Summer 2026 Emerging Artists Summer Opera Intensive 

Canadian stage director Rob Herriot’s career has taken him across North America. In the past year, Rob has been very fortunate to have stayed busy. He directed At the Statue and of Venus and Bon Appetite for the Little Opera Company’s I Need Opera…and Dance that premiered in the fall of 2020. Earlier this year he wrote and directed a 6-part series called Opera School for Manitoba Opera. He has directed productions of Madama Butterfly, Lucia de Lammermoor, La Boheme, Carmen, Rigoletto, and Don Pasquale (Manitoba Opera), Barbar of Seville, Don Pasquale (Livermore Valley Opera), La Traviata, Don Pasquale (Opera Hamilton), Carmen, Don Pasquale (Arizona Opera), Don Pasquale (Connecticut Opera, Utah Opera), new productions of Rigoletto (2019), HMS Pinafore (2018), Hansel and Gretel, and Magic Flute. Other productions from Edmonton include Turandot, Pirates of Penzance, La Fille Du Regiment, HMS Pinafore (Edmonton Opera-winner of a Sterling Award for Outstanding Musical of the Season); Tosca, The Mikado, La Cenerentola, all nominated for Sterling Award’s Best Musical Production of their year. For Calgary Opera he has directed productions of Tosca and Barber of Seville, both nominated for Betty Mitchell awards for Best Musical of 2009 and 2018 seasons, as well as La Boheme for the 40th anniversary of the company. Other productions for Calgary include The Magic Flute, Pirates of Penzance and Candide, as well as numerous shows for their Emerging Artists program.

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Denise Williams is a seasoned professional in the world of music and performance education, dedicated to nurturing the next generation of talent. With over 30 years of experience as an international soloist, Denise has graced concert, opera, and theatre stages, collaborating with renowned organizations such as The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Mirvish Productions, and Theatre Northwest. ​ Denise founded No Strings Theatre with a vision to empower young artists by building their musical theatre skills and equipping them with essential life and team skills. As a respected voice educator, Denise has taught privately for over 25 years and serves as a Vocal Instructor at Sheridan College’s Music Theatre department. She is also an advanced voice teacher certified by the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) and a voice professor at Canada Christian College. ​ Her professional affiliations include her role as Vice President of the National Association for Teachers of Singing (NATS), and member of Canadian Actors Equity. Denise’s leadership and commitment to inclusivity in the arts continue to inspire and guide No Strings Theatre’s mission to provide accessible, high-quality training and performance opportunities for emerging artists.

Marcia Whitehead sang professionally as a mezzo soprano with Opera companies and Symphonies across Canada for over 15 years. She apprenticed with Montréal Opera's L'Atelier Lyrique, and is an alumnus of numerous operatic young artist programs. Today, Marcia focusses on preparing the next generation of singers via her private teaching studio, high-energy masterclasses, and as a music festival adjudicator. As well, she gives motivational talks centred around her book, Botox Me - A memoir, which recounts the highs and lows of her her roller-coaster ride with muscle tension dysphonia. Marcia is thrilled to be back with No Strings Theatre's 2025 summer program as a mentor and masterclass clinician. To learn more about Marcia, please visit marciawhitehead.com

Brett Polegato’s artistic sensibility has earned him the highest praise from audiences and critics: “his is a serious and seductive voice” says The Globe and Mail, and The New York Times has praised him for his “burnished, well-focused voice” which he uses with “considerable intelligence and nuance.” The Italian-Canadian baritone appears regularly on the world’s most distinguished stages, including those of Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Concertgebouw, the Opéra National de Paris, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, the Teatro Real, Roy Thomson Hall, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall, and has collaborated with such conductors as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Daniele Gatti, Andris Nelsons, Bernard Haitink, Seiji Ozawa, Jeffrey Tate, Marc Minkowski, and Martyn Brabbins. He can be heard as soloist in the Grammy Awards’ Best Classical Recording of 2003 – Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony (Telarc) with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Robert Spano. https://brettpolegato.com/

Ash was born in Montreal, Quebec and started working at a young age as an actor, getting his first agent at the age of 10. He moved to London, England at the age of 20 to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for 3 years on a scholarship. He graduated with a R.A.D.A. Diploma and a Bachelor’s Degree in Acting from the University of London. He remained in England acting in various productions before returning to Canada and performing at the Stratford Festival of Canada. Ash has been fortunate to work with some of the most talented artists in the U.K. (Birmingham and London), the U.S.A. (New York), all over Canada, and even Uganda (Kampala). Ash was nominated for a Dora award as Best Actor (Brothel #9), and as Best Director (Tyson’s Song); for a Critic’s Choice award for Directing (Tragedie of Lear), and a Pauline McGibbon Award in Directing for 2024. His first play, Enkidu and Gilgamesh was work-shopped in London, England (2011) and New York City (2013). He is currently working on a translation and adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac with Pleiades Theatre. He’s been part of numerous new play development workshops, regularly works on directing/teaching Shakespeare workshops, and recently participated in The Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Directing. He is currently the Artistic Executive Director of Pleiades Theatre.