| Allyson McHardy |
Introduction San Francisco Chronicle, Joshua Kosman Biography“McHardy was the evening's vocal standout. As the Angel accompanying Gerontius to God's throne, her dusky mezzo-soprano sounded rich and mellow, and she unfurled Elgar's slow, lyrical melodies in long, satiny lines that seemed to float far above the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Millennium Park.” (Chicago Sun Times)
“The other great performance was Allyson McHardy, as Phèdre, the mother who wants to sleep with her stepson: McHardy has sumptuous mezzo tone, perfect French and noble bearing.” (Opera News)
“Allyson McHardy's fiery Phaedra, trim mezzo muscle, steady line and mastery of French declamation is a revelation that rivals Jessye Norman and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson in the same role .” (Financial Times) Mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy’s voice has been described as radiant, dusky, incandescent, and sumptuous; her presence on stages in Canada, the United States and France have drawn comments such as noble, spellbinding, charming and seductive. Allyson’s varied repertoire encompasses roles from Rossini’s l’Italiana in Algeri, Cenerentola and Il Barbiere di Siviglia, to Handel’s Alcina, Ariodante and Semele, Caldara’s La Converzione di Clodoveo Rè di Francia, to Verdi’s Nabucco and Falstaff, Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, to Bizet’s Carmen. Her orchestral repertoire includes Das Lied von der Erde, Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s Magnificat, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, and Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, among many other works. 2011-2012 SEASON Following a busy summer of recitals including a national tribute to Maureen Forrester at Stratford Summer Music, Allyson opens her season with two role and house debuts: in September she takes on the role of Annio in the Opéra national de Paris production of Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito followed by the role of Arcabonne in J.C. Bach’s Amadis de Gaule at the Opéra Comique in Paris and at the Château de Versailles. In January she performs Dijanira in Handel’s Hercules with Tafelmusik in Toronto and in February makes her debut in the title role of Carmen with Pacific Opera Victoria. The Spring sees Allyson in Québec City for Mozart’s Requiem with l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec and back to Toronto for an appearance as Juno in Handel’s Semele with the Canadian Opera Company. PREVIOUS SEASONS The 2010-2011 season featured a return to the Grant Park Festival in Chicago for Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, the lead role in Rossini’s La Cenerentola at Glyndebourne, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony, Isabella in L'Italiana in Algeri in Limoges and Aix en Provence, Flosshilde in a concert version of Das Rheingold with the Montreal Symphony led by Kent Nagano, Mozart’s Requiem with the Seattle Symphony and Houston’s Mercury Baroque Orchestra, La Damnation de Faust with the Vancouver Bach Choir and Messiah with Kitchener-Waterloo’s Grand Philharmonic Choir. Recent highlights include appearances at the New York City Opera as Marchesa Melibea in Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims conducted by George Manahan, Adalgisa in Norma in Warsaw, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly wth the Canadian Opera Company, Jo in Little Women in Calgary, and as Phèdre in a rare staging of Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm in Toulouse. Much in demand as a concert artist, Allyson has performed Dream of Gerontius at Chicago's Grant Park Music Festival, Messiah for the Toronto Symphony and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Elijah in Montreal, Les Nuits d’Été in Bielefeld, Germany and Beethoven's Choral Fantasia with Bernard Labadie and Les Violons du Roy.
DISCOGRAPHY In March 2011, Allyson released Caldara's La Conversione di Clodoveo, Re di Francia (ATMA) in which she performed the title role, having previously performed it in Berlin, Montreal and Vancouver with Le Nouvel Opéra. She has also recorded Bellini’s Norma (Philharmonia Narodowa) with the Warsaw Philharmonic, two works by Harry Somers – Serinette and A Mid-Winter Night’s Dream (Centrediscs) and is featured on the Musica Leopolis label in Ukrainian music by composer Mykola Lysenko. Allyson currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter. September 2011
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Reviews“Although everyone involved contributed to a memorable performance, particular kudos go to Toronto mezzo Allyson McHardy, who dazzled as Dejanira. McHardy’s voice is pure, fragrant, dark buckwheat honey — just the ticket for a particularly demanding role. Paired with dramatically riveting and technically impeccable renditions of Handel’s bravura arias for a character walking the tightrope between sanity and madness, this mezzo captivated from the moment she sang her first note.” “Mezzo Allyson McHardy has a wider range of responsibilities, culminating in the great concluding benediction “The Farewell”. Her work had authority and depth; her tone is complex and slightly dark – perfect for Das Lied – and she negotiated her material with poise and subtlety.” “The Dream of Gerontius, a deeply felt meditation on death and the afterlife is a big, demanding work for orchestra, chorus and three vocal soloists. At the Saturday night performance principal conductor Carlos Kalmar found just the right balance between Godly majesty and human emotion. McHardy was the evening’s vocal standout. As the Angel accompanying Gerontius to God’s throne, her dusky mezzo-soprano sounded rich and mellow, and she unfurled Elgar’s slow, lyrical melodies in long, satiny lines that seemed to float far above the Jay Pritzker Pavillion and Millennium Park.” “Allyson McHardy’s fiery Phaedra – trim mezzo muscle, steady line and mastery of French declamation – is a revelation that rivals Jessye Norman and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson in the same role.” “La Phèdre incandescente de la mezzo amèricane [Canadian] Allyson McHardy (une révélation). ” “Saississante (de timbre corsé et capiteaux, de temperament et de projection) est la Phèdre de la mezzo américaine (Canadian) Allyson McHardy.” “Allyson McHardy …a singer of enormous imagination and versatility, sang a lustrous and energetic Rossini; the inventive twists and turns in her highly ornamented account of the opening Una voce poco fa” were superb.” San Francisco Chronicle – Joshua Kosman“Canadian mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy, gave a vivacious and delightful performance in the title role of Isabella…Her singing was warm and forthright, her command of coloratura fearless and her stage demeaner never less than charismatic. She is a singer to watch.” San Francisco Chronicle – Joshua Kosman“Allyson McHardy in der Titelpartie des Chlodwig gelang einebildhafte Darstellung ausschließlich durch die Färbung ihrer Stimme: Ob sie als Frankenköig den Feinden den Tod wünschte oder – in derselben Arie! – der Liebe zur Gemahlin Ausdruck verliehes wurde gleichermaßen zum akustischen Erlebnis mit einer Deutlichkeit, die die hervorragenden deutschen Übertitel fast entbehrich werden ließ.” German Radio“…hier ist vor allem Allyson Mchardy zu rühmen, deren tragfähige und mühelos koloraturgängige Altsimme in allen Registern ihr charakyervolles Timbre entfaltet. Außerdem phrasiert die Sängerin glasklar und verfügt uber eine weite Ausdrucksspanne.” Berliner Zeitung - Peter Uehling“She’s a real stage creature, dark and slender, physically expressive and loaded with smoldering personality.” Pacific Sun (San Francisco) – Stephanie von Buchau“McHardy, in fact held much within the embrace of her vocal instrument, including both comedy and –in an Act II aria where Rossini seems to predate by several decades the somber grandeur of his countryman Verdi—some darker qualities which hint at the young singer’s probable success with tragedy. She’s also blessed with sparky, sexy allure, evoking a young Mary Tyler Moore and making it entirely credible that she’d be ardently pursued by three suitors.” “McHardy gave a brilliant performance, improvising passionate Italianate-sounding gibberish in a strange operatic counterpoint to the instrumentalists’ cabaret music.” (Kagel’s TANGO ALLEMAN) produced by Queen of Puddings)” Globe and Mail – Tamara Bernstein |