Press kit

Marie France Koua is a soprano from Côte d’Ivoire based in Montréal. She holds a Master’s in classical voice performance from the Université de Montréal and won the Gold Prize and a Special Prize at the 63rd Lanaudière Classical Music Festival and Competition. Her art brings opera into dialogue with her African heritage.

Marie France Koua is a soprano from Côte d’Ivoire based in Montréal. After a first career in Human Resources, she fully embraced her musical calling. Initially self-taught, she trained in Côte d’Ivoire, in France and at the Université de Montréal, where she earned a Master’s in classical voice performance in 2026. On stage she has sung Despina (Così fan tutte) at the Opéra de Bordeaux and the Dew Fairy (Hänsel und Gretel) with the Atelier d’opéra de l’UdeM, and appeared as a soloist at the Atelier lyrique opera gala. In 2026 she won the Gold Prize (Provincial Soloist) and a Special Prize at the 63rd Lanaudière Classical Music Festival and Competition. Her art builds a bridge between the elegance of Western classical music and the vibrant colours of her African heritage.

Marie France Koua is a soprano from Côte d’Ivoire based in Montréal. She first built a career in Human Resources before answering the call of singing. Six years ago she said “yes” to music: initially self-taught, she went on to train in Côte d’Ivoire, in France and at the Université de Montréal, where she earned a Master’s in classical voice performance in 2026.

In 2022 she was a semi-finalist in the Africa Lyric’s Opera competition in Paris. In 2023 she sang Despina (Così fan tutte) with orchestra in “Mozart en Italie” at the Opéra de Bordeaux, conducted by R. Gatto. At the Université de Montréal she appeared as a soloist in the Atelier lyrique opera gala (“Placido è il mar”, Idomeneo), sang the Dew Fairy in Hänsel und Gretel and gave her mid-Master’s recital (Gluck, Berlioz, Fauré, Fortier, Liszt, Strauss) at Salle Serge-Garant in 2025. She was also selected to perform at Le Pub Classique de Montréal.

In 2026 she won the Gold Prize (93.5%) in the Provincial Soloist category of the 63rd Lanaudière Classical Music Festival and Competition, along with a Special Prize: a creative residency followed by a recital at the Carrefour culturel de Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, “Éclosion”, on 12 November 2026.

Driven by the conviction that classical music can and must speak to everyone, Marie France Koua brings opera into dialogue with the rhythms, languages and emotions of Africa.