Bass Jake Bigwood was the recipient of the 2023 MOST Travel Grant. The MOST Travel Grant supported Jake’s return travel to the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute (CVAI) Montréal, who offered him a scholarship for course fees and accommodation. Jake worked with the new Co-Artistic Directors Nicole Car (2008 ASC Finalist, 2012 Opera Awards Winner) and Étienne Dupuis, as well as the esteemed CVAI faculty including Joan Dornemann, Paul Nadler, Richard Margison, and a few familiar names such as Anthony Legge and Stephen Grant.

At the CVAI Intensive Summer Program, Jake took part in their Masterclasses (learning from some of the greatest opera artists in the world), individual lessons (by renowned Canadian and international teachers), concerts (taking on the challenge of performing established and new repertoire in front of audiences) and on 30 July he performed in their production of Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’.

World-renowned Lieder scholar, Richard Stokes, described Jake’s singing as a “revelation”, and we couldn’t agree more.