''I express myself through music. It liberates me in ways that words simply cannot. For me, a world without music is no world at all. Through a simple but powerful message, music is what connects people and we, the musicians, are the messengers.''
Canadian soprano Rachel Rhea, also knowns as Rachel Guertin-Lambertson, is known for her great musicality and sensitivity on stage. Her genuine, charming presence, combined with the warmth and agility of her voice, easily captivates the audience, making her a promising young artist.
Rachel obtained her Bachelor of Music in classical voice performance at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal and her Master of Music at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, with a mention of excellence. During this period, she performed at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam and was a soloist in Mozart's Davide Penitente, with Koor Meneer de Wit and the Mozart orchestra, directed by Ivo Meinen, at the Zuiderkerk and the Dominicuskerk, in Amsterdam. The young singer has also distinguished herself in several international competitions including the Concours International de Chant Lyrique de Canari (Public's Choice Award), the Compétition Nouvelles Étoiles (first place), the Neapolitan Masters Competition (second place), the Progressive Musicians Carnegie Hall Competition (second place), the Concours du Chœur de la Montagne (first place), the Concours Musical de Sherbrooke (first place) and the Pierre-de-Saurel Music Competition (second place).
Rachel is the recipient of prestigious awards and scholarships, including the Holland Scholarship offered by the Amsterdam Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, the Aida bursary offered by the Jeunesses Musicales de Canada, as well as an important grant to participate in renown programs such as the Weimar Bach Cantata Academy, under the direction of Helmuth Rilling, and the Académie Internationale de Musique du Domaine Forget de Charlevoix.
Her first big appearance was in 2018, when she sang the aria Zerfliesse mein Herze from Bach's Johannes-Passion during the Montreal Bach Festival, directed by Julian Prégardien, at the Church of St. Andrews and St. Paul and at the Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, in Montreal. Throughout the last years, Rachel was also seen performing the leading roles of the Noémie in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Papagena and Knabe Zwei in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and Ida in Strauss's Die Fledermaus. In March 2023, she will be performing in Bach's Markus-Passion, with the Kölner Akademie, directed by Michael Alexander Willens, in Coesfeld, Germany.
She has worked with several renowned teachers, coaches, and directors including Helmuth Riling, Kathy Saltzman Romey, Lorenzo Ghirlanda, Julien Prégardien, Don Marrazzo, Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Krisztina Laki, Barbara Bonney, Alexander Oliver, Roberta Alexander, Martin Vacha, Ed Spanjaard, Margreet Honig, Ira Siff, Sasja Hunnego, Martin Vacha, Donna Brown and Jacques Lacombe.
Since the age of six, Rachel has extensively studied classical piano and ballet, as well as other dance styles such as ballet-jazz, contemporary and flamenco. At the age of 12, she played the role of an angel in Les Grands Ballets Canadiens' ballet The Nutcracker, which helped her develop a sense of confidence on stage. Originally from Montreal, she grew up in a French and English-speaking environment, making her fluent in both languages. She also has great ease in Spanish and German.