2019 Adjudicators

Stuart Graham

Voice

Saskatchewan born baritone Stuart Graham, received his formal education at the Faculty of Music of McGill University in Montréal, Canada, with the renowned Canadian baritone Mr. Bernard Turgeon. In 1998, he continued his studies with Diane Forlano at the Koninklijk Conservatorium, Den Haag, Nederlands, and since January of 2000, Mr. Graham has enjoyed the mentorship of Diana Soviero (Metropolitan Opera, New York) as well as coaching with the incomparable Maestra Teresa Berganza (Madrid, España).

Since 1992 Stuart Graham has been heard in recital, oratorio and in opera in Canada, the United States and in Europe, enjoying successes accompanied by orchestras and ensembles, such as: l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, I Musici de Montréal, the Saskatoon Symphony, Silesian State Opera, Slovak State Philharmonic (Košice) and the Oakville Symphony Orchestra. His performance in the world premier of Edifice by Arlan Schultz was broadcast by CBC, the BBC, Radio-France and the Bavarian Radio. In 1993, Mr. Graham made his New York debut as invited artist in recital as part of the Riverside Chamber Music Series (Riverside Church, New York, NY.).

2018 was a very full year with performances as Plagio in VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert’s Canadian Premier production of Mercadante’s I DUE FIGARO, as Fr. Andrew in Opera in Concert’s World Premier production of Victor Davies’ adaptation of George Ryga’s THE ECSTACY OF RITA JOE (also presented at the Ryga Festival, Summerland, BC), as Agamemnon  in Toronto Operetta Theatre’s LA BELLE HÉLÈNE of Jacques Offenbach. 2018 also saw Mr. Graham’s Italian debut in Milan performing the roles of Tonio/Taddeo in Leoncavallo’s I PAGLIACCI with La Compagnia di Canto Vittorio Tosto.

He returned to Milan in February 2019 to sing further presentations of I PAGLIACCI. Other recent performance credits include: Recital of songs of Rachmaninoff, Rachel Laurin’s LES TROIS FABLE Opus 9, and Gustav Mahler’s DES KNABEN WUNDERHORN with pianist Narmina Afandiyeva at Jeanne Lamon Hall (Toronto), Peter Tongi’s ISIS AND OSIRIS: THE GODS OF EGYPT as the Grand Vizier Khamet (world premier) with Toronto’s Opera in Concert, as Marquis Evrémonde in Victor Davies/Eugene Benson’s TALE OF TWO CITIES (world premier), as well as performances of Jacques Offenbach’s LA VIE PARISIENNE (Baron Gondremark) with the Toronto Operetta Theatre, Angeles Lopez-Artiga’s YO VIVO (for baritone & orchestra) at the Palau des Arts (Valencia, Spain) and in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony as guest artist with the Opera Nacional Bellas Artes (Mexico City) and the Orquesta Sinfónica Silvestre Revueltas in Celaya, México (national telecast on Canal 40). Upcoming: August, 2019 – Artist Residency at Domain des Arts La Roche d’Hys (Bourgogne, France) presenting his current recital of Rachmaninoff and Gustav Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Toronto pianist Narmina Afandiyeva, September 16-27, 2019 – Presenting Masterclass Series: Opera as Theatre, Mexico City, Mexico. (www.stuartgraham.ca)

As a voice pedagogue and performance coach, Mr. Graham maintains a very active private studio in Toronto and, most recently, workshops in Mexico City (Masterclass series: Opera as Theatre). Artists in his studio have directly achieved:

• – Admittance (full performance scholarship – Graduate level) to McGill University, Conservatoire de Musique de Québec à Montréal, Unversité de Montréal, Royal Academy of Music (London, England), Britten-Pears School, Manhattan School of Music (New York, USA), Berkley School of Music (Boston, USA)
• – 1st Prize winner of the Classical Singer International Singing Competition (New York, New York)
• – Prize winners in competitions in Barcelona, Brataslava.
• – Engagements for concert, opera and musical theatre in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, Sarasota, London, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, Burgos (Bulgaria), Brasov (Romania),  as well as Festival Juste Pour Rire, Cirque du Soleil, Shaw Festival.