Biography

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Cosette Holliday is a London Ontario-based soprano, dancer, choreographer, pianist and a returning member of the Concentus Consort. She is in the first year of her Masters in Voice Performance at Western University studying with Jacklyn Short, where she also completed her undergraduate degrees in Voice Performance as a National Scholar and English Language and Literature with a minor in Dance. During this period she studied with Torin Chiles and Marianna Chibotar-Rutkevich.

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She most recently sang Strabinio (L’impresario in angustie, directed by Rose Freeman) and covered Despina (Così fan tutte, directed by David Ronis) with La Musica Lirica (2026) and was the Assistant Director of Opera at Western’s Sweeney Todd. This year, she will be singing Zerlina in their production of Don Giovanni under Joel Ivany and Dr. Simone Luti.

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As an internationally award-winning dancer, teacher and choreographer, Cosette is currently a member and choreographer of Western’s HEAT Dance Team. Recently, she has worked with Tyler Hutchings as a dancer on his 2026 project Devotion as well as his 2024 Moirai, additionally dancing in and choreographing for Ron Beckett’s 2025 production of Ruth with the Arcady ensemble.

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She began playing piano at the age of six, and has since completed her RCM Level 10 in Piano with an ARCT in Theory. Her longstanding love of choral music is additionally apparent in her extensive involvement in choirs beginning with Catholic Central High School’s Music Extension Program. There, she additionally graduated with her International Baccalaureate Diploma. At Western, she was a member of both Les Choristes (Dr. Tracy Wong) and Western Singers (Dr. Mark Ramsey).

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As a part of past opera seasons, Cosette has understudied Despina in Così fan tutte (also the Assistant Movement Director and Dance Coordinator of this production), directed by Dr. Anthony Rodrigues (2025), sung Sally in Die Fledermaus(2024), and frequently participated as a soloist in their Opera and Musical Theatre Scenes Gala, singing repertoire by Mozart, Vivaldi, Dvořák, Bizet, Gilbert and Sullivan, Vivaldi, Handel, Cimarosa, Britten and Poulenc. She has additionally participated in Stratford Summer Music’s Vocal Academy, where she studied with Kimberly Barber and Kate Carver.