Joanna Burt
Joanna Burt is a Métis operatic singer of Anishinaabe descent from Ontario, Canada.[1] She has sung both soprano and mezzo-soprano roles.[2][3] In 2017, she became the first Indigenous singer in Canada cast in a principal role with the Canadian Opera Company,[4][1] performing in Harry Sommer's opera Louis Riel in the role of Sara Riel, the sister of 19th-century Métis leader Louis Riel.[5] At the time, she was enrolled in the Artist Diploma program at The Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory of Music, and was active in Métis Nation of Ontario cultural performances.[6] In 2018, she performed in a singing and speaking role in the original production of FIRST, a two-act piece using photos and imagery to tell the creation story of the Mississaugas.[3]
Burt started singing at the age of five and joined the Kawartha Treble Troup at age nine.[7] She has also sung with the St. Paul's Anglican Church Choir and the Kawartha Lakes Singers.[7] At age 13, she was chosen to sing "O Canada" before the Canada Day fireworks at Wilson Fields in Lindsay, Ontario, after winning the 2006 Anthem Idol competition.[8] She studied with Arlene Gray.[8]
Critical reception
[edit]In a review of Louis Riel, Opera Today said that the role of Sara was "well served by Joanna Burt's agreeable soprano", and together with Allyson McHardy was "especially fine as they urged Riel not to execute Thomas Scott".[2] In a review of her 2017 performance at the Glenn Gould School Vocal Showcase, opera critic John Gelks wrote that Burt "has real potential as a dramatic soprano" with "some nice dark colours as well as weight".[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Whyte, Murray (15 April 2017). "Reclaiming Riel with an eye to reconciliation | Toronto Star". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ a b Sohre, James (14 May 2017). "Riel Deal in Toronto – With its new production of Harry Somers' Louis Riel, Canadian Opera Company has covered itself in resplendent glory". Opera Today. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ a b "The Mississaugas' story comes to life on LAC stage". Mississauga News. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2024 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Koval, Sarah (2018). "Can Opera Listen? Canada's (Sesqui) Centennial Opera, Louis Riel". University of Toronto Quarterly. Vol. 87, no. 4. pp. 59–72. doi:10.3138/utq.87.4.08. Retrieved 18 September 2024 – via EBSCOhost.
- ^ Doherty, Mike (20 April 2017). "The real challenges of reviving a Louis Riel opera". Maclean's. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ "Métis youth singing in the Louis Riel opera". Métis Nation of Ontario. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Church choir to host special concert". Peterborough Examiner. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ a b Whitnall, Catherine (12 May 2006). "Anthem Idol chosen". Lindsay Daily Post. Retrieved 18 September 2024 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Gelks, John (5 February 2017). "Glenn Gould School Vocal Showcase". Operaramblings. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
External links
[edit]- Chat with Joanna Burt and Simon Osborne: Part 2 (Opera Canada)