Toronto Lyric Opera Centre

Meet our Athamas, Ryan Patrick McDonald!

Counter Tenor Ryan McDonald was recently hailed by Opera Canada for his performance in Dido and Aeneas: “Ryan McDonald, a young Newfoundland and Labrador countertenor, made a particularly favourable impression as Spirit. McDonald has a voice of luminous, fresh colour, combined with natural musicality and an exciting sense of narrative drama.”

A recent Encouragement Award winner from Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition, Ryan has been seen on stage as First Witch in Purcell`s Dido and Aeneas, Cobweb in Britten’s A Midsummer Night's Dream with Opera on the Avalon, the Spirit in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, L'enfant in Ravel's L'enfant et les sortileges, Cupid in John Blow's Venus and Adonis and Jack in Sondheim’s Into the Woods. Ryan, along with other q***r artists, recently launched their own opera company focusing specifically on presenting q***r theatre, by q***r artists for q***r audiences, OperaQ. Ryan led their reimagined production of Purcell's Dido and Belinda as the titular character, Dido.

Exactly one week to go until Toronto Lyric Opera Centre presents Handel's Semele! Next up in our cast introductions is our Iris, Gabrielle Turgeon!

Canadian soprano Gabrielle Turgeon has performed opera/operetta roles with the Sault Symphony Orchestra, the Korah Theatre Company, and the Algoma District School Board, as well as at various summer music program across Canada. She is making her debut with the Toronto Lyric Opera Centre in May 2019 as Iris in Handel’s Semele. Turgeon is a three-time winner of the OMFA Provincial Finals, and in 2018, she became the first person to have won the Kiwanis ORMTA Shield Competition of Sault Ste. Marie three times. She is also one of the few to have won for more than one instrument (voice and violin). Turgeon is currently soprano lead and soloist for the Etobicoke Centennial Choir and is studying at the University of Toronto with Elizabeth McDonald.

cc: From the voice of Elizabeth McDonald

We are just over one week away from our 2019 production of Handel's Semele! During the week, we'll be sharing sneak peeks behind the scenes, as well as introducing our artists.

Tickets available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/toronto-lyric-opera-centre-presents-handels-semele-tickets-61381517772 or our Facebook event Toronto Lyric Opera Centre presents Handel's Semele.

And first up is our Semele herself, Emily Zixin Wang!

Emily Zixin Wang is a Chinese-Canadian soprano based in Toronto, Ontario. She recently performed the role of Second Woman (Dido and Belinda) with OperaQ in May 2019 and a solo recital with pianist Helen Becqué in Walter Hall. She also sang in the University of Toronto Vocalis series at the Extension Room and in Walter Hall. In 2017-2018, she sang Solomon’s Queen (Solomon) and was a soloist in the Bach Cantata Evening concert, both at Alix Goolden Hall in the Victoria Conservatory of Music. She also participated in the Stratford Summer Music Vocal Academy and the Orford Music Academy Piano and Voice Duet intensive. She looks forward to performing in her upcoming engagements as the title role of Semele with the Toronto Lyric Opera Centre, as well as the roles of Papagena and Pamina understudy (Die Zauberflöte) at the Halifax Summer Opera Festival. Emily is currently finishing her first year in the Masters of Voice Performance program at the University of Toronto studying under the tutelage of distinguished soprano, Nathalie Paulin.

cc: University of Toronto Faculty of Music FMUA - Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association Voice Studies at the University of Toronto Historical Performance at the University of Toronto