ASITHA TENNEKOON

Tenor

BIOGRAPHY

Praised by The Globe and Mail for “...his silky, emotional presence on stage – both vocally and dramatically...”, Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon has established himself as one of Canada’s most versatile singing artists. In 2016 he drew critical acclaim and received a Dora Award for his portrayal of Paul in Tapestry Opera/Scottish Opera’s Rocking Horse Winner. Asitha is sought after for performances spanning from Baroque to experimental repertoire.

 

This season, Asitha reprises his performance as Paul in Tapestry Opera’s remount of Rocking Horse Winner and sings the role of Boy Angel in Du Yun and Royce Vavrek’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Angel’s Bone presented by Loose Tea Music Theatre in Toronto. In 2024, Asitha debuts the roles of Prologue/Peter Quint in Britten’s Turn of the Screw with Opera 5.

 

Asitha continues to expand his reputation as an impressive interpreter of J.S. Bach’s Evangelist and will be featured this season with the Grand Philharmonic Choir in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and the St. John Passion with Vancouver Bach Choir. Asitha will debut in Halifax with Cecilia Concerts, performing the music of Métis composer Ian Cusson.

 

Asitha recently made several operatic debuts; as Ferrando in Edmonton Opera’s Cosi fan tutte, the First Priest with Canadian Opera Company’s The Magic Flute, Remendado with Pacific Opera Victoria, and as Flute in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Vancouver Opera, Jacques Lacombe conducting.

 

Asitha has sung principal roles with Opéra de Montréal, Against the Grain Theatre, Tapestry Opera, Soundstreams Canada, Opera on the Avalon, Opera 5, and Opera Lafayette.

 

Asitha is a Co-Founder of Amplified Opera, a Toronto based indie Opera company committed to placing artists at the centre of public discourse. He makes his home in the unceded traditional territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (TsleilWaututh) Nations (Vancouver, BC).

2017 DORA AWARD – OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE, MALE, OPERA DIVISION –
ROCKING HORSE WINNER (TAPESTRY/SCOTTISH OPERA)

 

As Boy Angel in Angel's Bone with re:Naissance Opera/Indie Opera Fest –

“Asitha Tennekoon as Boy Angel brought a tour-de-force performance, with an incredibly difficult score, plucking stratospheric high notes out of thin air and imparting the desperate rage of his captivity. He was absolutely spectacular and incredibly emotionally compelling throughout.

Melissa Ratcliff, Schmopera.com

 

SELECTED ROLES

Ferrando | Cosi fan tutte

Remendado | Carmen

Flute | A Midsummer Night’s Dream

SELECTED REPERTOIRE

Bach | St John Passion (Evangelist)

Handel | Messiah

Mozart | Requiem

PRESS KIT

HEADSHOTS

DOCUMENTS

Updated Oct 2023

Ernesto Ramirez, Tenor

ARTIST CONNECTIONS

Gerald Finzi

"Since We Loved" from Oh Fair To See

 

Jason Robert Brown

"I'd Give it All For You" from Songs for a New World

 

VIDEO

Matthew Aucoin

"Orpheus's Fingers"  from Eurydice

Sondheim

Being Alive from Company

 

Mozart

"Un'aura amorosa" from Così fan tutte

REVIEWS

As Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream  with Vancouver Opera –

"...rising tenor Asitha Tennekoon, playing Flute, shows he’s as strong with farcical physical comedy as arias."

Janet Smith, Stir Vancouver

 

As Boy Angel in Angel's Bone with re:Naissance Opera/Indie Opera Fest –

“Asitha Tennekoon as Boy Angel brought a tour-de-force performance, with an incredibly difficult score, plucking stratospheric high notes out of thin air and imparting the desperate rage of his captivity. He was absolutely spectacular and incredibly emotionally compelling throughout.

Melissa Ratcliff, Schmopera.com

 

As Luis Griffith in Champion with Opera de Montréal –

“Tenor Asitha Tennekoon gave a sympathetic, tender portrayal of Griffith’s adopted son Luis, skillfully negotiating his part’s unkind spread.”

