Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathalie Doucet.
Hi Nathalie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began playing piano at the age of three with my mother and it felt less like learning something new and more like uncovering something already written into my DNA. Music shaped my childhood. By six, I was taking formal piano lessons with complete devotion, and I had also joined the local choir, discovering an early love for singing. Those two passions, voice and piano, would ultimately define my life.
As I grew older, my studies became more serious. I earned a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a specialized soloist diploma in piano performance, but I could never stay away from singers. Everything changed when I met my mentor, the late Dixie Ross Neill, a remarkable coach at McGill University. She took me under her wing with extraordinary generosity and guided me toward my first job as an opera coach. I owe so much of what I know to her.
My career expanded quickly and took me across Canada, the United States, and Europe. In 2009, I moved to the Netherlands where I spent twelve transformative years working with world renowned singers and conductors, including collaborations at the Concertgebouw, one of the most celebrated halls in the world.
I made the move to Detroit in 2021 after many years abroad. What drew me to Detroit Opera was the opportunity to build a Resident Artist Program where I could mentor emerging artists and help them refine their craft before they step onto major stages. Detroit Opera felt like a beacon of artistic hope and possibility that I simply could not resist and I am grateful every day that I made that move to be the Head of Music and Director of the Resident Artist Program for this great company.
I have been working with singers for as long as I can remember and I fell in love with opera as a young adult. The meeting of voice, language, storytelling, visual art, and drama is something that continues to inspire me after thirty years in this profession. It remains the source of my passion and the foundation of the work I love.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being an artist comes with its own set of challenges. It is rarely a straight or obvious path to success. The bumps along the way have only made me stronger and more determined. The sacrifices of countless hours at the piano or in a rehearsal room are worth it when I see a production come alive on stage. This field is not easy to break into and it is fiercely competitive. You must be focused, resilient, and unwavering in your commitment to the end goal, which is to make meaningful art.
This career also requires time away from the people you love. My family is in Canada and I have spent many years working wherever the opportunities were, because artists must often follow the work rather than wait for it to come to them. A life in the arts does not follow a traditional schedule. Twelve hour days and long rehearsal periods are part of my everyday reality, yet the reward of seeing an excellent artistic result makes every sacrifice worthwhile.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an opera coach, collaborative pianist, and mentor who has dedicated my life to working with singers. My work centers on helping emerging and established artists deepen their musical understanding, refine their vocal and stylistic choices, and find a clear connection between language, sound, and storytelling. I specialize in vocal diction, interpretation, and the intricate process of preparing operatic roles and concert repertoire. After more than thirty years in this profession, I still love being in a rehearsal room, guiding singers toward artistic choices that feel honest and expressive and gaining their trust is the best gift in the world.
I would like to think that what I am known for is my ability to combine musical precision with a human and supportive rehearsal environment. I bring a deep love of languages to my work and I believe that text is one of the most powerful tools a singer has. When language is alive, expressive, and fully understood, everything else in the music becomes richer and more grounded. This approach has shaped many of the artists I have trained both in Europe and in the United States.
One of the accomplishments I am most proud of is becoming the first ever Head of Music at Detroit Opera. When I moved to Detroit in 2021, I saw an opportunity to build something meaningful and lasting. I have been able to grow the Detroit Opera Resident Artist Program into a place where emerging singers can develop their craft in a rigorous yet supportive environment. Mentoring these artists and watching them step into major opportunities has been some of the most rewarding work of my career.
What sets me apart is the breadth of my experience and the perspective I bring from having lived and worked across Canada, the United States, and Europe. My years in the Netherlands, especially working with world renowned singers and conductors at institutions like the Concertgebouw, shaped me profoundly. I understand the demands of the profession from the inside and I bring that knowledge to every coaching session.
Above all, I am driven by a sincere belief that Opera and Classical music is for everyone who wants to enjoy it. When voice, language, drama, and music come together, something extraordinary happens. Helping singers discover that magic and watching them grow into artists who can move an audience is what continues to inspire me every single day.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I have always been a risk taker, both personally and professionally. My entire career has been shaped by big moves and decisions. Leaving Canada to work in the United States, then uprooting my life to build a career in Europe, and later returning to the United States again were all significant risks. Each move meant starting over in a new culture, learning new languages, building new networks, and trusting that the work would meet me on the other side of the unknown. Choosing to take on new roles and responsibilities, including what I do at Detroit Opera, was also a leap into unfamiliar territory.
For me, risk is not about recklessness. It is about recognizing when something in your life is calling you forward, even if the next step feels uncertain. Every major turning point in my career has come from following that instinct. I believe that growth rarely happens in comfort and that an artist must be willing to stretch, to adapt, and to embrace the unfamiliar. The risks I have taken have taught me resilience, curiosity, and courage. They have also opened doors I could never have imagined if I had stayed where it felt safe.
I see risk as an essential part of an artistic life. It pushes you to evolve, to meet new challenges with openness, and to discover the version of yourself that only reveals itself when you step into something new. Looking back, every risk I took brought me closer to the work and the life I am meant to live, and I am grateful for each one.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathaliemdoucetofficial?igsh=YzJ5ODR6ZGNrcnU2&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathaliedoucetcoach/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaliedoucetcoach
- Other: https://www.detroitopera.org
