Giuseppe Pietraroia, conductor

Giuseppe Pietraroia is Associate Conductor of the Victoria Symphony and newly appointed Principal Conductor of Pacific Opera Victoria. As a guest conductor he has been engaged by l’Orchestre Métropolitain, Orchestra London, Vancouver Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Hamilton Philharmonic, Okanagan Symphony, Regina Symphony, Kingston Symphony and Thunder Bay Symphony.

His extensive opera engagements with Pacific Opera include productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia, La traviata, La bohème, Lucia di Lammermoor, Norma, Rigoletto, Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly, La Cenerentola, Tosca, and Let’s Make an Opera/The Little Sweep. In addition, he has conducted productions for l’Opéra de Montréal, l’Opéra de Québec, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Edmonton Opera, Opera New Brunswick, Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Program, and l’Institut Canadien d’Art Vocal.

With Victoria Choral Society, where he was Music Director for seven seasons, Maestro Pietraroia conducted performances of Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Mass in C minor with the Victoria Symphony, a choreographed production of Orff’s Carmina Burana in collaboration with Ballet Victoria, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus, and the Duruflé and Fauré Requiems.

Maestro Pietraroia has recorded a CD with soprano Marie-Josée Lord and l’Orchestre Métropolitain for the ATMA label, which won a Felix award granted by l’ADISQ and was also nominated for a JUNO award.

Giuseppe Pietraroia is the recipient of the George and Jane Heffelfinger Pacific Opera Victoria Artist of the Year Award and the Canada Council’s Jean-Marie Beaudet Award in Orchestral Conducting.

Diane Pancel, vocalist

Diane Pancel is a multi-faceted jazz and R&B singer who has performed nationally and internationally. The Sidney-born soprano with a four-octave range has enjoyed a successful career, collaborating with such well-known names in the music industry as David Foster, Nelly Furtado, Leanne Rimes, and Matt Dusk. She has provided the voice for countless radio and TV advertisements, and sang the national anthems at NHL, NBA and MLS sporting events. Following three years in Los Angeles, the singer, songwriter and performer returned to British Columbia where she continues a busy schedule, creating programs that pay tribute to great vocalists such as Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, Barbra Streisand, and Whitney Houston. Some of her most recent local appearances include The Butchart Gardens with the Chris Millington Band, the Commodores Big Band at the Mary Winspear Centre and, in September, a “Musical Homecoming” for the 50th anniversary of Parkland Secondary School in North Saanich.

Diane Pancel’s family roots have inspired an international flavour to some of her repertoire. As she explained in a recent profile for Seaside magazine, “I grew up with music around me. My dad was from Hungary, and my mom is from Portugal.” Her love of music perhaps comes as no surprise. Her father was an opera singer, and music was a constant in the family home. “Dad was the singer in the family and he was my voice teacher,” she says. Diane took part in choir at her elementary school and participated in musical theater, acting and dance at Parkland Secondary. She also did musical appearances outside of school, both in Victoria and Vancouver. At age 17, accompanied by her first professional band, she toured throughout the province and Alberta. Diane shares that her journey has been an interesting, winding road, but her love of music remains as strong as ever. “When I reflect now on the things that I’ve done all these years, I think I am just as passionate about it all as when I started.”