About Giselle

Giselle has spent over 20 years performing as a seasoned professional singer on stages across the world. She is a published writer, and a multi-award winning singer, songwriter and pianist. Her work includes performances with artists such as Jose Carreras (The Three Tenors) and the BBC Concert Orchestra for BBC Radio 2. She has appeared on Canadian Radio and Canadian TV (CBC), and British Television (BBC), and won Talent Rock's Top Female Vocalist Award, where she performed live on U.S. Television. She has won over 20 songwriting awards for her 2008 album Turning Circles and Marquis Records (under EMI Records) released one of Giselle's songs worldwide called "The Key". Giselle was a singer-songwriter Ensemble Director at Carleton University in Ottawa and founded the annual Muzik Ottawa event which showcases up and coming artists in the Capital Region. Giselle is a Canadian Music JUNO Award Jurist, and a Canadian FACTOR Award Jurist. She is also wrote a comprehensive video e-course entitled "The Secrets of Songwriting" which includes lyric & music writing techniques and exercises, as well as information on songwriting from Industry professionals. Giselle can be can be watched offering free tips on songwriting and navigating the music industry on her YouTube channel called MuzikPlanet. She has also previously been a successful artist manager and acquired her artists over $70,000 in grant funding, managed the release their debut album and video, placed them in high profile industry showcases and arranged one-on-one personal meetings with the heads of A&R at Sony Records and Universal Records.

Giselle currently lives in the Peloponnese, Greece where she plays an active part in the musical scene. She is regularly performing at International Music Festivals and events in the region as part of the group called "Giselle & FRIENDS". In addition, she can be found at International literary and International Poetry Festivals offering songwriting workshops or performances. Giselle is also the Founder and Musical Director of Chorodia Manis the Mani Choir.

Music Awards

2018 SONG OF THE YEAR - SEMI FINALIST (LYRICS CO-WRITTEN WITH MEL LAWMAN)

2016 SONG OF THE YEAR - BEST POP SONG - RUNNER UP

2011 WEST COAST SONGWRITERS - GENRE WINNER

2010 LOS ANGELES MUSIC AWARDS - BEST FEMALE VOCALIST - NOMINEE

2010 BILLBOARD CONTEST - BEST SOUNDTRACK - X1 HONORABLE MENTIONS

2009 ROLAND SYNTH CONTEST - BEST COMPOSITION - FINALIST

2009 BILLBOARD CONTEST - BEST ELECTRONIC /SOUNDTRACK - X2 HONORABLE MENTIONS

2009 WEST COAST SONGWRITERS CONTEST - BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY SONG - HONORABLE NOMINEE

2008 TORONTO MAGAZINE MUSIC AWARDS - BEST PROVINCIAL ELECTRONIC SONG - WINNER

2008 TORONTO MAGAZINE MUSIC AWARDS - BEST PROVINCIAL ARTIST - NOMINEE

2008 ONTARIO INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS - BEST ELECTRONIC - WINNER

2008 JOHN LENNON SONGWRITING CONTEST - BEST ELECTRONIC SONG - HONORABLE MENTION

2008 100% SONGWRITING CONTEST - BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL / NEW AGE SONG FINALIST

2008 ROLAND SYNTH CONTEST - BEST COMPOSITION - FINALIST

2008 WEST COAST SONGWRITERS CONTEST - BEST COMPOSITION - HONOURABLE NOMINEE

2008 SONG OF THE YEAR - BEST ELECTRONIC SONG - FINALIST

2008 UK SONGWRITING CONTEST - BEST SONG - SEMI FINALIST

2007 LOS ANGELES MUSIC AWARDS - BEST CLASSICAL ARTIST - NOMINEE

2007 BILLBOARD CONTEST - BEST ELECTRONIC / SOUNDTRACK - WINNER

2007 ONTARIO INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS - BEST ELECTRONIC - NOMINEE

2005 TALENT ROCK - BEST FEMALE VOCALIST - WINNER

Music Reviews

Jean-Yves Duperron - Classical Music Sentinel Album Review, Toronto, Canada​

“Though award-winning Canadian cellist, pianist and soprano Giselle Minns has already had quite a storied classical career as a professional opera singer, her crossover album, "Turning Circles" , should appeal to electronica-heads and new age music fans alike”

