Obsidiana Duo
Mezzo-soprano and piano
mezzo-soprano & piano
Experience rediscovered gems from Ibero-American musical culture and history, as vocalist Camila Montefusco and pianist Yolanda Tapia share their passion for performing folk art music at the highest artistic level.
Obsidiana Duo take their name from the glassy volcanic rock at the heart of ancient Mesoamerican culture – a sacred stone with the ability to reflect light from darkness. The rich colour and tone of Montefusco’s mezzo-soprano voice pairs with Tapia’s vibrant classical piano in this showcase of historically-excluded composers and repertoire celebrating an intriguing diversity.
Since first meeting at the University of Western Ontario in 2019, Montefusco and Tapia have formed a solid musical bond which casts a glow on exquisite folk songs from their countries of origin (Brazil and Mexico). Combined with Canadian lullabies and ballads which highlight the love and respect they have for their adopted country, this program spotlights a wide variety of music styles and traditions drawn from across the Americas.
CONCERTS
2022
Manitoba Arts Network (MAN)
SHOWCASE | 7 – 9:30 pm | Friday October 28, 2022
Portage La Prairie MB | Prairie Fusion Arts & Entertainment
Camilla Montefusco with guest pianist Trevor Chartrand
Concert | 2:00 pm | Sunday October 30, 2022
Winnipeg MB | Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg
“Montefusco has a lush steady tone strong enough to bring out the beauty in andante passages but agile enough to toss off elaborate roulades.”
– StageDoor.com
BIOGRAPHY
Obsidiana Duo has a reputation as an international prize-winning collaborative pair, having been featured at CollabFest 2020, Collabaret 2020, and 2021 as part of the International Keyboard Collaborative Arts Society. Most recently, they appeared in the finals of the 2022 Puerto Rico Collaborative Piano Competition, and won a fellowship in the Toronto Art Song Festival 2022.
Camila Montefusco
Brazilian mezzo-soprano Camila Montefusco is quickly distinguishing herself as a passionate and exciting artist. Raised in a musical family, she developed a unique relationship with classical music and the fascinating repertoire of her native country. The love for this art form was greatly influenced by her father, a creative and sensitive artist who became her biggest inspiration.
For over 16 years, Camila focused on her career as an instrumentalist, earning a Bachelors Degree in Violin Performance from the University of Sao Paulo in 2017. It was during her time playing in the pit for several opera productions that Camila realized her desire to be on stage as a singer. Storytelling and connecting through music became the driving forces in her life. She holds a master’s degree in Voice Performance from the University of Western Ontario.
Prior to joining the Obsidiana Duo, Camila won first prize at the Nascent Competition in Brazil alongside friend and guitar player Vinicius Faina. Since starting her vocal studies in Canada four years ago, she has been awarded several prizes and scholarships. Achievements include an Encouragement Prize from the Metropolitan Opera Council Audition, Second Prize at the Galina Pisarenko Youth Competition (Russia), the Revelation Prize at the Linus Lerner International Vocal Competition (Brazil), and becoming the winner of the Maritsa Brookes Concerto Competition.
In 2020, Camila debuted in the role of Katisha in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. She has also been featured as La Zia Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, as soloist in Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Western University Symphony Orchestra, as Nada in Ana Sokolovic’s Svadba, and Goffredo in Handel’s Rinaldo with the Glenn Gould School. Her experiences include a residency at the Britten Pears Young Artist Program in Aldeburgh, and an Art of Song fellowship with the Toronto Summer Music Festival.
Yolanda Tapia
Yolanda Tapia is an international prize-winning pianist and a highly sought-after collaborative pianist. A native of Xalapa, Mexico, she has performed concertos with Xalapa Symphony Orchestra and CSU Symphony Orchestra, and as a pianist of the Veracruz State Youth Orchestra, CSU Symphony Orchestra, and CU Symphony Orchestra.
She was a Fulbright Scholar from 2012-2014, obtained an Academic Excellence grant awarded by the state of Veracruz in Mexico, and received recognition from CSU as the Outstanding Graduate student. Yolanda has received prizes from the Chamber Music National Competition in Mexico City, placed first and second at the CSU Concerto Competition, won the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, and was two-time finalist at the María Clara Cullell International Piano Competition, in San José, Costa Rica.
Yolanda has taken part in international chamber music festivals such as the Académie Musicale de Morges in Switzerland, Orvieto Musica in Italy, San Miguel de Allende Chamber Music Festival, Aguas Calientes Chamber Music Festival in Mexico, Bowdoin International Music Festival in the United States, Toronto Creative Music Lab in Canada, and Festival Quito Cellos in Ecuador. She has performed and given masterclasses at the University of Veracruz, the International Music Festival in Loja, Ecuador, and Cambrian College School of Music. Before pursuing graduate degrees abroad, Yolanda worked as a full-time staff pianist at the Institute of Music of Veracruz State. As a chamber musician, she has toured the Midwest with Trio Loja and across Ontario with the Carnyx Trio and Kuyum Ensemble.
PHOTO CREDIT | PC Gaetz Photography / Joe Moscheck