Natasha Gauthier, Opera Canada

 

As John Peyton in Shanawdithit with Tapestry Opera –

“Tennekoon’s savage depiction of vicious racist magistrate and merchant John Peyton is nothing less than harrowing.”

Ian Ritchie, Opera Going Toronto

 

As Polidoro in Scarlatti’s Erminia with Opera Lafayette –

“...in what was the most moving scene of the whole evening. Tennekoon has a beautifully expressive voice...”

Susan Galbraith, DC Theatre Scene

 

As Harry Benn in Ethel Smyth’s The Boatswain's Mate

“Tenor Asitha Tennekoon sings the role of Harry Benn... with his characteristc crystalline tenor. I could listen to him for days. Hot on the heels of his Dora Award nomination for last year's Rocking Horse Winner, Tennekoon is blossoming lately and each facet of his performance keeps getting better and better. We're all lucky to be here at this time of his career.”

Greg Finney, Schmopera

 

“Asitha Tennekoon plays washed up seafarer, Harry Benn, a scandalous rogue somehow rendered enormously likeable in this skilled singer actor’s hands... Tenor ringing, Tennekoon launches into Harry’s rolling aria, When rocked on the billows, that roughest of pillows, splashing the catchy tune over an altogether captivated audience with salty abandon.”

Ian Ritchie, Opera Going Toronto

 

“Asitha Tennekoon as the hapless boatswain once again turned in a fine dramatic and musical performance. His clear bright tenor has become something of a fixture in the Toronto indie scene and it’s easy to see why.”

John Gilks, Opera Ramblings

 

“If I had to pick a dramatic standout among the principals, it would be tenor Asitha Tennekoon who has a gift for

physical comedy rarely found among opera singers. His smooth tenor all the while never wavered. ”

Definitely the Opera

 

As Paul in Rocking Horse Winner with Tapestry Opera –

“Asitha Tennekoon’s fresh and free lyrical tenor voice was a delight to the ears, and perfect for the role earnest, single-minded Paul. As Paul journeyed from hope to despair, darker, weightier colours crept into Tennekoon’s tone, making every note of Paul’s heartbreaking music visceral to the listener. I was actually on the edge of my seat during his

performance of the aria that I am going to name ‘Gets There’, where we learn of his mystical ability.”

Keira Grant, Mooney on Theatre

 

“The surprise of the night was Asitha Tennekoon....his silky, emotional presence on stage – both vocally and dramatically – gave the show a powerful focus.”

Robert Harris, The Globe & Mail

 

 

“Tennekoon is a revelation. His beautiful leggiero tenor was perfect.... [his acting] was endearing, truthful, and raw. Coupled with his flawless singing, you couldn't have asked for any more - on any stage - anywhere.”

Gregory Finney, Schmopera.com

 

“...bright, nicely resonant tenor... with expression and sensitive phrasing”

Joseph So, Musical Toronto

 

As the Evangelist in St. Mark Passion with Toronto Bach Festival –

“His mastery of the drama in the Evangelist’s story-telling matched his vocal clarity and superb musicianship.”

David Richards, TorontoConcertReviews.ca

 

As The Marchese in La Cecchina with the Glenn Gould School  –

The Marchese, perhaps the role that requires the most varied virtuosity, went to recent graduate (and rising star) Asitha Tennekoon. His rather beautiful lyric tenor was well suited to the music and he was convincing in portraying his character.”

John Gilks, Opera Ramblings

As Gernando in L'isola disabitata with Voicebox: Opera in Concert –

“Possessed of luxurious lyricism and gentle Italianate tone, tenor Asitha Tennekoon contributed a gloriously sung principal turn as Gernando. No stranger to Toronto indie opera stages, this is clearly an artist on the fast track to stardom, a singer gifted with a brilliant, incandescent instrument and appealing stage manners. His was an abundantly plausible hero more fretful than swashbuckling, as anxious a romantic navigator as ever sailed the Seven Seas.”

Ian Ritchie, Opera Going Toronto

Canada Council for the Arts
Domoney Artists Management