Introduction

“...but the star of the show, as Don Alfonso, was Stephen Hegedus, who combined a striking, dynamic sound with a suave portrayal of the old philosopher. This Canadian bass-baritone sounds to me like a Don Giovanni of the near, rather than distant, future.”
Opera Canada, Summer 2009

Biography

Canadian Bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus is described as a “charming actor and more to the point a singer of enormous promise.” (Opera Canada)

A graduate of the Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, Stephen Hegedus made his Opéra de Montréal debut as Silvano (Un ballo in maschera) and appeared with the company as Sprecher (Die Zauberflöte), Angelotti (Tosca), Grégorio (Roméo et Juliette), Fiorello (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Il Commissario (Madama Butterfly) and Sicario (Macbeth). With the Atelier lyrique, he sang Don Alfonso (Cosi fan tutte) and Don Inigo Gomez (L’Heure Espagnole).

Appearances in the 2010-2011 season included the title role of Le nozze di Figaro (Opera Hamilton), Albert in Massenet’s Werther (Opéra de Montréal) and the Marquis in La Traviata (Vancouver Opera). On the concert stage he performed Handel’s Messiah with the Victoria Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, and the Grand Philharmonic Choir, Bach’s Magnificat with the Orchestre Métropolitain du grand Montréal and Howard Blake’s The Bear with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Other operatic credits include Masetto and Leporello (Don Giovanni), Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress), Guglielmo (Cosi fan tutte), Collatinus (The Rape of Lucretia), Colline (La bohème), Frank (Die Fledermaus), Sir John Falstaff (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor), and Betto (Gianni Schicchi).

He has performed with Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Chile, Pacific Opera Victoria, Les Violons du Roy, San Antonio Symphony, Houston Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, the André-Turp Musical Society The Aldeburgh Connection, the Lamèque International Baroque Festival, La Sinfonia de Lanaudière, the Aldeburgh Festival and the International Bach Festival in Toronto.  In April 2009, he made his Carnegie Hall debut singing Bach’s Mass in B-minor with the Oratorio Society of New York and returned in 2010 singing Handel’s Messiah.

Recently Mr. Hegedus appeared as a finalist at Placido Domingo’s Operalia, The World Opera Competition, and was awarded 2nd Prize at the 32nd annual Lyndon Woodside Oratorio Solo Competition hosted by the Oratorio Society of New York. Other awards include The Janet Stubbs Fellowship and The William and Phyllis Waters Graduating Award, both from the University of Toronto. He is a grant holder of the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation for Young Canadian Opera Singers and of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Mr. Hegedus holds a Master’s of Music in Opera from the University of Toronto and has pursued further studies at the Banff Centre, the Britten-Pears Programme (Aldeburgh, England), The Canadian Vocal Arts Institute (Montreal), The International Vocal Arts Institute (Tel Aviv) and the Centre for Opera in Sulmona, Italy.

This past summer, Mr. Hegedus sang the role of Zuniga in Carmen for the Brott Festival under the direction of Gian Domenico Vaccari.  Highlights of the current season include MESSIAH with the Seattle Symphony and L’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, an appearance with the Victoria Symphony and the role of Talbot in Maria Stuarda for Pacific Opera Victoria.

January 2012

For further information, please visit www.stephenhegedus.com

Full Repertoire

Opera

Concert/Oratorio

Engaged By

André-Turp Musical Society
Aldeburgh Connection
Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal
Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur
Edmonton Opera
Edmonton Symphony
Ensemble Caprice
Houston Symphony
International Bach Festival, Toronto
Opéra de Montréal
Opera Hamilton
Oratorio Society of New York, Carnegie Hall
Orchestre Métropolitain
Orchestre symphonique de Montreal
La Sinfonia de Lanaudière
Lamèque International Baroque Music Festival
Musica Sacra, New York
San Antonio Symphony
Société Philharmonique de Montréal
Pacific Opera Victoria
Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Chile
Toronto Chamber Choir
Victoria Symphony
Vancouver Opera

Les Violons du Roy

Winnipeg Symphony

Reviews

“...but the star of the show, as Don Alfonso, was Stephen Hegedus, who combined a striking, dynamic sound with a suave portrayal of the old philosopher. This Canadian bass-baritone sounds to me like a Don Giovanni of the near, rather than distant, future.”

Opera Canada, Summer 2009 (Così fan tutte, Don Alfonso)

“...pétillante, lumineuse et fine...”

Le Soleil, Septembre 2008 (Operalia, Québec City)

“...he attracted considerable attention as a voice to watch.”

Opera Canada, December/January 2008/2009 (Operalia, Québec City)

“...Stephen Hegedus, le baryton canadien, impeccable dans l’air de Sancho Pança du Don Quichotte de Massenet.

Le Devoir, Septembre 2008 (Operalia, Québec City)

“Bass Stephen Hegedus (Figaro) is a charming actor and, more to the point a singer of enormous promise. He has a warm voice with a distinctive vibrato that adds interesting color and truly amazing low notes.”

Opera Canada, May/June 2006 (Le nozze di Figaro, Figaro)

“En tête, Stephen Hegedus, baryton-basse...Il a l’étoffe d’un professionnel promis à une remarquable carrière.”

Le Devoir, Avril 2008 (Così fan tutte, Don Alfonso)

“Stephen Hegedus (Inigo) boasted a bass-baritone of velvety richness and effortless projection...”

Opera, July 2008 (L’Heure Espagnole, Don Inigo Gomez)

“...le plus intéressant à découvrir du point de vue vocal..est sans nul doute le baryton-basse Stephen Hegedus. Un timbre rond, sûr, presque mature et des graves magnifiques. Une voix à suivre...”

Montréal Express, March 2008 (L’Heure Espagnole, Don Inigo Gomez)

“...Canadians with small roles but big futures were...Stephen Hegedus (Silvano)...”

Opera, January 2008 (Un ballo in maschera, Silvano)

“Le nouveau venu Stephen Hegedus s’impose déjà par sa voix ferme et son autorité...”

La Presse, Janvier 2009 (Brahms Requiem)

“Stephen Hegedus, member de l’Atelier lyrique de l’ODM, a révélé une vraie voix de basse et un talent scénique naturel.”

La Presse, Decembre 2008 (Gala, Opéra de Montréal)

“Hegedus, a bass, and McLeod, a soprano, also stand out. Both performers are great actors as well as vocalists...”

The StarPhoenix, July 2006 (Don Giovanni, Leporello)