with the Canadian Opera Company and Manitoba Opera. In 2010, Alain will also be Montano in Verdi’s OTELLO and The King of Egypt in AIDA .

April  2009

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