About

Musique Royale’s second Cookie Concert of 2026 offers a fresh take on the music of Swedish supergroup ABBA, as members of OperAtlantic blend classical artistry with the pulse of pop.

Sopranos Suzanne Rigden and Elizabeth Humphries, tenor Glen Nowell, and bass Kurt Sampson join pianist Tara Scott to reimagine familiar songs with warmth and vitality, revealing the emotion and storytelling that make ABBA’s music so timeless.

The program moves through some of ABBA’s biggest hits in unexpected and expressive ways. “Take a Chance on Me” bursts with playful momentum, while “Chiquitita” unfolds with tenderness and quiet resilience. “Super Trouper” carries an undercurrent of determination, its brightness edged with strength, and “Knowing Me, Knowing You” lingers on moments of honesty and change. In “The Winner Takes It All,” emotion and poise intertwine, and “Thank You for the Music” becomes a joyful nod to creativity and connection. “Happy New Year” balances reflection with hope, and “Dancing Queen,” always an audience favourite, fills the space with rhythm, warmth, and an energy that’s impossible to resist.

About The Artists

OperAtlantic is a collective of local artists redefining opera in Atlantic Canada through performances that connect, surprise, and welcome audiences into the experience. Pianist Tara Scott, one of the region’s leading collaborative artists, guides the ensemble through these vibrant interpretations with insight and imagination.

Tara Scott is one of Atlantic Canada’s most renowned collaborative pianists. Her love of teaching and performing has led her to pursue staff pianist positions at Dalhousie (currently), Western, Acadia, and Mount Allison Universities. She has performed extensively with singers and instrumentalists across Canada. Tara is co-artistic director and music director of OperAtlantic. “Tara Scott, is a consummate artist and her dependably flawless piano accompaniments of full-length operas is inspiring” (Opera Canada). She received a 2019 Merritt Award for music direction of KAMP, the musical.

Suzanne Rigden, soprano, is making her mark on the international stage, praised for her “remarkable gift for stratospheric coloratura” and her witty “comic genius.” An accomplished interpreter of virtuosic and comedic repertoire, Rigden’s recent operatic roles include the Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte), Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), Tytania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Adele (Die Fledermaus), and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro). Upcoming Performances include a return to Pacific Opera Victoria to perform Amour in (Orpheus et Eurydice), Soprano Soloist in Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem with Dalhousie Collegium Cantorum and Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte) with Ensemble Caprice.

Elizabeth Humphries is a music educator, business owner, and soprano based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Known for bending genre boundaries, she performs a wide-ranging repertoire that spans opera, musical theatre, choral music, pop, and jazz. Opera Canada Magazine praised her as a soprano with “imperious self-assurance.”

Kurt Sampson is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, arranger, and clinician originally from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. He spent 13 years performing with the three-time JUNO Award–nominated vocal band Cadence, where he served as bass singer and vocal percussionist.

Glen Nowell is excited to return to the stage after a 15 year period working behind the scenes, providing voice rehabilitation and habilitation to help other singers to get back on stage. Glen completed a Bachelor of Music in applied Voice at Brandon University under the tutelage of the wonderful Sylvia Richardson, and has performed in recital and with a variety of ensembles in Manitoba and Ontario. Glen completed a Master of Science in Communication Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) at Dalhousie in 2003, and his thesis examined the relationship between different classical singing techniques and vocal health of singers at undergraduate universities and colleges across Canada.