Blaine Hendsbee, Tenor

Pacific Opera Victoria
Sellem in The Rake's Progress
November, 2009

Blaine Hendsbee made his Pacific Opera Victoria debut as Goro in Madama Butterfly (1991). He returned to play Pedrillo in The Abduction from the Seraglio (1992), Grumio in The Taming of the Shrew (2001) and to sing the three roles of Thims, King, and Panky in the world premiere of Erewhon (2000). He reprised the role of Goro in POV's 1999 production of Madama Butterfly and returned in 2007 as Arbace, the High Priest in Mozart's Idomeneo. In November 2009 he takes on the role of Sellem the auctioneer in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress.

Mr. Hendsbee has sung often with virtually every opera company in Canada and has a repertoire of more than 60 roles, which span the entire operatic repertoire. He is as much sought after as an interpreter of 20th century operas as he is for his sharply etched portrayals of the great character tenor roles in the standard operatic literature.

Recent Canadian performances include the Young Servant in Elektra and the Father Confessor in Dialogues des Carmélites with Vancouver Opera; the title role in a concert version of The Tales of Hoffmann (Offenbach); the world premiere of Erewhon (Applebaum) for Pacific Opera Victoria, The Magic Flute (Mozart) at the National Arts Centre, and The Emperor of Atlantis (Ullmann), which toured the Maritime provinces conducted by the late Maestro Georg Tintner.

His American operatic debut came as Little Bat in Susannah (Floyd) for Berkshire Opera, and was quickly followed by memorable performances as the Witch in Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck) at New York City's Lincoln Center, in Amahl and the Night Visitors (Menotti) at Avery Fischer Hall, Turandot (Puccini)with Cincinnati Opera, The Rape of Lucretia (Britten) for Skylight Opera in Milwaukee, Die Buergschaft (Kurt Weill) in Pittsburgh and several New York City premieres with The Center for Contemporary Opera.

Mr. Hendsbee's video credits include The Making of Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio (BRAVO), a film version of Bach's Coffee Cantata entitled More Than a Thousand Kisses (Prometheus Productions), and a new media video production of The Bald Soprano (PBS). His performances are often heard on CBC's Saturday Afternoon at the Opera.

He is also a regular guest soloist with symphony orchestras from coast to coast. Mainstays of his oratorio and chamber music repertoire include Vaughan Williams' On Wenlock Edge, Handel's Ode to Saint Cecilia's Day and Messiah, Mozart's Requiem and Mass in c minor, Bach's St. John Passion and St. Matthew Passion, Haydn's The Creation and The Seasons, Dvorak's Stabat Mater, Mendelssohn's Elijah, and Orff's Carmina Burmina.

Mr. Hendsbee also enjoys exploring the vast amount of art song repertoire ideally tailored to his lyric tenor voice, keen musicianship, and expressive performance style. He is heard regularly in Art Song Recitals at the University of Lethbridge where he is a Professor of Voice and Director of the Opera Workshop.

October, 2009