Soprano
Bio
"In her Opera in Concert debut, Virginia Hatfield sang Elena, the title role, with an appealing balance of power and subtlety, her arias given glowing texture and showing her wide range of dynamics and tonal colour at their best."
Geoff Chapman,
Opera Canada
Virginia Hatfield is one of Canada’s most sought-after
young sopranos. Her shimmering vocal colour has shone
in many operatic roles including
Alcina, (University of Toronto’s Opera
Division, 2002). Of her performance in the title role,
Ken Winters (Globe and Mail) wrote “she projected her
brazen arias with real assurance and her pathetic ones
with a touching melancholy.” As The Celestial
Voice in the Canadian Opera Company’s Don
Carlos, Miss Hatfield was described by critics as
“nothing less than ethereal” and “appropriately soaring
and rapturous”. Performances while at the Britten-Pears
Young Artists Program from 2003-05 include Handel's
L’Allegro, Il Penseroso and Purcell’s The
Faery Queen.
As a member of the prestigious Canadian Opera Company
Ensemble Studio from 2005-07, Virginia performed the
roles of Pamina (The Magic
Flute), Miss Wordsworth
(Albert Herring), Frasquita
(Carmen), Gretel (Hansel
and Gretel), the Fifth Maid
(Elektra), and Laura
(Luisa Miller). Miss Hatfield understudied
many roles while in the COC Ensemble, including
Waldvogel (Siegfried),
Rodelinda and
Despina. With the COC Ensemble,
Virginia premiered the role of Leah in
James Rolfe’s new opera, Swoon. In June, 2007,
Virginia performed arias and ensembles with Richard
Bradshaw conducting the COC Orchestra in “Opera under
the Stars”, in Ottawa.
Virginia is a gifted recitalist, and frequently appears
with the Aldeburgh Connection both in Toronto and at
the Bayfield Festival of Song, where in 2010 she joined
with mezzo soprano Lauren Segal for a duo recital. At
Westben Concerts in the Barn, Virginia celebrated Haydn
in "Esterhazy 1810" and in 2010 returns to Westben for
"Lovin' dat Hammerstein" with Brian Jackson,
pianist/host.
Concert highlights of 2009/10 include
Messiah with Mississauga Choral
Society and Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Bach's
B Minor Mass with Toronto's Pax
Christi Chorale, Mozart's Mass in C /
Poulenc's Gloria with Barrie's King
Edward Choir, and Mozart's Requiem
with Kingston Chamber Choir.
Opera roles for this versatile artist include
Zerlina (Don Giovanni) and
Marzelline (Fidelio), both
with the Canadian Opera Company. In 2010, Virginia
debuted as the Italian Singer in
Capriccio with Pacific Opera Victoria and as
Musetta in Opera Hamilton's La
Bohème. With Toronto's Opera in Concert, Miss
Hatfield sang the title role of Elena
in Rossini's La Donna del Lago.
Upcoming engagements include concerts with Mexican
percussion ensemble Tambuca in works by Ana Sokolovic,
Javier Alvarez and Osvaldo Golijov for Soundstreams
Canada, and Bach arias with Aradia Ensemble.