Canadian soprano Simone Osborne has been hailed as "a joy to hear" (Los Angeles Times) with "a sweet and clear sound, sensitive phrasing and gleaming sustained high notes" (New York Times). Ms. Osborne was one of the youngest winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and begins her final year as a member of the Canadian Opera Company Studio Ensemble in the 2011 – 2012 season.

Ms. Osborne will make her role debut as Gilda in Christopher Alden's production of 'Rigoletto' and Lauretta in 'Gianni Schicchi' conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, both at the Canadian Opera Company. She will also make her Vancouver Opera debut as Juliette in 'Roméo et Juliette'. In concert, she will make her Toronto Symphony debut in Mozart's 'Requiem' and will be soprano soloist in the Victoria Symphony's New Year's Day Viennese Gala. She will also tour Atlantic Canada in recital with the Debut Atlantic Recital Series.

Last season, Ms. Osborne sang Pamina in 'Die Zauberflöte' for her first major assignment with the COC. This production was conducted by COC Music Director Johannes Debus and directed by Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus. She was also seen in productions of 'Death in Venice', 'Ariadne auf Naxos', and 'Orfeo ed Euridice'. As first year member of the COC Ensemble, Ms. Osborne performed the role of Ilia in the ensemble performance of 'Idomeneo' under the baton of Harry Bicket. She was also seen as Frasquita in 'Carmen', Anne Kennedy in 'Maria Stuarda', and Rosina in 'Il barbiere di Siviglia' on tour, as well as a performance of the Pribaoutki songs in the premiere of Robert Lepage's 'The Nightingale and Other Short Fables'.

An active recitalist, Ms. Osborne was heard in recital as a part of the Marilyn Horne Foundation's "On Wings of Song" recital series, as well as a solo recital for the Hong Kong Arts Festival in the spring of 2010. She also joined the Edmonton Symphony for performances of Bach's 'Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen' and Mozart's 'Exsultate, jubilate'.

Previous operatic roles include Susanna ('Le nozze di Figaro'), Nanetta ('Falstaff'), Gretel ('Hänsel und Gretel'), Musetta ('La bohème'), Atalanta ('Serse'), Mignon ('Mignon'), Marenka ('The Bartered Bride'), Candace Brenner ('A Wedding'), Laetitia ('The Old Maid and the Thief'), Papagena ('Die Zauberflöte') and Emma Jung in the world premiere of the Canadian opera 'The Dream Healer'.

Along with the 2008 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Ms. Osborne was the 2008 winner of the Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition at the Music Academy of the West, the 2007 winner of the International Czech and Slovak Opera Competition and a prizewinner at the George London Foundation Competition, the Palm Beach Opera Competition, the Sylva Gelber Foundation and the Jaqueline Desmarais Foundation.