Nikan Ingabire Kanate — if you have not heard of this name before, take note of it. This fast-rising soprano has been crushing her first attempt at the competition circuit over the past few months, garnering accolades for her expressive palate and depth of feeling.
She was a finalist for Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center auditions. She went on to win the People’s Choice Award at Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, followed by an Encouragement Award at the Laffont district competition.
But, the most important catalyst for her career was winning both the First Prize and Audience Choice Award at the Canadian Opera Company’s Centre Stage Competition this past October. Recently, it has been announced that she will be joining the prestigious COC Ensemble Studio, Canada’s leading career development program for emerging opera artists. And she has achieved all of this by the young age of 23.
LV spoke with Nikan about her journey in the musical world.
Who is Nikan Ingabire Kanate?
Nikan grew up in Ottawa and has Ivorian and Rwandese roots. Her interest in classical music began in elementary school when she sang in the choir. “My elementary school music teacher was the first one who told my mom (I have) a gift, (I have) to keep doing this,” says Nikan.
She attended a performing arts high school, took voice lessons, and found her love for opera. This led her to earn a Bachelor of Music at the University of Toronto. She is currently in the last semester of her Master of Music in Opera degree at the Curtis Institute of Music.
At Curtis, she has been deep diving into contemporary music this semester. She will be singing the title role for the production of Kaija Saariaho’s La Passion de Simone next month. The short opera is about Simone Weil, a French philosopher, mystic and political activist whose life was cut short at the age of 34.
Nikan is particularly drawn to this work. “Saariaho put her life into music in such a beautiful way. I’m the narrator telling the story of her life. And it’s in French, which is good for me, because French is my first language.”
COC Ensemble Studio
Nikan has her choice of training programs, but her heart was set on the COC Ensemble Studio. “COC has always been a dream for me, especially having done my undergrad in Toronto and being in that community. Having watched so many amazing productions at the COC, it’s always fun in the programs where you see the Ensemble Studio alumni in the cast. And, you know, I’m glad that one day that’s going to be me, hopefully. It just felt right.”
“This is going to be my first big job. I’m excited to learn. I know it’s going be challenging and a lot of hard work, but I think I’m ready for it after all my years in school. I’m excited to be in the amazing productions, to learn from the teachers and the staff at the COC, and I’m excited to be back in Toronto as well. I have a lot of dear friends and family in the city.”
First Prize and Hatch Audience Choice Prize Winner Nikan Ingabire Kanate performs at the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio competition in October 2025:
Next Steps
Nikan has big ambitions, and some of her dream roles include Massenet’s Manon and Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata.
She seems ready to take on the world, but she is prudently taking it one step at a time. “I’m still very young, and so the next few years, I’m just letting my voice grow. For us singers, our instrument takes time to develop. I still have so much to learn, and I’m just going take my time, see how things go, and not rush into anything too big or too fast. I also hope to start getting my name out there in the professional world now that I’m almost done with school. It’s really important for us to build connections in this industry. So, I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of new people.”
The future is bright for both Nikan and Canada’s opera world.
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