Sudbury-born soprano, Irmgard Hechler grew up listening and singing to a variety of styles of music in the home all thanks to her mom’s ingenuity. Irmgard’s true passion for classical music woke when she saw her first Deanna Durbin film and knew there was only one direction to go. Originally studying vocal performance with Marion Harvey in Sudbury and then with Ingemar Korjus and Yoriko Tanno Kimmons in Ottawa she has sung roles such as “Marcellina” in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and a strong portrayal of the role of “Mme. De Croissy” in Poulenc’s Les Dialogues des Carmelites. Turning to comedy she had the audience in stitches in the role of “Dorabella” in the University of Ottawa’s production of Cosi fan tutte. After being invited to sing with the Opera Lyra Ottawa Chorus in a production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at the National Arts Centre, she joined the chorus again in Verdi’s Macbeth as well as Puccini’s Turandot with renowned tenor Richard Margison. Irmgard has sung with the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra after winning a biennial concerto competition in college and received great reviews after singing with the Brandenburg Concert Orchestra in Berlin, Germany. She continues to make concert appearances in Northern Ontario while maintaining a full teaching studio offering music lessons in voice, piano, and music theory. As secretary of The City of Lakes Music Society, Irmgard hopes to continue fostering the musical growth of Sudbury and keep contributing to it’s rich culture.