Biography
Lauded for his luminous projection, lyrical sensitivity, and brilliant coloratura, American-born Canadian tenor Lawrence Wiliford is in high demand in concert, opera, and recital repertoire ranging from works by Monteverdi to contemporary composers. Critics have acclaimed him as an “amazing tenor” (Vancouver Sun) having “exceptional power throughout his range” (Boston Globe) and as a “phenomenal” and “matchless artist” (Globe & Mail).
Mr. Wiliford has collaborated with conductors such as Richard Bradshaw, Jane Glover, Bernard Labadie, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Trevor Pinnock, Helmuth Rilling, and Pinchas Zukerman. He has been recognized in particular for his interpretation of Bach and other composers of the Baroque period. A dedicated recitalist, Mr. Wiliford also champions English and North American art song, a passion that has led to engagements across North America and at the Aldeburgh Festival in England. He has recorded on the ATMA Classique & NAXOS labels and released his debut solo recording Divine Musick: the late works for tenor and harp by Benjamin Britten in September 2010.
Highlights from Mr. Wiliford’s 2011-2012 season include engagements with Opera Atelier and Columbus Opera as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He returns to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for performances of Handel’s Messiah under the direction of Nicholas Kraemer and makes debuts with Music of the Baroque in Chicago where he performs Bach’s Mass in B Minor under the direction of Jane Glover and with the Colorado Symphony where he performs Beethoven's Mass in C under the direction on Christoph König. Other performances include singing the Evangelist in Bach’s Matthäus Passion with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival and Handel’s Messiah with the Grand Philharmonic Choir.
Recent orchestral highlights include Bach's Mass in B Minor with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Oregon Bach Festival and Toronto Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Helmuth Rilling, Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium under the direction of Trevor Pinnock, and Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass under the direction of Pinchas Zukerman both with The National Arts Centre Orchestra, Handel's Messiah, Israel in Egypt and Rameau’s grand motet In convertendo with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Bach's Matthäus Passion with the Toronto Bach Consort under the direction of Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Bach’s Johannes Passion with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jane Glover, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Bernard Labadie, Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings with I Musici de Montréal conducted by Jean-Marie Zeitouni., Handel's Solomon with The Elora Festival and Haydn's Die Schöpfung and Mendelssohn's Lobgesang with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and several performances and recordings with Les Voix Baroques.
Opera highlights from recent seasons include making his Canadian Opera Company leading role debut in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte as Ferrando on five hours' notice. Also with the Canadian Opera Company he has appeared as Francis Flute in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Roy in James Rolfe's Swoon; with Toronto's Opera Atelier as Pedrillo in Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio, Damon in Handel’s Acis & Galatea and as Eumete in Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria; with Opera Lyra Ottawa as Count Almaviva in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia; with Aldeburgh Music as Quint in Britten's The Turn of the Screw; with Edmonton Opera as Frederic in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance and Pedrillo in The Abduction from the Seraglio; with Pacific Opera Victoria as Leo in the Canadian premiere of Mark Blitzstein's Regina and with MusicFest Vancouver and Boston Baroque he debuted in the title role of Rameau's Pygmalion.
Mr. Wiliford holds a Bachelor of Music in Church Music from St. Olaf College and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Toronto. He has studied at Tanglewood, the Internationale Bachakademie of Stuttgart, the Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival, and the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program. Mr. Wiliford is a recent graduate of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio and is a recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. In addition to his performing schedule, Mr. Wiliford is co-artistic director of the Canadian Art Song Project.
Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Mr. Wiliford grew up in many towns throughout Michigan, Wisconsin and New York. At the age of 10, he became a member of the American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey, under the leadership of James Litton. While a student at St. Olaf College, he sang with the St. Olaf Choir, became a published choral arranger, and was one of the founding members of the male vocal chamber ensemble Cantus, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
August 2011
Lauded for his luminous projection, lyrical sensitivity, and brilliant coloratura, American-born Canadian tenor Lawrence Wiliford is in high demand in concert, opera, and recital repertoire ranging from works by Monteverdi to contemporary composers. Critics have acclaimed him as an “amazing tenor” (Vancouver Sun) having “exceptional power throughout his range” (Boston Globe) and as a “phenomenal” and “matchless artist” (Globe & Mail).
Mr. Wiliford has collaborated with conductors such as Richard Bradshaw, Jane Glover, Bernard Labadie, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Trevor Pinnock, Helmuth Rilling, and Pinchas Zukerman. He has been recognized in particular for his interpretation of Bach and other composers of the Baroque period. A dedicated recitalist, Mr. Wiliford also champions English and North American art song, a passion that has led to engagements across North America and at the Aldeburgh Festival in England. He has recorded on the ATMA Classique & NAXOS labels and released his debut solo recording Divine Musick: the late works for tenor and harp by Benjamin Britten in September 2010.
Highlights from Mr. Wiliford’s 2011-2012 season include engagements with Opera Atelier and Columbus Opera as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He returns to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for performances of Handel’s Messiah under the direction of Nicholas Kraemer and makes debuts with Music of the Baroque in Chicago where he performs Bach’s Mass in B Minor under the direction of Jane Glover and with the Colorado Symphony where he performs Beethoven's Mass in C under the direction on Christoph König. Other performances include singing the Evangelist in Bach’s Matthäus Passion with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival and Handel’s Messiah with the Grand Philharmonic Choir.
Recent orchestral highlights include Bach's Mass in B Minor with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Oregon Bach Festival and Toronto Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Helmuth Rilling, Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium under the direction of Trevor Pinnock, and Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass under the direction of Pinchas Zukerman both with The National Arts Centre Orchestra, Handel's Messiah, Israel in Egypt and Rameau’s grand motet In convertendo with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Bach's Matthäus Passion with the Toronto Bach Consort under the direction of Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Bach’s Johannes Passion with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jane Glover, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Bernard Labadie, Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings with I Musici de Montréal conducted by Jean-Marie Zeitouni., Handel's Solomon with The Elora Festival and Haydn's Die Schöpfung and Mendelssohn's Lobgesang with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and several performances and recordings with Les Voix Baroques.
Opera highlights from recent seasons include making his Canadian Opera Company leading role debut in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte as Ferrando on five hours' notice. Also with the Canadian Opera Company he has appeared as Francis Flute in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Roy in James Rolfe's Swoon; with Toronto's Opera Atelier as Pedrillo in Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio, Damon in Handel’s Acis & Galatea and as Eumete in Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria; with Opera Lyra Ottawa as Count Almaviva in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia; with Aldeburgh Music as Quint in Britten's The Turn of the Screw; with Edmonton Opera as Frederic in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance and Pedrillo in The Abduction from the Seraglio; with Pacific Opera Victoria as Leo in the Canadian premiere of Mark Blitzstein's Regina and with MusicFest Vancouver and Boston Baroque he debuted in the title role of Rameau's Pygmalion.
Mr. Wiliford holds a Bachelor of Music in Church Music from St. Olaf College and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Toronto. He has studied at Tanglewood, the Internationale Bachakademie of Stuttgart, the Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival, and the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program. Mr. Wiliford is a recent graduate of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio and is a recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. In addition to his performing schedule, Mr. Wiliford is co-artistic director of the Canadian Art Song Project.
Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Mr. Wiliford grew up in many towns throughout Michigan, Wisconsin and New York. At the age of 10, he became a member of the American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey, under the leadership of James Litton. While a student at St. Olaf College, he sang with the St. Olaf Choir, became a published choral arranger, and was one of the founding members of the male vocal chamber ensemble Cantus, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
August 2011