By Chandler Freeman-Orr
Internationally renowned soprano soloist, Michelle Todd.
Some might say Michelle Todd’s life sounds a bit too much like a fairytale to be true.
She sings, she acts, she teaches, and she gets to wear the most spectacular dresses.
For some, it’s a fantasy, but for Michelle Todd, it’s reality.
Originally from a small mining town in Nottinghamshire, England, Michelle started her performing career at the age of 12 as a member of an award-winning ensemble, Cantamus. This was the rigorous early training ground for developing her voice, and for touring and performing. She went on to study at Sheffield University where she obtained a Bachelor of Music, then continued on to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
Though Michelle has had countless mentors and teachers over the years, she continues to cite Noelle Barker as one of the most influential individuals when it comes to shaping the performer we see today. It was during her time at the Guildhall School that Michelle met Noelle, sparking a strong interest in contemporary music that carries through to Michelle’s performances today.
Teaching vocal students in her studio.
Michelle arrived in the Bow Valley in 1982 for a residency at the Banff Centre where she met her future husband, Will Schmidt, and eventually made Canmore her home.
From bases both here and in London, Michelle now shares her love of performance with audiences around the world.
Whether performing contemporary work, musical theatre in London’s West End, oratorio or chamber music, Michelle is constantly on the move. She described a recent highlight—the Western Canadian premiere of Paul McCartney’s choral work Ecce Cor Meum with Calgary’s Festival Chorus: “I could hardly wait to get on stage and share the music with the audience. It’s absolute bliss for a singer to perform in the beautiful Jack Singer Concert Hall.”
Among many other engagements next year, Michelle will perform Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit with the London Sinfonia.
With a busy travel schedule, Michelle mentions how coming back to this valley refreshes her creatively. Even when she is busy performing in other countries, she can relax by closing her eyes and imagining she is back here, sitting on her deck with a cup of tea.
Michelle also loves to teach, and many of her local students have gone on to successful careers themselves. She hopes that her students are a ‘refraction of everything she’s learned’, adding that there’s little in life more satisfying than seeing her former students excelling in music, whether it be locally or in the international music community.
She thrives on the diversity of it all. Smiling, Michelle says, “I love the thing I’m doing at the time I’m doing it”. That’s obvious to anyone who has seen her perform or had the privilege of being her student.
The Town of Canmore is inviting the community to come to the Canmore Miners’ Union Hall on September 30 beginning at 5:30 pm to celebrate several local artists who will be “spotlighted” during the Mayor’s Spotlight on the Arts celebration. The event will focus on the diversity and variety of artistic talent in Canmore. Tickets for the event are available for $15 through the Arts and Culture department at Canmore Civic Centre. Get them in person or reserve by phone at 403.678.1878. The event will be a wine and appetizer evening, with a “spotlight” on three local artists, acknowledgement of lifetime contribution to the arts, recognition for a significant community builder, an internationally recognized keynote speaker, and an emerging artist’s bursary being awarded.About the Author: Chandler Freeman-Orr is a recent Canmore Collegiate graduate with a strong love of music, literature, and writing.
