Elisabeth St-Gelais

Named Radio-Canada Classical Revelation for the 2023-2024 season, Elisabeth St-Gelais earned her Master’s degree in Music, specializing in “Voice and Opera,” from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music in April 2023.
An Innu from the Pessamit community, Elisabeth places great importance on sharing her culture through her mission as an artist. She was awarded the prestigious Wirth Vocal Prize from McGill University in March 2022, won the Grand Prize in the 19-30 category at the Canada Canimex Music Competition in June 2022, and was featured that same year on the prestigious #CBC30under30 list, where she stood out as an emerging Indigenous opera artist under 30. In April 2023, she received the First Prize in the 26-30 category at the Classival Festival. Elisabeth St-Gelais also won the 2023 Prix d’Europe on June 11 at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and was awarded both First Prize and the Audience Choice Award at the Canadian Opera Company’s 2023 CentreStage Competition.
In November 2023, she was named the Western Canada District Winner and received the Northwest Regionals Encouragement Award at the MET Opera Laffont Competition. Deeply involved in Montreal’s musical community, the soprano has served as a board member of the Conseil Québécois de la Musique since April 2023.
Elisabeth has performed extensively across Canada, with invitations from the Canadian Opera Company, Orchestre de l’Agora, Orchestre symphonique des jeunes de Montréal, I Musici de Montréal, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Orchestre symphonique de la Côte-Nord, Orchestre classique de Montréal, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Cecilia Concerts, Festival d’opéra de Québec, and more.
As an Indigenous artist committed to reconciliation between Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, Elisabeth proudly represents the Innu Nation of the Côte-Nord region.