Viviane Houle is a vocalist, improviser and songwriter who has an uncanny ability to mix musical styles as diverse as opera and avant-garde improvisation.  In the opera house and concert hall she has performed with Vancouver Opera, Standing Wave Ensemble, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and pianist Leslie Uyeda. In the jazz world, she regularly collaborates with the lions of today's improv scene, including musicians such as Jesse Zubot, Didier Petit, Ron Samworth, Sylvain Kassap, Peggy Lee, and Coat Cooke.

 

Viviane's appearances at such festivals as the Festival international de musique actuelle de Victoriaville, Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and San Francisco's soundwave>series have been marked by a freshness and commitment to musical innovation.  Her premieres of work by some of Canada's pre-eminent composers have brought life to new scores.

 

Recent highlights include a Vancouver performance with leading composer Louis Andriessen, the release of a critically acclaimed CD of duets (Treize) with leading improvisers, a performance of the premiere of Stefan Smulovitz’s Passion of Joan of Arc, and a performance with Anthony Braxton’s Sonic Genome Project. Her voice has been heard in musical scores for film, documentaries, theatre, and dance.