About
Ryan McDonald, Countertenor
Originally from Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland), and the ancestral homelands of the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Innu & Inuit (Labrador), Ryan McDonald is a multifaceted performer and artist currently residing and performing in Tkaron:to (Toronto). An award winner from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Ryan has appeared as a soloist in concert with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, Theatre of Early Music, Nota Bene Players, Cellar Singers, Elora Festival Singers & Symphony in the Barn. Operatic highlights this past season include Sorceress in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, Male Soprano/ Victim A in Du Yun’s Angel’s Bone and Miles in Britten’s Turn of The Screw.
This season saw Ryan appear with the Thunder Bay Symphony, Theatre of Early Music, Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, Toronto Consort, Les Arts Florisants, Hart House Orchestra and join Opera on the Avalons Emerging Artist Program. Operatic engagements included The Pigeon Keeper with Opera Parallèl & Santa Fe Opera, BUS Opera with the Canadian Music Centre and Glimmer with New Music Concerts & OperaQ.
“Ryan McDonald, a young Newfoundland and Labrador countertenor made a particularly favourable impression as Spirit. McDonald has a voice of luminous, fresh colour, combined with natural musicality and an exciting sense of narrative drama.”
- Opera Canada for his performance in Dido and Aeneas
Handel’s Messiah with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra - Photo by Lisa Sells
In the Press
Bio Continued
Male Soprano/Victim A in Angel’s Bone with Loose Tea Music Theatre - Photo by Dahlia Katz
A current Young Artist with Opera on the Avalon, during the 21/22 season, Ryan was a Young Artist with Pacific Opera Victoria’s Civic Engagement Quartet and Confluence Concerts inaugural Young Artistic Associate.
Additional stage credits include Athamas in Handel's Semele, First Witch and Spirit in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, L'enfant in Ravels L'enfant et les sortilèges, Cupid in John Blows Venus and Adonis and Jack in Sondheim’s Into the Woods. Other solo concert appearances include the London Handel Orchestra, Amadeus Choir, and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
In addition to being an active soloist, Ryan sings as a professional chorister with the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, Elora Festival Singers, Timothy Eaton Memorial Chamber Choir, Theatre of Early of Music and the Trinity Choir.
Ryan believes being an artist involves much more than singing, and they have created opportunities to explore the many facets of their artistry. As a portfolio artist, Ryan actively works as an Artistic Producer, Arts Administrator and continues to facilitate workshops on exploring one's own identity through music. Ryan is the co-founder of OperaQ; a company focused specifically on presenting queer theatre by queer artists for queer audiences. Ryan led the company’s original composition to a nomination at the 2023 Opera America Digital Excellence in Opera Awards.
In addition to their musical activities, Ryan is currently pursuing a DMA in Historical Performance at the University of Toronto, where they are researching the life of Klaus Nomi and investigating the ever-expanding queer performance practice guide.
In recital with pianist Ivan Jovanovic and Dame Emma Kirkby - Photo by Alexandra Delle Donne
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