Roger Chase
Thomas Cooley
Imogen Cooper
Julia Doyle
Elizabeth Futral
Barbara Haffner
Christòpheren Nomura
Sharon Polifrone
Stephen Powell
Lisa Saffer
Mary Stolper
Krisztina Szabó
Collins Trier
Yulia Van Doren
Robert Waters
Lawrence Wiliford
 |
Lawrence Wiliford |
Recognized for his interpretation of Bach and other baroque composers, tenor Lawrence Wiliford has collaborated with conductors such as Richard Bradshaw, Bernard Labadie, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Trevor Pinnock, Helmuth Rilling, and Pinchas Zukerman. A dedicated recitalist, he also champions English and North American art song, a passion that has led to engagements across North America and at the Aldeburgh Festival in England. Highlights from the 2010-2011 season include Bach’s St. John Passion with Les Voix Baroques at the Montreal Bach Festival, with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and with the Winnipeg Symphony under the direction of Jane Glover. He also returned to Tafelmusik for performances of Rameau’s grand motet In convertendo and Handel’s Dixit Dominus and made his debut with Houston's Mercury Baroque in Messiah. Opera appearances included the role of Damon in Opera Atelier’s production of Acis & Galatea and Pedrillo in Edmonton Opera’s production of Die Entführung aus dem Serail.
Recent orchestral highlights include the Mass in B Minor with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Oregon Bach Festival, Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Haydn's “Lord Nelson” Mass with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Messiah with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, the St. Matthew Passion with the Toronto Bach Consort, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Bach's Magnificat with Orchestra London, Haydn's Die Schöpfung and Mendelssohn's Lobgesang with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and several performances with Les Voix Baroques.
Opera highlights from recent seasons include his Canadian Opera Company leading role debut as Ferrando in Mozart's Così fan tutte on five hours' notice and subsequently appearing with the company as Francis Flute in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Roy in James Rolfe's Swoon, Pedrillo in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Eumete in Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in patria with Toronto's Opera Atelier, Count Almaviva in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Lyra Ottawa, and the title role in Rameau's Pygmalion with MusicFest Vancouver and Boston Baroque.
Lawrence Wiliford holds a Bachelor of Music from St. Olaf College and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Toronto. He has studied at Tanglewood, the Internationale Bachakademie of Stuttgart, the Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival, and the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, and is a recent graduate of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio. He has recorded on the ATMA Classique & Naxos labels, and recently released his debut solo recording featuring late works for tenor and harp by Benjamin Britten.
