SCOTT BELLUZ

Countertenor

BIOGRAPHY

Scott has received great acclaim for his performances in the world premieres of numerous operatic works including a 2022 Dora nomination for best individual operatic performance as [Alex] in Nicole Lizée/Nicolas Billon's R.U.R. A Torrent of Light with Tapestry Opera, the role of Jimmy Gin in Du Yun/Raven Chacon's Sweetland with The Industry, the title role in Omar Daniel’s The Shadow with Tapestry Opera, L’Oiseau in Gilles Tremblay’s Opéra Féerie with Chants Libres, Damien in R. Murray Schafer’s The Children’s Crusade with Soundstreams Canada, as well as “Opera Briefs” and “Opera To Go” with Tapestry Opera.

 

Operatic performances have also included Orlando/Lunaire with Opera Erratica, L’humana fragilita and Pisandro in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria with Chicago Opera Theatre, Athamas in Handel’s Semele with Pacific Opera Victoria, Oberon in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Banff Centre for the Arts, and Medoro in Handel’s Orlando, in a French touring production.

 

On the concert stage, Scott performed in “Salsa Baroque: Music of Latin America and Spain of the 17th and 18th Century” with Ensemble Caprice, a program which has also been released on CD by the Analekta label. Other recent concert performances include: Handel’s Messiah with the Thunder Bay Symphony, Handel’s Tamerlano with Opera in Concert, Bach’s Magnificat with the Ottawa Choral Society, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater in Aix en Provence, and recitals in Marseille, Avignon, Toulon, and St. Remy de Provence.

Scott Belluz displayed his versatility in “The Dublin Messiah” with Aradia Ensemble, and in the 2012 world premiere of “From the House of Mirth” (Sharman/Alex Poch-Goldin), choreographed by James Kudelka, for ColemanLemieux Compagnie. Scott starred in “A Synonym for Love”, the sexy update of a Handel Cantata with Toronto's Volcano Theatre.

 

In 2015, Scott made his debut with Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream and stepped in at very short notice, winning raves in PDQ Bach's hilarious cantata Iphigenia in Brooklyn.

 

Further concert performances include Bach's St. John Passion with Grand River Chorus, Bach's Cantata No. 147 with Kingston Chamber Choir, and Thomas Ades' “Gefriolsae Mae” with the distinguished Jacaranda Music Series.

REVIEWS

As [Alex] in R.U.R. A Torrent of Light with Tapestry Opera –

"For me, countertenor Scott Belluz was the highlight of this piece. As [Alex] his warm, focused vocal delivery added an otherworldly aspect to the robot’s presence which helped illuminate the difference between his mind and his makers’. Devilishly challenging music was delivered with skill and precision that added a depth of reality to such an unreal being... It really was how I imagined a robot would sing. Belluz’s portrayal of [Alex] was so endearing and convincing you could hear the collective heart of the audience break in two when his first line to Helena after intermission is 'I’m Alex. What’s your name?"

Greg Finney, Schmopera

 

As Jimmy Gin In Sweetland with The Industry –

“At a Thanksgiving-like banquet, the music light and flickering, a cowboy-cocky member of the arrivals (Scott Belluz), singing Baroque-pastiche countertenor lines, claims one of the Host women as his bride.”

Zachary Woolfe, The New York Times

 

“They are led by the brash outlaw character of Jimmy Gin (countertenor Scott Belluz), who, in a burst of coloratura frenzy, tells them in no uncertain terms, 'your way of life must end!'”

Jim Farber, San Francisco Classical Voice

 

Dublin Messiah with Aradia Ensemble –

"Countertenor Scott Belluz came in as an emergency replacement and he excelled. His voice has a rich texture and his sense of dramatic shading is impeccable. He captured the joyous exultation of 'O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion' with an ease that appeared effortless. His performance of 'He Was Despised' was delivered with an affinity to the music went far beyond that of one called in on short notice to ‘do a job’."

Brian Hay, NoRules-NoLights.com

 

Orlando/Lunaire with Opera Erratica  –

“Singers Scott Belluz and Carla Huhtanen inhabit their roles completely and seamlessly overcome the many technical challenges in the contrasting musical scores…these have to be the bravest vocal performances we have seen in Toronto this year.”

John Terauds, Toronto Star

 

“Countertenor Belluz, obviously gifted, was impressive in the lyrical Handel excerpts.”

Ken Winters, Globe and Mail

 

The Shadow with Tapestry New Opera –

"Countertenor Scott Belluz commanded a full, rounded tone and clearly relished the role of the elegant, eerie Shadow."

Christopher Hoile, Opera News Online

 

"Belluz played the Shadow as an imperious, slightly campy character. He was the guy who crashed the party with the ugly truth, and had a great time doing it. So did all of us, watching him."

Robert Everett-Green, The Globe and Mail

 

 

'Opera to Go' with Tapestry New Opera –

"The most successful of the comedies is Taylor Graham and William Rowson’s The Virgin Charlie... Belluz and Krisztina Szabó make a great couple, delivering notes of comedy, irony and real feeling during the 15-minute piece."

Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine

 

Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria with Chicago Opera Theatre –

"Canadian countertenor Scott Belluz shone as one of the suitors."

Richard Covello, Opera Canada

 

'Opera Briefs' with Tapestry New Opera –

"Countertenor Belluz gave a bravura performance in the evening’s most charged work.”

Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine

 

"I enjoyed especially the first item, Kagel's Tango Alemán, 'a pathetic story' told in an imaginary language by Scott Belluz with great aplomb as he strutted around the stage."

Peter Grahame Woolf, Musical Pointers

As [Alex] in R.U.R. A Torrent of Light with Tapestry Opera –

"For me, countertenor Scott Belluz was the highlight of this piece. As [Alex] his warm, focused vocal delivery added an otherworldly aspect to the robot’s presence which helped illuminate the difference between his mind and his makers’. Devilishly challenging music was delivered with skill and precision that added a depth of reality to such an unreal being... It really was how I imagined a robot would sing."

Greg Finney, Schmopera

SELECTED ROLES

Medoro | Orlando

L'Oiseau | Opéra Féerie

Oberon | Midsummer Night’s Dream

SELECTED REPERTOIRE

Handel | Messiah

Bach | Magnificat

Pergolesi | Stabat Mater

PRESS KIT

HEADSHOTS

DOCUMENTS

Updated Oct 2022

 

 

AUDIO

Britten

Welcome wanderer...
I know a bank

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

 

Handel

Stille Amare

Tolomeo

Scott Belluz, Countertenor

ARTIST CONNECTIONS

VIDEO

Handel

Orlando/Lunaire

Opera Erratica, Toronto

Omar Daniel

The Shadow

Tapestry New Opera

Canada Council for the Arts
Domoney Artists Management