Who landed one of her first professional jobs singing for Opera Hamilton's Popera Too! alongside Ben Heppner and John Fanning in February 1988, thereafter going on to a huge international career with stops in all of the major opera houses?

And who will be making her role debut as Leonore in Beethoven's Fidelio this January in Toronto, as well as her first Senta in Wagner's Der fliegende Hollander in Paris in 2010, then in Bayreuth in 2012?

If you said Adrianne Pieczonka, you're correct.

Hard to believe, but it's been two decades since she has sung in Hamilton. "It's very embarrassing and terrible that I have not performed there since," said Pieczonka from her Toronto home.

But the long wait is over. This Sunday, Pieczonka will sing at Opera Hamilton's Great Singers recital.

"What a delight it is to come back to Hamilton after 20 years," added Pieczonka. "I feel like an old granny saying that. It is overdue really ... May I say now that I'm very pleased that the company is still going. Obviously, there have been some tough times."

Pieczonka's program will include songs by Richard Strauss such as Zueignung, and Morgen, and Bellini's Casta Diva from Norma. But she'll also be doing something she's never done live before, Un bel di from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Pieczonka has recently recorded that aria, and will shortly be returning to Munich, Germany, to wrap up sessions for a 16-track all-Puccini CD with the Munchner Rundfunkorchester conducted by Dan Ettinger for the Orfeo label.

Pieczonka will be sharing the Great Singers recital with her life partner, mezzo Laura Tucker. The two met in 2004 during the Canadian Opera Company's production of Wagner's Die Walkure.

Tucker, who has sung at the New York City Opera, and in Seattle among other houses, sees herself very much in Pieczonka's shadow -- at least for the time being.

"It's difficult to step up and stand beside someone who's got a shadow that's that big," said Tucker. "But it's not a negative ... It's absolutely a privilege. When we get going ... it's just beautiful. It's a vibration when you're connected on so many levels. On a personal front, to make that extend in your music is really amazing."

Tucker will sing de Falla's Seven Spanish Songs and Parto, parto from Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito. There'll also be duets by Purcell, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, as well as Puccini's Flower Duet from Butterfly, and Bellini's Mira, O Norma. Stephen Ralls will be at the piano.

And this is one jam-packed weekend for vocal concerts. Tomorrow at 7 p.m., the Hamilton Children's Choir will give a free concert with special guests the Toronto Children's Chorus at Christ's Church Cathedral, 252 James St. N.

On Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the Bach Elgar Choir performs Durufle's Requiem and Vaughan Williams's Dona nobis pacem at Melrose United Church, 86 Homewood Ave. Tickets are $35, seniors $30, students $10, children $5. Call 905-527-5995.

Jack Mendelsohn, too, is in a singing mood. His chamberWORKS! instrumental ensemble is holding a concert called Cantabile (Italian for 'singable') at the Dofasco Centre for the Arts, 190 King William St., this Sunday at 7:30 p.m. No, Mendelsohn won't be singing any arias, but he and his crew will be performing Haydn's "Serenade" Quartet, Mozart's "Dissonant" Quartet, and Kuhlau's First Flute Quintet with Suzanne Shulman. Tickets are $30, $25, seniors $25, $20, students $5. Call 905-522-7529.

Leonard Turnevicius writes on classical music for The Spectator  leonardturnevicius@hotmail.com