Tracy Dahl

Soprano

  • Canada’s premiere coloratura soprano, Tracy Dahl, has appeared throughout her career with such esteemed opera companies as the Metropolitan, San Francisco, Houston Grand, Santa Fe and Calgary operas; the Canadian Opera Company, Pacific Opera Victoria, Teatro alla Scala (Milan) and the Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris). The “incredible Canadian soprano,” known for her agility and vocal range, values education alongside her impressive performing career as a Professor of Voice at the University of Manitoba.

    Tracy Dahl’s recent engagement highlights included appearances with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, the Festival Opera de Quebec, Winnipeg Symphony, and the Canadian Opera Company in Cosi fan tutte. She has recently performed as soloist with the St. Louis Symphony in Carmina Burana and the Vancouver Symphony in Carmina Burana and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. She also recently appeared with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Bernstein’s Candide Suite, and sung in a dual program with Adrianna Chuchman with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.

    Her past opera successes include Despina in Così fan tutte with Canadian Opera Company; Gilda in Rigoletto with Edmonton Opera and Manitoba Opera; the title roles in Lucia di Lammermoor and Maria Stuarda with Pacific Opera Victoria; the world premieres of Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland and Peter Ash’s The Golden Ticket with Opera Theatre of St. Louis; Cunegonde in Candide and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance with Calgary Opera; and Madame Mao in Nixon in China with Houston Grand Opera, Opera Colorado, Portland Opera, and Vancouver Opera. Among her many notable debuts are Adele in Die Fledermaus at the Metropolitan Opera, where she later returned as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Florestine in the world premiere of The Ghosts of Versailles, and Valencienne in The Merry Widow; as well as Olympia in the San Francisco Opera production of Les contes d’Hoffmann opposite Plácido Domingo, where she returned as Oscar in Un ballo in maschera and the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor.

    On concert stages, Tracy Dahl’s many appearances include an evening of Gershwin songs with the Philadelphia Orchestra; the Cleveland Orchestra at The Blossom Festival; the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall; Vail Summer Music Festival; Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Monterey Symphony; Britten’s Les Illuminations with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra; a concert with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; Handel’s Messiah with both San Francisco and St. Louis symphonies. Her discography includes A Disney Spectacular with the Cincinnati Pops (Telarc), Glitter and Be Gay with the Calgary Philharmonic (CBC), A Gilbert and Sullivan Gala with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (CBC), and Love Walked In, a Gershwin collection with the Bramwell Tovey Trio (Red Phone Box Company).

    Born in Winnipeg, Tracy Dahl commenced her vocal training at age 12, and had her heart set on a career in musical theatre. During her studies at the Banff Centre, she successfully debuted as Barbarina in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with the Manitoba Opera. Under the guidance of Mary Morrison and Martin Isepp, Dahl developed her career in opera, ultimately performing with world renowned symphonies, orchestras, and opera companies. In July 2017, Tracy Dahl had the high honor of being appointed to the Order of Canada for her accomplishments as an opera singer and for her commitment to mentoring the next generation of Canadian singers.

  • November 9, 2022: Tracy Dahl Invited to the Celebration of Life for Maestro Bramwell Tovey
    - Stir

    September 17, 2022: Tracy Dahl Invited to Celebrate Calgary Opera’s 50th Anniversary With Ben Heppner
    - Calgary Herald

    May 11, 2017: Tracy Dahl Appointed to The Order of Canada, One of Canada’s Highest Civilian Honours to the Nation
    - The Governor General of Canada

  • CANDIDE A PERFECT SUMMER OPERA OFFERING
    “Dahl gets the big show-stopper number, Glitter and be Gay, which she previously recorded with The Calgary Philharmonic and Mario Bernardi. While Dahl is now a trifle mature to play Cunegonde, she is nevertheless vocally perfect for the part, and despite a slight hardness to the voice, she still has all the notes needed to deliver the virtuoso vocal writing. Her delivery of Glitter and be Gay is still the gold standard in this famous piece. Her bubbly stage presence is, of course, perfect for the less-than-virtuous Cunegonde.”
    – Kenneth Delong, Calgary Herald

    A STAR-STUDDED 60TH FOR MEROLA
    “Perhaps the evening’s most delightful moment was the return of soprano Tracy Dahl, whose pinpoint coloratura and silvery tone has not been heard at the War Memorial Opera House since (checks the archives) 1999. But there she was again, romping through “Je suis Titania” from Ambroise Thomas’ “Mignon” with all her wellremembered accuracy and pixieish charm intact. You couldn’t listen to her sing and not feel glad that Merola had given a talent like hers its start.”
    – Josha Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle

