Teachers

Sevan Kochkarian

Voice, Piano, Acting, Elementary and High-School Tutoring, Pre-School

Services offered in:

English and Armenian

Sevan Kochkarian is a lyric coloratura soprano from Vancouver BC. Sevan began her musical journey at the age of 8 when she was enrolled in piano lessons and joined the Vancouver Children’s Choir. At the age of 11 she started her private voice lessons and started dance classes at Precision Dance Academy. In her teenage years she studied at Vancouver Academy of Music with an Emphasis in Opera before heading to McGill University getting her bachelor’s and Master’s in Opera and Voice performance. Sevan has been seen performing all over Canada and Europe. Some of her roles include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Morgana in Alcina, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Mabel in Pirates of Penzances, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Rita in Rita, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Paquette in Candide and many more. Opera Canada has written two reviews on her hailing her voice: “Beautiful and sings with a huge range of emotions” and claiming to have played her characters with “Sensitivity, and nuance and a true feeling of desire”. Sevan also studied at the Vancouver Acting School + Railtown Actors Studio for 5 years and was with Premiere Talent Agency doing TV and Film work. In addition to Opera, Sevan also has a huge passion for Musical Theatre and has performed in countless productions. Her roles include Eponine in Les Misérables, Natalie Goodman in Next to Normal, Ariel Moore in Footloose, The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Mayzie La Bird in Seussical, and more.

While she still is performing, Sevan is eager and excited to share her knowledge with the next generation of performers and hopes to inspire them to pursue their dreams in performing.

Jonathan Gagné

Voice, French immersion tutoring, Elementary and High-School tutoring, Pre-School

Services offered in:

English and French

Jonathan Gagné is an award wining tenor with great talent who completed a master’s degree at McGill University. He was the lead singer and co-composer of a rock band named Noēsis, who came out with an album in 2016 (distributed worldwide). In his operatic career, he has the honour of singing with many professional opera houses as a soloist. He also sings in different types of events and is praised for his versatility (sacred music, opera, musical, etc.)

At the Opéra de Québec, he sang the roles of “André Nault” (Louis Riel) and “Borsa” (Rigoletto). With other houses, he has been “The Philistine messenger” (Samson et Dalila) at the Opéra de Rimouski, as well as the “First priest” / “First armoured man” (Die Zauberflöte), and “Ruggiero” (La liberazione di Ruggiero) at Opera McGill. As for sacred music, the young tenor sang as a soloist in both Bach’s Magnificat and first Christmas Cantata under the baton of maestro Dany Wiseman. In recent years, he performed the role of “Abdallo” in Nabucco at the Opéra de Québec and sang as a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Anima Musica in Montreal. He also was one of the soloists of the “Brigade lyrique” during the 2019 Festival d’opéra de Québec.

Recently, Jonathan made his debut as “Rinuccio” in a critically acclaimed Gianni Schicchi by Puccini with Opera Mariposa in Vancouver, and also sung a “Lippo Fiorentino” loved by the audience in Opera McGill’s production of Street Scene by Kurt Weil.

In April 2022, he was the featured opera singer in a wildly successful variety show named “Les Carnavals du monde” at the esteemed “Théâtre Le Capitole” in his hometown of Québec City.

While still being an active performing artist, Jonathan has great passion towards teaching and is eager to have a positive and meaningful impact on the next generations of students and artists.