DEAN ARTISTS MANAGEMENT WELCOMES ANTOINE PLANTE (CONDUCTOR)

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME CONDUCTOR ANTOINE PLANTE TO THE DEAN ARTISTS MANAGEMENT ROSTER!

Praised for his conducting vigor and innovative programming, Antoine Plante has captivated audiences and musicians alike with his ability to bring music to life. Charles Ward of the Houston Chronicle lauded him for leading "an impressive account of the Mozart’s Requiem: authoritative, vigorous, emotionally intense, at times utterly gripping."

As the founder of Mercury Chamber Orchestra in Houston, Texas, Plante has played a pivotal role in the orchestra's remarkable growth over its 24-year history. Known for his skillful programming of great classical works like Mozart’s 41st Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Reformation alongside lesser-known gems, he has helped Mercury gain a rapidly growing audience. In 2022, he further extended Mercury's artistic reach by founding the Mercury Singers, the orchestra's vocal ensemble.

A versatile conductor, Plante excels across a wide repertoire. Equally at home with romantic and modern composers, he also specializes in performing classical and baroque works with period instruments. His expertise extends to staged productions, having conducted numerous operas and ballets. In collaboration with French director Pascal Rambert, Plante produced a modern, critically acclaimed staging of Lully’s Armide in Paris and Houston. He also worked with Dominic Walsh Dance Theater to create the score for Walsh’s ballet Romeo and Juliet. His innovative spirit shone in the multimedia creation of Loving Clara Schumann, a fully staged work featuring orchestra, dancers, and vocal soloists in a compelling dramatic performance.

Plante is a passionate advocate for classical music education. He leads Mercury’s educational outreach program, which brings classroom music education to underserved schools, offers master classes for student orchestras, and provides live performances for schoolchildren. Under Plante’s leadership, Mercury has grown into a vital cultural institution in Houston, presenting over 40 concerts per season in a variety of venues, making music accessible to the entire community.

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DEAN ARTISTS MANAGEMENT WELCOMES OLIVIER BERGERON (BARITONE)

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME BARITONE OLIVIER BERGERON TO THE DEAN ARTISTS MANAGEMENT ROSTER!

Born in Montreal, French-Canadian baritone Olivier Bergeron made his stage debut at Opéra de Montréal at the age of 16, singing the role of the Younger Brother in Dead Man Walking. A graduate of the Verbier Festival’s Atelier Lyrique, he enjoys a budding career both in Europe and North America. Praised for his “impeccable diction”, his “supple and round voice” as well as his “convincing acting” (Opera Canada), he is equally at home performing opera, recitals and concert work.

Following his studies at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and at the École normale de musique de Paris, he made his European debut in 2017 with Les Talens Lyriques in the title role of La morte d'Orfeo (Landi) at the Abbaye de Royaumont conducted by Christophe Rousset, with whom he also performed Dido and Aeneas at the Festival de musique de Menton. Since then, he has appeared at Opéra Grand Avignon, Opéra de Reims and the Philharmonie de Paris. During his time as a member of Opera Fuoco's young artist program, he performed the roles of Riff (Bernstein's West Side Story), Il Poeta (Salieri's Prima la musica e poi le parole) and Andrea Coclé (Korngold's Die stumme Serenade).

Dedicated to the art song repertoire, he has appeared in recital at Wigmore Hall, the Petit Palais and Salle Cortot in Paris, at the Lachine Music Festival, with the Société d'art vocal de Montréal and at the Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montreal. While a member of the Verbier Festival Academy, he was invited to perform Poulenc's Le bal masqué in the UNLTD series with the Ensemble Appassionato. He has recently recorded his first album on the Passavant Music label and is currently taking part in the recording of a new complete collection of Reynaldo Hahn's songs with Raquel Camarinha, Michèle Losier, Cyrille Dubois, Olivier Godin and Michael McMahon.

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