    REVIEW: REGINA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, TRACY DAHL SPARKLE DURING SEASON-OPENING CONCERT
    “The selections, lyrical and narrative, were commandingly delivered by Dahl, who delighted with her engaging performances and top-level talent. After a standing ovation, the night ended with Dahl returning to the stage — and to 20th-century America — for a well-received encore with George Gershwin’s Summertime.”
    – Joe Couture, Regina Leader-Post

    PINNED BUTTERFLIES, BUT OUTSTANDING SINGING IN CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY’S COSÌ FAN TUTTE
    “As the scheming, cynical servant Despina, crisp, bright-voiced soprano Tracy Dahl almost stole the show with her comic shenanigans.”
    – Edward Sava-Segal, Bachtrack

  • Orchestral Repertoire

    Bach
    Cantata BWV 51
    Christmas Oratorio
    Mass in B-minor
    St. John Passion
    St. Matthew Passion

    Barber
    Knoxville: Summer 1915

    Beethoven
    Mass in C

    Brahms
    Ein Deutsches Requiem

    Britten
    Les Illuminations
    Spring Symphony

    Buhr
    Jumblies

    Canteloube
    Chants d’Auvergne

    Corigliano
    Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan

    Del Tredici
    Dracula

    Finzi
    Die Natalis

    Gershwin
    Selected songs

    Gilbert and Sullivan
    Selected songs

    Handel
    Messiah

    Haydn
    Theresa Mass
    The Creation

    Lloyd Webber
    Requiem

    Mendelssohn
    Elijah

    Milhaud
    Chansons de Ronsard

    Mozart
    Concert arias: “Exsultate, jubilate”, “Schon lacht der holde Frühling”, “L’amero, saro costante”, “Vorrei spiegarvi, o Dio”
    Great Mass in C Minor
    Requiem

    Orff
    Carmina Burana

    Poulenc
    Gloria

    Scarlatti
    Christmas Cantata

    Strauss
    Brentano Lieder, Op. 68
    Frühlingsstimmen
    Morgen
    Wiegenlied

    Vaughan Williams
    Dona Nobis Pacem

    Vivaldi
    Gloria

    ***

    Opera Repertoire

    Adams
    Nixon in China (Mme. Mao)

    Ash
    The Golden Ticket (Violet Beauregard)

    Bellini
    La Sonnambula (Amina)

    Bernstein
    Candide (Cunegonde)

    Bizet
    La jolie fille de Perth (Catherine)

    Britten
    A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tytania)

    Chin, U.
    Alice in Wonderland (Cheshire Cat)

    Corigliano
    The Ghosts of Versailles (Florestine)

    Delibes
    Lakmé (Lakmé)

    Donizetti
    Don Pasquale (Norina)
    L’Elisir d’Amore (Adina)
    La fille du régiment (Marie)
    Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)
    Maria Stuarda (Maria)

    Gilbert and Sullivan
    H.M.S. Pinafore (Joesphine)
    The Mikado (Yum Yum)
    The Pirates of Penzance (Mabel)

    Handel
    Alcina (Morgana)
    Ariodante (Dalinda)
    Giulio Cesare (Cleopatra)
    Semele (Semele, Iris)
    Xerxes (Atalanta)

    Humperdinck
    Hänsel und Gretel (Gretel)

    Lehar
    The Merry Widow (Valencienne)

    Massenet
    Cendrillon (La Fée)
    Manon (Manon)
    Werther (Sophie)

    Moore
    The Ballad of Baby Doe (Baby Doe)

    Mozart
    La Clemenza di Tito (Servilia)
    Così Fan Tutte (Despina)
    Don Giovanni (Donna Anna)
    Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Konstanze)
    La Finta Giardiniera (Sandrina, Serpetta)
    Le Nozze di Figaro (Susanna)
    Die Zauberflöte (Queen of the Night)

    Offenbach
    Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Olympia, Antonia, Giulietta)
    Orphée aux Enfers (Eurydice)

    Poulenc
    Dialogues des Carmélites (Soeur Constance)

    Rodgers, Richard
    South Pacific (Nellie Forbush)

    Rossini
    Il Barbierie di Sivilglia (Rosina)

    Strauss, J.
    Die Fledermaus (Adele)

    Strauss, R.
    Arabella (Fiakermilli)
    Die Schweigsame Frau (Aminta)

    Thomas, A.
    Mignon (Philine)
    Hamlet (Ophélie)

    Verdi
    Un Ballo in Maschera (Oscar)
    Falstaff (Nannetta)
    Rigoletto (Gilda)

    *Updated August 2022