Virginia Hatfield, Soprano

Pacific Opera Victoria
The Italian Singer in Capriccio
February - March, 2010

Virginia Hatfield debuts with Pacific Opera Victoria as the Italian singer in the 2010 Canadian stage premiere of Richard Strauss's Capriccio.

Virginia Hatfield is one of Canada's most sought-after young sopranos. Her shimmering vocal colour has shone in many operatic roles including Alcina, (University of Toronto's Opera Division, 2002). Of her performance in the title role, Ken Winters (Globe and Mail) wrote She projected her brazen arias with real assurance and her pathetic ones with a touching melancholy. As The Celestial Voice in the Canadian Opera Company's Don Carlos, Miss Hatfield was described by critics as nothing less than ethereal and appropriately soaring and rapturous. Performances while at the Britten-Pears Young Artists Program from 2003-05 include Handel's L'Allegro, Il Penseroso and Purcell's The Faery Queen.

As a member of the prestigious Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio from 2005 to 2007, Virginia performed the roles of Pamina (The Magic Flute), Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring), Frasquita (Carmen), Gretel (Hansel and Gretel), the Fifth Maid (Elektra), and Laura (Luisa Miller). Miss Hatfield understudied many roles while in the COC Ensemble, including Waldvogel (Siegfried), Rodelinda and Despina. With the COC Ensemble, Virginia premiered the role of Leah in James Rolfe's new opera, Swoon. In June, 2007, Virginia performed arias and ensembles with Richard Bradshaw conducting the COC Orchestra in “Opera under the Stars”, in Ottawa.

Virginia is also a gifted recitalist, and has performed frequently with Toronto's Aldeburgh Connection, most recently in their November 2007 Schubertiad, at the Glenn Gould Studio, and has been broadcast by CBC's “Music Around Us” in a recital of Mozart and Schubert. With the Ottawa Valley Festival, Virginia has performed Handel's Messiah and Mozart's Mass in C Minor.

In April 2008 Virginia appeared as a guest soloist with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in their "Sound of Brilliance" Gala Concert.

Operatic roles for the 2008/9 season included Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Marzelline in Fidelio, both with the Canadian Opera Company. In 2008, Miss Hatfield sang Messiah with the Mississauga Choral Society and Windsor Symphony Orchestra, and in 2009, Bach's B Minor Mass with Pax Christi Chorale and Carmina Burana / Duruflé Requiem with Chorus Niagara.

Performances in the 2009/10 season include the role of The Italian Singer in Strauss's Capriccio with Pacific Opera Victoria, Mozart's Requiem with Kingston Chamber Choir and Musetta (La Bohème) with Opera Hamilton.

January 2010