Tracy Smith Bessette studied vocal performance at the Universities of Calgary and Toronto and in 2000 joined the young artist programme at the Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal. She recently completed her second and final season as a member of the Centre de formation lyrique de l'Opéra National de Paris. During her time in the young artist programme at the Opéra de Montréal, she performed Marie in Donizetti's La fille du régiment, Adina in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, Amelia in Menotti's Amelia al ballo and Despina in Mozart's Così fan tutte. On the main stage at the Opéra de Montréal she portrayed Giannetta in L'elisir d'amore and the High Priestess in Verdi's Aida. In Toronto with the Arbor Oak Trio, she was Venus in John Blow's Venus and Adonis and Belinda in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. In the summer of 2002 she was a fellow at Tanglewood Institute and in the summer of 2000 she studied with Marilyn Horne at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. At the Opéra National de Paris she has been an understudy for several productions. In the 2004–2005 season she sang Fekluša in Janáček's Kát'a Kabanová at the Bastille (Opéra National de Paris) and also at the Opéra de Rouen. Tracy Smith Bessette is also on the concert stage and has performed many recitals. Her recordings for Naxos with Aradia include works by Charpentier and Vivaldi, and she has given the premières of many Canadian works, several of which were written expressly for her.