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The American-Canadian mezzo-soprano, Veronica Algie Pollicino, was raised in a family of professional opera singers and comes from deeply rooted musical traditions. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from McMaster University; her and Performance Diploma in French Horn and Piano from the Pre-College Division of Manhattan School of Music; her Licentiate Diploma in Voice Performance (2014-2016) and her Master of Music degree in Opera and Voice Performance (2016-2017) from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. At McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, she studied Voice with Stefano Algieri. Throughout her studies at McGill, she coached with Olivier Godin, Stephen Hargreaves, Valerie Kinslow and Michael McMahon. Additionally, she has coached with renowned artists and coaches Will Crutchfield, Kamal Khan, Margo Garrett, Alan Louis Smith, Kevin Murphy, Lydia Brown, François Le Roux and Liz Upchurch. She has performed in public master classes with distinguished artists including Graham Johnson, Susan Graham, Kevin Murphy, Grant Gershon, Michael Schade, Daniel Cabena, Kevin Newbury, Julian Prégardien, Kathleen Kelly and Thomas Cooley.
In May-June 2019, Veronica Pollicino was invited to the Professional Program at the prestigious Songfest institute in Los Angeles, California. While at Songfest, she performed in numerous concerts including; the Bach Cantata Institute under the direction of John Harbison; Guest Master Class with Susan Graham, The Songs of Jake Heggie concert, The Breaking of Nations: WW I & II and Recovered Voices concert, The Journey Through Schubert Lieder master series with Graham Johnson. Veronica has been awarded both a professional fellowship from Songfest and grant from the Art Song Foundation of Canada. It was in that same year that she competed in the inaugural Voci Olimpiche International Baroque Opera Competition at Teatro Olimpico Vicenza in Vicenza, Italy, but withdrew after competing in the Semi-Finals due to illness. She made her Carnegie Hall debut competing in the prestigious Oratorio Society of New York's Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition, where she was Awarded the namesake Lyndon Woodside Encouragement Award. Additionally, she was a Finalist in both the Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition, and the New York Lyric Opera National Voice Competition. She was awarded a full scholarship as one of only six singers selected for the Bel Canto Ornamentation Intensive at Teatro Nuovo under the direction of noted musicologist, conductor and Bel Canto pedagogue Will Crutchfield at Opera America in New York City.
Praised for her beautiful “copper-toned” timbre and distinguished as a “very promising” artist (Le Devoir/Montréal) with "wonderful stage presence and vocal generosity" (Revue L'Opéra/Montréal), Veronica Pollicino is quickly establishing herself as a much sought-after emerging artist in the operatic, concert and oratorio worlds. Operatic credits for Veronica have included Prince Charmant in J. Massenet’s Cendrillon (New York Lyric Opera), the title role in George Frideric Handel's Ariodante, Jean de Moncerf in J. Massenet’s Le Portrait de Manon, Bradamante in G.F. Handel's Alcina, Ciesca in the Canadian premiere of American composer Michael Ching’s opera Buoso’s Ghost, Bertarido in G.F. Handel's Rodelinda, and scenes as Dorabella in W.A. Mozart's Così fan Tutte and Vera Boronel in G. Menotti’s The Consul.
A passionate interpreter of oratorio and concert repertoire, Veronica Pollicino has performed with Le Festival Bach de Montréal in performances of J.S. Bach's St. John Passion (BWV 245) under the direction of Julian Prégardien. In addition, she has been a favorite guest soloist of the esteemed Montreal-based Cantabile Chorale and Orchestra in performances including J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248), W.A. Mozart's Coronation Mass, J. Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, G.F. Handel's Messiah, L.v. Beethoven's Mass in C major, Op. 86, Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah and most recently in W.A. Mozart's Requiem in D minor, K. 626. A frequent collaborator, Veronica will be returning as a guest soloist with the Montreal-based Cantabile Chorale & Orchestra under the direction of English conductor and composer Peter Willsher in a performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem (Verdi Requiem). Date TBD due to COVID-19.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Veronica Pollicino made her film debut in a collaboration with world renowned visual artist Stephen Talasnik and celebrated filmmaker Hamid Shams in Defying Gravity, a 40 minute documentary exploring the more current relationship of art making to conditions surrounded by the pandemic and how this period influenced the creative process. The film was released in October 2021 and is now available worldwide.
Veronica Pollicino has been on the Voice Faculty of the Music Institute of Long Island since September 2020. |
