Laurier Alumni Recognized with 2026 Dora Mavor Moore Award Nominations

June 2, 2026

Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of Music congratulates alumni Sarah Dufresne (BMus ’16) and Midori Marsh (BMus ’17) on their 2026 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Individual in the Opera Division.

The annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards celebrate excellence across Toronto’s professional theatre, dance and opera communities and are Canada’s largest and longest-running performing arts awards program.

Sarah Dufresne (BMus ’16)

Sarah Dufresne received her nomination for her performance as Gilda in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Rigoletto.

Dufresne’s debut with the Canadian Opera Company was hailed as “star-making” by the Toronto Star, while critics have also praised her “style and elegance” (Bachtrack) and the “richness of tone, some angelic high notes and admirable control” (The Arts Desk).

An internationally rising soprano, Dufresne’s recent and upcoming engagements include performances with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro alla Scala, Opéra de Montréal, Vancouver Opera, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Canadian Opera Company. Her 2026-27 season includes role debuts as Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Clorinda in La Cenerentola and Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte with the Bayerische Staatsoper Ensemble.

Midori Marsh (BMus ’17)

Midori Marsh was nominated for her performance in Sanctuary Song with Tapestry Opera.

Named one of CBC Radio’s Top 30 Artists Under 30, Marsh is quickly establishing herself as one of Canada’s rising operatic talents. Recent and upcoming engagements include performances with Tapestry Opera, Calgary Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, Wolf Trap Opera, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Guelph Symphony Orchestra.

Marsh recently completed a three-year tenure with the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, where her performances earned critical acclaim. Her growing list of accolades includes first prize and audience choice awards at both the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Competition and the Mildred Miller International Voice Competition. She has also been recognized as a finalist in the Lotte Lenya Competition and a semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

In addition to her operatic work, Marsh is currently appearing on the North American tour of The Phantom of the Opera in the role of Carlotta Giudicelli.