Baritone
Bio
Keira Grant, mooneyontheatre.com
Pub Operas, Tapestry New Opera Works
Baritone Benjamin Covey is one of Canada’s most dynamic young singers, recognized by the Metropolitan Opera Competition in 2007 with an Encouragement Award.
A Graduate of the University of Toronto and an Alumni of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Development Program, Mr. Covey debuted as Morales/Dancaire (Carmen) with Manitoba Opera, and was the only Canadian singer invited to San Francisco’s prestigious Merola Opera Program in 2010, where he sang Belcore in L’Elisir d’Amore.
On the concert stage, Benjamin was a guest artist with Chorus Niagara for Orff’s rollicking Carmina Burana, and has sung Messiah with Regina Symphony and Victoria Symphony Orchestra. In 2011, Benjamin debuts with Toronto’s Pax Christi Chorale in Salieri’s Mass in D Minor and Mozart’s Regina Coeli.
Recent operatic roles in Canada include Schaunard with Edmonton Opera (La Boheme), Baron Dauphol in Vancouver Opera’s May 2011 production of La Traviata, and Escamillo to Julie Nesrallah’s “Carmen Unbound” in Ottawa.
Displaying his passion for contemporary music, Benjamin premiered the role of George in Dean Burry’s CBC Radio serial opera Baby Kintyre, sang in R. Murray Schafer’s Princess of the Stars and performed in Peter Hatch’s Guerrilla Sound Works at Les Escales de Montreal Improbables. In addition, he has sung lead roles in workshops of both Bramwell Tovey’s The Inventor for Calgary Opera and John Estacio’s Lillian Alling for Vancouver Opera.
This season, Benjamin joins Julie Nesrallah in a duo recital for Brockville Centre for the Arts, and premieres several new works with Tapestry New Opera in their Opera Briefs and Pub Operas. In January, the National Arts Centre Orchestra will feature Mr. Covey as Papageno in the family concert “The Mozart Experience”.
Benjamin looks forward to portraying Captain Gardiner in Calgary Opera’s Canadian premiere of Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick.