Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program

Where talent meets mentorship, and emerging voices take center stage. Launched in 2012 through a generous gift from the family of Yulanda M. Faris, the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program at Vancouver Opera is a residency-based program that engages, enriches, mentors, and trains rising Canadian opera professionals. The program serves as a vital bridge between formal academic education and the demands of a professional operatic career, fostering artistic development within a supportive and collaborative environment. Under the leadership of Program Director Leslie Dala and Coach Tina Chang, the program provides comprehensive, individualized training to a select cohort of singers, a pianist, and a stage director each season.

A Comprehensive and Immersive Curriculum

Young Artists receive ongoing individual coaching with Vancouver Opera’s resident music staff, along with focused instruction in:

Diction and language
Acting and dramatic interpretation
Movement and stage combat
Career development and industry navigation

Pianist collaborate closely with singers in both rehearsal and coaching settings and may serve as rehearsal pianists for mainstage productions. Stage director is integrated into both the pedagogical and production aspects of the program, engaging in dramatic coachings and contributing to mainstage rehearsals in close partnership with stage directors and production staff. Additional components of the program include:

Masterclasses led by internationally acclaimed artists and coaches
Seminars on audition preparation, agency representation, and related career development topics
Performance and cover opportunities within Vancouver Opera’s mainstage productions
Community and educational outreach through school presentations and public showcases

Program Staff

Leslie Dala, Program Director Associate Conductor and Chorus Director of Vancouver Opera, Leslie Dala has conducted numerous productions with the company, including Madama Butterfly, Albert Herring, The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro, as well as the world premieres of Stickboy and The Overcoat – a musical tailoring. Tina Chang, Coach Pianist and vocal coach Tina Chang is a member of the music staff at Vancouver Opera and has most recently worked with Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland. Based in Vancouver, she has collaborated with several prominent local organizations including Chor Leoni, re:Naissance Opera, Health Arts Society, and the Queer Arts Festival. She is currently on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music and serves on the coaching staff at the University of British Columbia. Ms. Chang holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Music degree from the University of Minnesota.

Soprano

Julia LoRusso

Julia LoRusso is a Canadian soprano known for her vocal agility and sweet tone. Recently performed roles include Despina (Così fan tutte), Nannetta (Falstaff), Morgana (Alcina) and Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring). She won the Encouragement Award in the 2025 Met Opera Laffont Competition and third place in the 2024 Toronto Mozart Vocal Competition. Julia holds a Master of Music degree from Western University in her hometown of London, Ontario.

Mezzo-Soprano

Marianne Bertrand

Quebec mezzo-soprano Marianne Bertrand is praised for her “very pretty mezzo voice” and dramatic talent (Revue l’Opéra). She joins Vancouver Opera’s Young Artist Program in 2025–2026. She has performed and will perform roles such as Hänsel, Dido, Laetitia, Croûte-au-pot, Orlofsky, and Prince Charmant in Canada and Germany, and was a national laureate of the CFMTA competition.

Tenor

Lyndon Ladeur

Lyndon Ladeur’s favourite performances include Fadinard in Il cappello di paglia di Firenze and Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore. Internationally, Lyndon debuted at the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in the UK, playing Marco in The Gondoliers, winning Best Male Vocalist. Lyndon completed his Masters of Opera at the University of Toronto in 2024. He studies with famed soprano Wendy Nielsen.

Baritone

Mihnea Nitu

Praised for his “booming and robust vocals” (Opera Canada), Romanian-Canadian bass-baritone Mihnea Nitu is a rising operatic talent. Recent roles include Blond Eckbert with Opera McGill, and the Father in Hansel and Gretel with Manitoba Underground Opera. In the 2025/26 season, he takes part in Interplay at the Banff Centre, workshopping new operas, and joins Vancouver Opera's Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program.

Stage Director

Tayte Mitchell

Hailing from Vulcan, AB, stage director and tenor Tayte Mitchell most recently launched Ammolite Opera as its founding Artistic Director. He is an alumnus of the McPhee Artist Program with Calgary Opera, the Music Academy of the West, and the Wolf Trap Opera Studio. Tayte holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.

Pianist

Derek Stanyer

Dr. Stanyer has worked as a pianist/coach with UBC opera since 2019, and as an Adjunct Professor in 2023. He has recently performed both opera and art song with the Vancouver Fringe Festival, VO, Opera Unbound, COC, York Place Concerts, and many others. His doctoral research (and passion!) relates to the art songs of Nikolai Medtner, which are a largely ignored part of the art song repertoire.

Vancouver Opera