Residency recital
Éclosion
With Julien LeBlanc, piano. Works by Debussy, Strauss, Duparc, Bizet, Hahn and Donizetti. Free admission.
Thursday 12 November 2026 · 7:30 pm
Carrefour culturel de Notre-Dame-des-Prairies
Free admission
See the programme →
Soprano · Montréal · Côte d’Ivoire
A voice, a presence, an emotion.
About
A voice between two worlds
Marie France Koua is a soprano from Côte d’Ivoire based in Montréal. She first built a career in Human Resources before answering the call of singing. Six years ago she said “yes” to music: initially self-taught, she went on to train in Côte d’Ivoire, in France and at the Université de Montréal, where she earned a Master’s in classical voice performance in 2026.
In 2022 she was a semi-finalist in the Africa Lyric’s Opera competition in Paris. In 2023 she sang Despina (Così fan tutte) with orchestra in “Mozart en Italie” at the Opéra de Bordeaux, conducted by R. Gatto. At the Université de Montréal she appeared as a soloist in the Atelier lyrique opera gala (“Placido è il mar”, Idomeneo), sang the Dew Fairy in Hänsel und Gretel and gave her mid-Master’s recital (Gluck, Berlioz, Fauré, Fortier, Liszt, Strauss) at Salle Serge-Garant in 2025. She was also selected to perform at Le Pub Classique de Montréal.
In 2026 she won the Gold Prize (93.5%) in the Provincial Soloist category of the 63rd Lanaudière Classical Music Festival and Competition, along with a Special Prize: a creative residency followed by a recital at the Carrefour culturel de Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, “Éclosion”, on 12 November 2026.
Driven by the conviction that classical music can and must speak to everyone, Marie France Koua brings opera into dialogue with the rhythms, languages and emotions of Africa.
« I dream that every note I sing may be a balm for the soul, a hand held out to those seeking a breath of beauty, peace and hope. »
I aspire to make lyric singing and opera a living music, accessible to all, whatever their origins or social conditions. Because classical music can and must speak to everyone.
Upcoming
Career highlights
Repertoire
Roles
Despina
Così fan tutte — Mozart, Opéra de Bordeaux, 2023
Dew Fairy
Hänsel und Gretel — Humperdinck, Atelier d’opéra UdeM, 2025
| W. A. Mozart | “Placido è il mar” (Idomeneo) · Così fan tutte (Despina) |
| G. Donizetti | “Prendi, per me sei libero” (L’elisir d’amore) |
| G. Puccini | Airs d’opéra / opera arias |
| C. Debussy | Nuit d’étoiles · Fantoches |
| R. Strauss | Die Nacht · Zueignung |
| H. Duparc | Chanson triste · L’invitation au voyage |
| G. Bizet | Adieux de l’hôtesse arabe · Guitare |
| R. Hahn | Le rossignol des lilas · Quand je fus pris au pavillon |
| C. W. Gluck · H. Berlioz · G. Fauré · F. Liszt | Récital de mi-maîtrise, 2025 |
| E. Humperdinck | Hänsel und Gretel (Taumännchen) |
Gallery
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I am available for solo performances, recitals, concerts, opera, musical theatre and artistic collaborations. Feel free to get in touch to book a performance.