French-Canadian bass, Alain Coulombe, is one of the most prominent singers of his generation, noted as one of the Globe and Mail’s Canadian Opera Singers to Watch in 2022. For over 34 years, he has been a mainstay on all major Canadian stages, in opera and concert, while garnering international acclaim from both critics and audiences alike.
Last season, Coulombe returned to l’Opéra de Montréal as Le Spectre in Thomas’ Hamlet, to the Canadian Opera Company as l’Assistant de Descartes in La Reine Garçon and to the Calgary Opera to debut Simone in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. He also presented a recital of Reynaldo Hahn’s Mélodies with pianist Johannes Debus at BIGLAKE Festival.
His 2023-24 season featured two world premieres: Messe Solennelle pour une pleine lune d’été by Christian Thomas at le Festival d’opéra de Québec and La Reine Garçon by Michel Marc Bouchard and Julien Bilodeau at l’Opéra de Montréal. He also returned to his signature role of Zuniga in Bizet’s Carmen with l’Orchestre Philarmonique et Choeur des Mélomanes and Vancouver Opera.
Highlights from recent opera seasons include Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni at the Salzburg Festival, Der Doktor in Wozzeck at Il Teatro alla Scala, Geronte di Ravoir in Manon Lescaut at De Nationale Opera, Amsterdam, Oroveso in Norma at the Calgary Opera, Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette at l’Opéra de Montréal, as well as Timurin the Vancouver Opera production of Turandot.
Recent concert performances include the world premiere of Paul Frehner’s L.E.X. with Soundstreams, Verdi’s Requiem with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem at the Festival Music And Beyond,Schumann’s Der Rose Pilgerfahrt Op.112 at Le Festival de Musique de Lanaudière and Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ with the National Orchestra of Spain.
On DVD, he is Phinée in the EuroArts production of Lully’s Persée and Masettoin the film Don Giovanni Unmasked by Rhombus Media. On disc, he is Clark Gable in Robin de Raaff’s Waiting for Miss Monroe for Challenge Classics, Sam Jarvis Senior in Harry Somers’ Serinette, and the bass soloist in Somers’ The Death of Enkidu and Chura Churum for Centrediscs Records.
In 2023, bass Alain Coulombe was a nominee for the Ontario Arts Council’s prestigious Paul de Hueck and Norman Walford Career Achievement Award for the importance and longevity of his singing career in Canada and abroad.
OCTOBER 2025