Friday, June 12th

Debora was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland where music and theatre were all around her. Her training in voice, piano and dance began when she started school and she went on to receive a BMus degree in Performance from the University of Toronto and an MFA in Directing at York University. Debora is also a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor and brings that practice into her voice and singing teaching and performing.

A Tyrone Guthrie Award-winner, Debora spent several seasons at the Stratford Festival that included Broadway, and London West End runs of the Mikado. Other favourite roles include Evita and Emily Dickinson in the one-woman play, The Belle of Amherst (Stephenville Festival), Aggie in the contemporary Canadian opera, The Boiler Room Suite (Opera Ora Now), and May in the Affections of May (Showboat Theatre).

Debora has taught voice at the George Brown Theatre School since 1998. She also headed the Voice department at the University of Windsor and taught at Erindale College (UofT). She taught singing in the Theatre department at York University and in the renowned Musical Theatre Department at Sheridan College. Debora has worked with the Soulpepper Theatre Company, the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, Elevated Grounds, and with Workman Arts, in association with CAMH, the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health. She was the singing coach for episodes of Star Trek: Discovery and the Handmaid’s Tale. She also teaches voice and singing in her private studio in Toronto. Debora is an RCM certified teacher and has adjudicated several festivals in Ontario including the Oshawa Whitby Kiwanis Festival, the Durham Showcase Festival and the Kinsman Club of Cornwall Music Festival. She is looking forward to engaging with the participants of the OMFA Provincial Finals this year!