Press Department - Newbury Weekly News, Newbury, UK

“Classicaltronica: the fusion of classical and electronic music, and the genre created by Ottawa opera singer Giselle Minns”

Press Department - Inside Ottawa Valley, Ottawa, Canada

Opera Singer Nominated for Hollywood Award

"Imagine if you can, a mix of Filippa Giordano, Sarah Brightman, Emma Shapplin, with a darker tinge à la Enya, all done with a powerful, classicaly trained voice and supported by strong, dramatic and emotional music, and you should get a clear picture of what Giselle sounds like"

Operatic Career

Giselle is a professional soprano and completed her contract with the Opera National du Rhin in Strasbourg where she was a member of the Opera Studio.

Giselle sang the role of Adele in a Gala Performance of Die Fledermaus in Switzerland with Jose Carreras. Giselle has also sung at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, England with The English Bach Festival, where she sang the role of the Chinese Woman & The Nymph in Purcell's The Fairy Queen. She also covered this role at English National Opera, London, England along with Moira in Ruders' The Handmaid's Tale.

She has appeared on British Television for the BBC and the BBC World Service. Her radio performances have been broadcast on BBC Radio Two and Classic FM in the U.K., and also Canadian National Radio, when she was invited to perform the world premiere of a newly discovered Mozart aria at Christies in London, England.

Giselle has attended Masterclasses at The Britten Pears School with Dame Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge, and also with Hughes Cuenod & Suzanne Danco. She has also taken part in Masterclasses with Adele leigh, Jill Gomez, Marjorie Thomas, Victor Morris and Jonathan Hinden.

A regular on the recital and oratorio platforms, her performances have included a BBC Radio Two 'Friday Night is Music Night'; Mozart's Requiem and Davide Penitente at the Barbican, U.K.; and Carmina Burana with the BBC Concert Orchestra in Nottingham, England.

Operatic Roles

Servant Ion Parim Vir - Opera National du Rhin/MTW, Strasbourg, Berlin & UK

Oscar A Masked Ball Verdi - English National Opera, London, UK

Norina Don Pasquale Donizetti - Stanley Hall Opera, Essex , UK

Lucia The Rape of Lucretia Britten The European Opera Centre , UK & Hungary

Esmeralda Prodana Nevesta Smetana - Opera National du Rhin, Strasbourg ,Mulhouse

Rosita Un Mari a la Porte Offenbach - Opera National du Rhin, Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Colmar

Eleanor L’armes de Couteau Martinu - Opera National du Rhin JVR, Colmar, Strasbourg

Zerlina Don Giovanni Mozart - Diva Opera , France, UK, Switzerland

Marie La Fille du Regiment Donizetti - Diva Opera, France, UK, Switzerland

Miss Silvertone The Impresario Mozart - New London Opera, London

Susanna Le Nozze di Figaro Mozart - Diva Opera, UK, France, Switzerland

Adele Die Fledermaus Strauss - Diva Opera, UK, France, Switzerland, Stockholm

Gilda Rigoletto Verdi - Midsummer Opera, Bermuda, UK

Papagena Die Zauberflote Mozart - New London Opera, London

Frasquita Carmen Bizet - Travelling Opera, UK

Chinese Woman/Nymph The Fairy Queen Purcell - English Bach Festival, Covent Garden, UK

Trash (cover) The Fairy Queen Purcell - English National Opera, London UK

Moira (cover) The Handmaid’s Tale Rudders - English National Opera, London UK

Operatic Reviews

Rigoletto - Gilda

"Caro Nome should have been encored...exquisite interpretation...her sublime pianissimi in Tutte le Feste will linger long in the memory"

"The role of Gilda was poignantly performed by Giselle Minns, fine soprano with glorious clarity of tone who provided many of the vocal highlights of the evening"

"I would go a long way to hear Giselle Minns again...her singing tugged at the heart strings"

La Fille du Regiment - Marie

"Most memorable are the strong presence, the rich virtuosic voice of the delightful Giselle Minns, a voice capable just as much as power as of delicacy, and perfectly even throughout the large register; all these qualities rendered the role of Marie believable. Nature has been kind to this young artist: she is as good an actress as a musician, a first rate singer, she has all the assets for a great career"

Le Nozze di Figaro - Susanna

"Stars of the show....Giselle Minns....exuded dramatic confidence