Leslie Ann Bradley

Introduction




“Leslie Ann Bradley is simply wonderful. She owns a spectacular voice, particularly on the top end, with beautiful clarity. Bradley’s acting matches her singing, as she joyfully tackles the big role of Rosalinde.”

Saskatoon Sun – Joanne Paulson

Biography



Leslie Ann Bradley is a young soprano whose remarkable vocal gifts are firmly supported by preparation at the highest level. Ms. Bradley is a graduate of the University of Toronto, holds a Diploma from the U of T’s Opera Division and she is also an alumna of the Orford Festival where she performed Donna Elvira in DON GIOVANNI. She also attended the Académie International de musique Maurice Ravel in France, studying with the renowned Françoise Pollet. Her success there was marked by receiving the Prix du chant Pierre Bernac as winner of the Academy’s voice competition. She was featured in Rossini’s PETITE MESSE SOLENNELLE with both the Grand Philharmonic Choir and Hamilton’s Bach-Elgar Choir, sang Micaela in Peter Brook’s TRAGEDY OF CARMEN with the Boston Midsummer Opera, and was heard in Orff’s CARMINA BURANA with the Victoria Symphony.

Recently hailed for her performance in Beethoven’s MISSA SOLEMNIS with the Winnipeg Symphony, Ms. Bradley debuts this season with the Calgary Philharmonic in CARMNINA BURANA. Further engagements include recitals for Toronto Summer Music and a New Year’s Day concert in Victoria devoted to the music of operetta.

In addition to her authority in French mélodie, she has a number of roles to her credit including Contessa in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Donna Anna in DON GIOVANNI and Fiordiligi in COSI FAN TUTTE. As Rosalinde in DIE FLEDERMAUS for Saskatoon Opera, she was acclaimed in the press as ‘simply wonderful, possessing a spectacular voice’. She was a winner in the New England Metropolitan Opera competition and was invited to join previous Met Regional Finalists in a concert marking the opening of the Concord Performing Arts Centre (Massachusetts). She sang Elvira in the Toronto Summer Music Festival’s production of DON GIOVANNI, debuted for Chorus Niagara in ELIJAH and was heard in Opera de Montréal’s SUOR ANGELICA. Ms. Bradley recently returned to Chorus Niagara to sing Paul McCartney’s ECCE COR MEUM.

Ms. Bradley appeared on BRAVO television in “Love Story”, part of a series entitled Opera Stories. She also recorded two episodes of “Opera Easy” for Bravo, singing excerpts from ROMÉO ET JULIETTE and ORFEO ET EURIDICE. In the spring of 2006, she was heard in recital on CBC Radio Two.

Further roles in her repertoire include Norina in DON PASQUALE and Adina in L’ELISIR D’AMORE, while her concert repertoire includes the works of Bach, Mozart and Rutter. She has been a winner of the Czech and Slovak International Competition, Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques competition, Journée de la Musique Française Music Competition (Montreal) and has received support from the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation. August 2010

Full Repertoire



OPERA

Bizet Micaëla CARMEN
Donizetti Norina
Adina
DON PASQUALE
L’ELISIR D’AMORE
Lehar Missia LA VEUVE JOYEUSE
Mozart Contessa
Donna Anna/Donna Elvira
Fiordiligi
Pamina/First Lady
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
DON GIOVANNI
COSI FAN TUTTE
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
Offenbach Antonia LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN
Puccini La converse SUOR ANGELICA
Strauss, J. Rosalinde DIE FLEDERMAUS
Tchaikovsky Tatiana EUGENE ONEGIN

 

CONCERT

Bach B minor Mass
Beethoven Missa Solemnis
Fauré Requiem
Handel Messiah
Holst Symphony #1, Opus 41
Mahler Symphony #4
McCartney, P. Ecce cor meum
Mendelssohn Elijah
Mozart Requiem
Krönungsmesse
Rachmaninoff Vocalise
Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle
Rutter Magnificat
Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasilieras – No. 5

 

EDUCATION

2000-2002 Opera Diploma, University of Toronto Opera Division
1996-2000 Bachelor of Music Performance, University of Toronto

 

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

2005 Winner of Prix du chant Pierre Bernac; first prize in competition of L’academie International de musique Maurice Ravel, France
2005 4th Prize winner of the Czech and Slovak International Competition
2005 Winner of National Lyric Audition of Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques
2004 Winner of Journée de la Musique Française Music Competition, Montreal
2004 2nd place winner of Metropolitan Opera, New England Regional Competition
2003 Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation Career Grant

 

Engaged By

CBC Radio Canada
Chorus Niagara
Concord Performing Arts Center, MA
Granite State Opera, New Hampshire
Opéra de Montréal
Opera in Concert, Toronto
Opera Ontario
Orford Festival
Orpheus Choir, Toronto
Saskatoon Opera

Reviews



"Canadian soprano Leslie Ann Bradley's pure, true voice soared easily over the massed sound."
Winnipeg Free Press - Gwenda Nemorofsky

“Leslie Ann Bradley is simply wonderful. She owns a spectacular voice, particularly on the top end, with beautiful clarity. Bradley’s acting matches her singing, as she joyfully tackles the big role of Rosalinde.”

Saskatoon Sun – Joanne Paulson

“Leslie Ann Bradley (Norina) played her role to perfection, with impeccable singing and timing.”

Opera Canada – Richard Ewan

“Bradley and Enns Modolo were simply brilliant together and left me wanting to hear more…it was well worth the wait. Bradley was powerful without being heavy…stunning evenness of tone throughout her range…spectacular at full volume.” (Rossini Petite Mess Solonnelle February 2008)

The Record – Marcia Adair