Fiset's special awards include those for the best Canadian artist and the best artist from Quebec. She also won the Poulenc French Song Award and the People's Choice Award, which grants her recitals in London and Paris.

Second prize (C$15,000) went to American tenor Steven Ebel, the third prize (C$7,500) to Russian soprano Evgenia Grekova, and the fourth (C$5,000) to Canadian mezzo-soprano Julie Boulianne. Canadians also received fifth and sixth prizes: soprano Leticia Brewer and baritone Peter Barrett, respectively.

Begun in 2002, the CIMM comprises two rounds and rotates on voice-violin-piano cycle in which the voice competition is held biennially. Fiset was among 32 singers from 11 countries.

One high-profile opportunity for Fiset arose within days of her winning the CIMM on May 30: LUNA, tonight's gala operatic concert at Toronto's Luminato festival. She'll be stepping in for one of the evening's headliners, soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, who has been sidelined by bronchitis. Cartwright, a co-producer of the event, told The Globe and Mail that Fiset is likely to sing two arias by Dvoršk and Puccini; sixth place winner Barrett will also perform.