Peter Barrett returns to Pacific Opera Victoria, with his first performance credit being First Shephard in Strauss’ Daphne (2007). Newfoundland baritone Peter Barrett is one of Canada’s most important and acclaimed artists on the opera and concert stage. Peter began 22/23 as Scarpia, a role debut, with Edmonton Opera, and ends it with the world premiere of Pomegranate at the Canadian Opera Company. Peter also joins the Calgary Philharmonic for Brahms’ Requiem this February. Recent appearances include the Canadian Opera Company’s digital production of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Marcello in La bohème for Edmonton Opera, and the world premiere of Nicole Lizée’s RUR A Torrent of Light with Toronto’s Tapestry Opera.
Other recent engagements include Valentin in Faust for the Vancouver Opera, Wolseley in Louis Riel at the Canadian Opera Company, Mozart’s Requiem with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, and Emile de Becque in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific with Calgary Opera. An alumnus of Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, Barrett has appeared with the COC in many roles, including Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, Marcello in La bohème, Denisov/Rayevsky in War and Peace, Ned Keene in Peter Grimes, the Mandarin and Ping in Turandot, Marullo in Rigoletto, Dancaïro and Morales in Carmen, Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos, and in Janáček’s From the House of the Dead. The Newfoundlander made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Malatesta in Don Pasquale opposite Anna Netrebko and subsequently covered the role of Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus. In past seasons, Barrett covered Mercutio in Romeo et Juliette and Morales in Carmen at the Met, among other assignments.
In previous seasons, Barrett’s appearances have included Marcello in La bohème for Minnesota Opera, Rodrigo in Don Carlos and Dancaïro in Carmen for the Vancouver Opera, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia for Opera Lyra Ottawa, the King in Conrad Susa’s Transformations for the Wexford Festival, and The Nightingale and Other Short Fables at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. As a concert artist, Barrett has sung Handel’s Messiah with the Newfoundland Symphony, Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Hamilton’s Bach Elgar Choir, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with the Bach Elgar Choir, and Carmina Burana with the Regina Philharmonic, Windsor Symphony, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and Ottawa Choral Society.
Peter Barrett studied at Hartwick College in the United States, attended Tanglewood’s Music Institute and graduated from the Glenn Gould Professional School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he studied under Roxolana Roslak and Peter Tiefenbach. Further accolades include the “Galaxy Rising Star” prize for most promising young artist at the 32nd Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s National Competition for Young Performers, top prizewinner at the Montreal International Music Competition, and the Ian Rosenblatt Bursary at the Wexford Festival in Ireland.