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The American-born tenor, David Doane, met his wife, the Canadian mezzo-soprano Marie Leferrière, while she was singing in a San Francisco Opera production of W.A. Mozart’s Magic Flute. As fate would have it, they were subsequently both asked to perform the leading roles in The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, a contemporary opera by Lukas Foss, at the San Francisco Community Music Centre. His future wife was already well-established in the musical world, while he was just beginning to pick up interesting contracts. She left North America to sing in Europe for six months, but on her return they met in St. Barthélemy, Quebec, where her family has lived since the 1700's. There, on a blustery winter day in January 1976, they were married. Then it was back to California.
Soon after their marriage, his wife became seriously ill and had to return to Montreal - for radiation treatment and then a delicate operation. She spent six months recovering in California, all the while preparing for the Dallas Dealey Opera Competition, which she won. Then, thanks to several contracts awaiting her at Radio-Canada in Montreal, and David Doane's desire to improve his vocal technique by studying with her voice teacher, in April 1977 in Sherbrooke St. across from the entrance to McGill University. He performed with an opera workshop at the Université de Montréal.
Settling in Montreal opened a niche for David Doane in the musical world: performing Canadian works. I performed here with the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec, Chants Libres, the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Radio-Canada, Radio France, the Almeida Festival in England and Vancouver New Music, to name a few. Marie Leferrière won many vocal competitions - the Prix d’Europe in Quebec, the Concert Artists Guild in New York, the ’s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands among them; she became renowned as a recital artist in venues like Carnegie Hall in New York and Salle Pleyel in Paris; and she performed operatic roles, including The Magic Flute and L’Enfant et les sortilèges with the Opéra de Montréal.
David Doane taught vocal literature at McGill University and voice at the École de musique Vincent d’Indy. He is presently assistant carillonist at St. Joseph’s Oratory. He lives in Montreal. |
