Emerging artist David Walsh has been invited to be the tenor soloist for this year’s Handel’s Messiah on December 13, 2021. This is the second time this up-and-coming young musician has joined us for Messiah. We asked David to tell us a bit about himself. In this delightful video you will be introduced to an engaging other side of the serious soloist.
Leslie Fagan is a world-renowned soprano, a dedicated educator and mentor, and a proud Canadian artist.
Hailed by critics as “nothing short of astonishing” and “in a class of her own,” she has for decades performed under the baton of noted conductors at many of the world’s most famous music venues. Leslie is perhaps most famous for her storied performances of Handel’s Messiah, which have soared out from stages in New York, London, Kyoto and beyond. Leslie has performed at many of the world’s most famous music venues, including Royal Albert Hall, Lincoln Center, Bordeaux Opera House, and – 16 times and counting – at the world-famous Carnegie Hall.
Her career reads as a journey in the company of many of music’s most famous names. She has sung Stravinsky and Debussy in France, Bach in Germany, and Mendelssohn in Manhattan. She has dazzled audiences with concert performances in Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Netherlands. She has shared the stage with such luminaries as Victor Borge, Lois Marshall, and Maureen Forrester. She has interpreted the legendary operas of Mozart, Puccini, and Donizetti.
Leslie has performed on CBC radio and television, BBC radio and television, and National Public Radio, among other platforms. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where she studied with Madame Irene Jessner and Lois Marshall, and has studied privately with famed performers and composers in France and Italy.
Leslie has adjudicated international vocal competitions at the highest level, including the Oratorio Society of New York’s annual Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition.
When not on the world stages, Leslie is an Associate Professor who teaches aspiring singers at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Leslie is co-founder of the Canadian Art Song Project, whose mandate is to champion the legacy of Canadian song. The first two CDs in the series, “Thread of Winter” and “Halibut Cheeks and other Love Songs” have been received with rave reviews. www.canadianartsong.ca
As a recipient of the Order of Ontario, Leslie is recognized for her sustained artistic excellence, her commitment to educating the next generation of vocal performers, and her championing of the great Canadian songbook though the Canadian Art Song project. www.lesliefagan.com
