Elisabeth St-Gelais
An Innu artist from the Pessamit community, Elisabeth places great importance on sharing her culture through her artistic mission. She was awarded the prestigious Wirth Vocal Prize at McGill University (March 2022), won the Grand Prize (ages 19–30) at the Canada Canimex Music Competition (June 2022), and was featured that same year on the #CBC30Under30 (2022) list, where she stood out as a promising Indigenous opera artist under 30.
In April 2023, she received the First Prize (ages 26–30) at the Classival Festival.
On June 11, 2023, Elisabeth St‑Gelais was awarded the Prix d’Europe at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, and later that year won both First Prize and the Audience Choice Award at the Canadian Opera Company’s CentreStage Competition 2023.
In November 2023, she was named 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, the Festival d’opéra de Québec, and many others.
As an Indigenous artist committed to reconciliation between Canada’s Indigenous and non‑Indigenous peoples, Elisabeth St‑Gelais proudly represents the Innu Nation of the Côte‑Nord.
