MEET THE SOLOIST: Isaiah Bell, tenor: Handel’s Messiah, Dec. 14

Background: Born in the northern town of Fort St. John, British Columbia. Studied voice at the University of Victoria.

Professional Accomplishments:

• A writer and composer of 4 operas and other original pieces, most notably for his critically acclaimed original solo show, The Book of My Shames.
• Played the central role of Marlow in the American premiere of Tarik O’Regan’s Heart of Darkness at Opera Parallèle, a performance described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “sung with exquisite lyricism and an air of heroism”
• Created the role of Antinous, lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian, in the world premiere of Rufus Wainwright’s Hadrian at the Canadian Opera Company

2019-2020 Season Highlights:

• Directed Handel’s Acis and Galatea the opening production this season for the University of Toronto’s Early Music program.
• Debuted at Vancouver Opera as Almaviva in The Barber of Seville,
• Performed at Carnegie Hall for Paul Moravec’s new Ellis Island oratorio, A Nation of Others.
• Appears with Opera Atelier (Handel’s The Resurrection), the Toronto Symphony (Messiah), and the Bethlehem Bach Festival.

Critical Praise:

• “As Hadrian’s lover, Antinous, the impressive Canadian tenor Isaiah Bell sang with a high, well-rounded, English-style tenor that suited a haughty young male on the brink of manhood.” – Opera News​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• “Isaiah Bell’s clear tenor and youthful physique made him a believable Antinous. His aria also brought spontaneous applause from the audience, one of only two singers so rewarded.” – ludvig van TORONTO
• “Bell boasts a strong, glorious voice with heroic, oratorio-style ring. Soaring easily into light sweetness at the start of the duet, he subsequently demonstrated that he can produce multiple colors lower in the range and darken his instrument to proclaim with authority when necessary…Bell’s sound is so classic English, and so fresh, that one can simply hope that he will sing as wonderfully as he did on Friday for decades to come.”- San Francisco Classical Voice