Soprano Maria Drost has shown passion for music since she was very young. She sang often with her family at events in Calgary. When she joined the renowned, award – winning choir of Rocky Mountain College in Calgary, director Henric Idestrom, discovered her fine gifts. Training with Canadian Tenor, Ernest Atkinson followed and led to many award-winning performances including the Polyna Savridi Memorial Scholarship and Frank Manzara Memorial Scholarship (Kiwanis Festival 2009), Bernard Memorial Medal (Calgary Kiwanis Festival 2009) and the Philip May Scholarship (NATS Competition 2009). She is a skilled recitalist and was presented in recital by the ProArts Society in Calgary (Summer of 2009). Ms Drost was a member of the Calgary Opera Chorus from 2004-2009, appearing in Carmen, Tosca, The Ballad of Baby Doe and Faust. Further in the field of opera, Maria has worked with prominent coaches and teachers including an exclusive workshop with the world renowned Richard Armstrong, classes with the Metropolitan Opera mezzo-Soprano Mignon Dunn, Canadian Opera Company’s Laura Whalen, and New York City Opera’s mezzo-soprano Joan Caplan. In 2009 she was chosen to attend the Manhattan School of Music Summer Voice Institute. She is currently enrolled in the Masters of Performance and Literature degree at the University of Western Ontario, studying with internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Patricia Green.