Miriam Khalil, Soprano

Pacific Opera Victoria
Frasquita in Carmen
February, 2012

Miriam Khalil is participating in Pacific Opera Victoria's 2012 Resident Artist Program and will be making her POV mainstage debut as Frasquita in Carmen.

Praised for her stage presence and her distinctive vocal tone, Lebanese-Canadian soprano Miriam Khalil is described as being a lush lyric with spinto overtones (Opera Canada) and  on the road to future greatness (Classical 96.3 FM). 

Ms. Khalil returned to Glyndebourne in the summer of 2011 for one performance and to cover the role of Almira in Handel's Rinaldo. Previously for Glyndebourne Ms. Khalil has covered the roles of Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Cleopatra in Handel's Giulio Cesare. She was enthusiastically received when she stepped in at the very last second to replace an indisposed Danielle de Niese as Cleopatra. Further credits include Mimi in La Bohèmewith Opera Hamilton, Musetta in La Bohème with Edmonton Opera, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Lyra Ottawa, Empress Marie in The Bird Seller and Carolina in Torroba's Luisa Fernanda for Toronto Operetta Theatre, Elizabeth D'Aulnières in Charles Wilson's Kamouraska with Opera in Concert, Toronto, and an Opera Gala with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. She will be heard in the 2011-12 season as Frasquita in Carmen for Pacific Opera Victoria and debuts with the Thunder Bay Symphony in Raminsh's Requiem.

  A member of the prestigious Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, she sang such roles as Leah in James Rolfe's world premier of Swoon, Laura in Luisa Miller, the Confidante in Elektra, and Pamina in The Magic Flute.   She was acclaimed for her interpretations of Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Fata Morgana in L'Amour des trois oranges, the Governess in The Turn of the Screw, Micaëla in Carmen and Dido in Dido and Aeneas. 

  A graduate of The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Miriam holds an Artist Diploma in Voice, and a Bachelor's Degree in vocal performance from the University of Ottawa.  In 2007 she won first place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions for the Great Lakes Region.  She is a recent member of both The Steans Institute for Young Artists at Ravinia and The Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme. 

  Ms Khalil is also esteemed for her concert and oratorio work. Her credits include Ravel's Shéhérazade, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Bach's Christ lag in Todesbanden, Vivaldi's Gloria, Requiems by Brahms and Mozart as well as Pergolesi's and Szymanowski's Stabat mater.

January, 2012