Faculty

How we became a team

The opportunity to collaborate with Laetitia Bougnol was illuminating from our first collaboration in Lyon, now almost 10 years ago. Her simultaneous grasp of the big picture even as she exposed new details of expression was inspiring and humbling. Bringing songs to life with Laetitia has been so rewarding and energizing – the experience often transformative.

L’opportunité de collaborer avec Laetitia Bougnol a été éclairante dès notre première collaboration à Lyon, il y a maintenant presque 10 ans. Sa compréhension simultanée de la situation dans son ensemble, tout en exposant de nouveaux détails d’expression, était inspirante et humiliante. Donner vie aux chansons avec Laetitia a été tellement enrichissant et énergisant – l’expérience est souvent transformative.

Celebrating 50 years of professional life since his operatic debut at the 1974 Stratford Festival, Daniel Lichti is recognized as one of Canada’s finest bass-baritones, performing internationally and with many of North America’s leading Orchestras and Choral organizations (both modern and baroque). No stranger to the operatic stage, he is a seasoned Bach interpreter, a frequent performer at summer music festivals, and has gained international acclaim in recitals and as a recording artist. Among his extensive discography are five critically acclaimed Lieder recordings of collections by Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Hugo Wolf.

After 19 years of teaching and Coordinating Voice for the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University, Associate Professor Emeritus Lichti during which he became a familiar teacher and performer at the Académie Internationale d’Eté de Musique de Lyon, he also joined Académie International de Musique in Paris and Musiktage am Rhein in Germany in 2022.

Recent pre-pandemic performance highlights include the Bass arias in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra under Mark Vuorinen, the world premiere of Ruth Fazal’s Jerusalem with the North Bay Symphony Orchestra, the role of Bartolo in semi-staged concert performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with the National Arts Center Orchestra under Alexander Shelley, and a performance of Fauré’s Requiem in the Notre Dame Basilica of Lyon under Bernard Tétu. A collaboration with the Penderecki String Quartet led to performances of Richard Krug’s arrangement of Schubert’s Winterreise in Toronto, Waterloo, and at the Elora Festival.

In March 2022, he returned to perform Part 2 of Handel’s Messiah and the Duruflé Requiem with the Bach Choir and Orchestra of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. His concerts in 2023 include recitals in Paris and the world premiere of Five Songs, composed by Daniel Warren, with the Rose Orchestra in Brampton.

Daniel Lichti

Bass-Baritone, Professor Emeritus of Voice

Daniel Lichti

Bass-Baritone, Professor Emeritus of Voice

Celebrating 50 years of professional life since his operatic debut at the 1974 Stratford Festival, Daniel Lichti is recognized as one of Canada’s finest bass-baritones, performing internationally and with many of North America’s leading Orchestras and Choral organizations (both modern and baroque). No stranger to the operatic stage, he is a seasoned Bach interpreter, a frequent performer at summer music festivals, and has gained international acclaim in recitals and as a recording artist. Among his extensive discography are five critically acclaimed Lieder recordings of collections by Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Hugo Wolf.

After 19 years of teaching and Coordinating Voice for the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University, Associate Professor Emeritus Lichti during which he became a familiar teacher and performer at the Académie Internationale d’Eté de Musique de Lyon, he also joined Académie International de Musique in Paris and Musiktage am Rhein in Germany in 2022.

Recent pre-pandemic performance highlights include the Bass arias in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra under Mark Vuorinen, the world premiere of Ruth Fazal’s Jerusalem with the North Bay Symphony Orchestra, the role of Bartolo in semi-staged concert performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with the National Arts Center Orchestra under Alexander Shelley, and a performance of Fauré’s Requiem in the Notre Dame Basilica of Lyon under Bernard Tétu. A collaboration with the Penderecki String Quartet led to performances of Richard Krug’s arrangement of Schubert’s Winterreise in Toronto, Waterloo, and at the Elora Festival.

In March 2022, he returned to perform Part 2 of Handel’s Messiah and the Duruflé Requiem with the Bach Choir and Orchestra of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. His concerts in 2023 include recitals in Paris and the world premiere of Five Songs, composed by Daniel Warren, with the Rose Orchestra in Brampton.

Laetitia Bougnol

Pianist, Professor of Accompaniment

Après de brillantes études au Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse (CNSMD) de Lyon, qu’elle conclut par des prix de piano (classe d’Éric Heidsieck) et d’accompagnement au piano (classe de Suzy Bossard), Laetitia Bougnol obtient les certificats d’aptitude aux fonctions de professeur de piano et de professeur d’accompagnement au piano. Elle est professeur d’accompagnement au piano au Conservatoire de Lyon (CRR) et chargée de cours au CNSMD de Lyon.

Après avoir été la pianiste accompagnatrice et assistante pendant dix ans de la classe de Philippe Bernold, elle a été accompagnatrice au CNSMD de Paris. Actuellement, elle accompagne la classe de violon de Jean Lénert à la Schola Cantorum de Paris.

Laetitia Bougnol se produit régulièrement au sein de l’Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon, de l’Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France et de l’Orchestre philharmonique de Luxembourg. Elle accompagne de nombreuses classes de maître (Emmanuel Pahud, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Aurèle Nicolet…). Elle a accompagné les Concours Jean-Pierre-Rampal, Maurice-André, Aurèle-Nicolet à Pékin, Maxence-Larrieu à Nice.

Elle est lauréate de l’Académie Maurice-Ravel et a obtenu le troisième prix au Concours international Maria-Canals de Barcelone (avec le flûtiste Julien Beaudiment).

Elle a enregistré avec le trio Michel Becquet/André Cazalet/Thierry Caens, et en duo avec les flûtistes Jean-Louis Beaumadier ou Karl-Heinz Schütz, et avec le percussionniste Philippe Limoge.

Au cours des dix dernières années, elle s’est souvent produite en récital avec le baryton-basse Daniel Lichti.

Leslie De’Ath is a Canadian pianist, conductor, author, vocal coach, historian and bibliophile. His pianism embraces solo, chamber, concerto and accompanying activity, and he released about 25 commercial recordings during the CD era. A professor in the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University since 1979, he retired in 2019. There he taught studio piano, was coordinator of Opera Laurier, and conducted over 30 of the Faculty’s opera productions. He was the pianist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and the Canadian Chamber Ensemble for the duration of their existence, and soloed with both on several occasions. He was co-author of The Cyril Scott Companion (Boydell, 2018), a groundbreaking life-and-works of that composer, and recorded Scott’s complete piano works on nine CDs (Dutton Epoch, 2000-2010).

He has had the privilege of accompanying many wonderful singers in recital and on recording, including many performances of Schubert’s Winterreise with Daniel Lichti.

Leslie De’Ath

Pianist, Professor Emeritus of Piano

Leslie De’Ath

Pianist, Professor Emeritus of Piano

Leslie De’Ath is a Canadian pianist, conductor, author, vocal coach, historian and bibliophile. His pianism embraces solo, chamber, concerto and accompanying activity, and he released about 25 commercial recordings during the CD era. A professor in the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University since 1979, he retired in 2019. There he taught studio piano, was coordinator of Opera Laurier, and conducted over 30 of the Faculty’s opera productions. He was the pianist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and the Canadian Chamber Ensemble for the duration of their existence, and soloed with both on several occasions. He was co-author of The Cyril Scott Companion (Boydell, 2018), a groundbreaking life-and-works of that composer, and recorded Scott’s complete piano works on nine CDs (Dutton Epoch, 2000-2010).

He has had the privilege of accompanying many wonderful singers in recital and on recording, including many performances of Schubert’s Winterreise with Daniel Lichti.