OPERA NEWS
News
Reviews of Alcina with Opera Atelier
“Allyson McHardy takes pride of place in the “trouser role” of Ruggiero, combining authentic swagger with a warmth of tone and a dramatic intensity that are riveting.” (Toronto Star, 24 October 2014) Read the full review on the Toronto Star website.
“Allyson McHardy played Ruggiero with a stunning low and warm tessitura – especially for a mezzo-soprano.” (Musical Toronto, 26 October 2014)
Allyson and her Alcina cast mates offer a glimpse into the production at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre
“Allyson McHardy as Ruggeiro (Bradamante’s man, but played by a woman) sang a heart-wrenching “Verdi pratiâ€; while she’s a singer who has ventured into many sorts of repertoire I have a weak spot for her Handel, the voice reminding me of Janet Baker.” (Barczablog, 14 October 2014) Read the full review on the Barczablog website.
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About
A unique vocal colour and commanding stage presence are the hallmarks of performances by mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy. Hailed by Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle as “a singer of enormous imagination and versatility”, she has appeared with the Paris Opera, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Chicago Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Glyndebourne Festival, San Francisco Opera, Boston Symphony, Canadian Opera Company, Warsaw Philharmonic and Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse. Adam Fischer, Seiji Ozawa, Jeremy Rohrer, Kent Nagano, Emmanuelle Haim, Bernard Labadie, Ludovic Morlot, Carlos Kalmar and Jesus Lopez Cobos are among the conductors with whom she has collaborated for performances of works such as L’enfant et les sortileges, La clemenza di Tito, Das Rheingold, Dream of Gerontius and Messiah.
Latest Album
Handel: Messiah
Music of the Baroque Orchestra
Recorded live in November 2021, Handel’s Messiah features the Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra and soloists Sherezade Panthaki, soprano, Allyson McHardy, mezzo-soprano, Brian Giebler, tenor, and Matthew Brook, bass-baritone under the direction of Nicholas Kraemer.