Opera Atelier Artistic Directors Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Zingg's fascination with the music, theatre and dance of the 17th and 18th centuries began in classes with the late Leonard Crainford and John Marshall, respectively Chairman and Major Examiner, Royal Academy of Dancing. Early in their professional careers they received contracts to dance for one year at the famous Moulin Rouge in Paris, where they were able to undertake an in-depth study of baroque opera, ballet and drama, working from original documents housed in archives of the Bibliothèque Nationale and the Paris Opera. This was supplemented by private study with renowned baroque dramaturge, Professor Dene Barnett, studies with baroque dance expert Wendy Hilton and with Bournonville ballet specialist, Sandra Caverly.
Since founding Opera Atelier, Mr. Pynkoski and Ms. Zingg have won numerous awards including the distinction of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the Government of France and the Toronto Arts Award. For three years they were principal guest instructors at the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles, collaborating with Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre. Their acclaimed production of Dido and Aeneas played in the Royal Theatre of the Château de Versailles as well as at the BBC Proms and throughout Europe. Opera Atelier has introduced baroque opera to Asia, where productions of Lully, Purcell and Mozart have been enthusiastically received throughout Japan, Singapore and Korea.
Mr. Pynkoski and Ms. Zingg have collaborated in several films, including the award-winning The Sorceress (featuring Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Christopher Hogwood with The Academy of Ancient Music, Artists of Atelier Ballet and dancers from The Dutch National Ballet), Master Peter's Puppet Show and Inspired By Bach featuring YoYo Ma, all with Rhombus Media. The documentary (produced by Docutainment ) about their production of Lully's Persée aired on CBC Television in 2004, while the full length Persée aired on BRAVO earlier this season.
In March 2003, Mr. Pynkoski and Ms. Zingg were recognized by Time Magazine as two of six artists honoured as Canada's Best, in Music. Most recently, Mr. Pynkoski received the Muriel Sherrin Award for outstanding contribution to music in Toronto. Their 2005 production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas won the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best Production.
"The individuals celebrated in these pages (Time Magazine) nurtured their talents in Canada, but their art has left audiences and other musicians around the world spellbound." ~ Time, March 24, 2003