Soprano Jonelle Sills was recently named one of York University’s 2022 Top 30 Alumni Under 30 and one of CBC Music’s 30 hot classical musicians under 30. Her mainstage debut at the Canadian Opera Company, for Mimi in La bohème (2023), was lauded for being a “beautifully sensitive… with careful control and colour” (The Globe and Mail). She looks forward to reprising the role with Vancouver Opera in the 2025/2026 season.

Upcoming and recent engagements include Jonelle’s company and role debuts as Miss Jessel in Pacific Opera Victoria’s production of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, and an appearance with the National Ballet of Canada as the soprano soloist for the acclaimed production of Anna Karenina. With the Canadian Art Song Project, she was nominated for a 2025 Juno Award for their album, Known to Dreamers: Black Voices in Canadian Art Song.

Past seasons saw Sills return to Edmonton Opera as Roselinde in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, and the Guelph Symphony Orchestra for a New Year’s Day celebration. She also joined the musical cast of Rhapsody in Blue: A Gershwin Celebration for the composer’s centenary in venues across Ontario, and toured Joplin’s Treemonisha with Volcano Theatre and Chicago’s Harris Theatre.

Her 2023/2024 season saw role debuts of Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with the Edmonton Opera, Hannah Glawari in Lehar’s Merry Widow with Toronto Operetta Theatre, and Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen with Vancouver Opera. She returned to the Canadian Opera Company later in the season for assignments in the world premiere of Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White.

On the concert stage, she has recently made returns to the National Arts Centre Orchestra under the batons of Alexander Shelley, Dinuk Wijeratne, and Cosette Justo Valdés; joined the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for Brahms’ Requiem, and presented recital programs for both Prince Edward County Chamber Music Festival and Ottawa’s Chamberfest.

Other performance highlights include Sills’ main stage debut with Vancouver Opera as Helena in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, joining the star-studded all Canadian cast of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music at Koerner Hall, a Canadian tour as Mimì in La bohème with Against the Grain Theatre, and her role debut of Tatyana in Eugene Onegin with Highlands Opera Studio.

She was in residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity for their Opera in the 21st Century program, where she premiered the role of Esther in Poala Prestini and Royce Vavreck’s Silent Light, directed and designed by Thaddeus Strassberger. In April of 2019, she made her company debut with Toronto’s Against The Grain Theatre in Vivier’s Kopernikus, which earned her a 2019 Dora Award as a member of the ensemble.

Further operatic credits include Rosalinde in J. Strauss’ Die Fledermaus with The Glenn Gould School, Musetta in La Bohème in the Muskoka Opera Festival, Micaëla in Carmen with Summer Opera Lyric Theatre, and Cecchina in La Cecchina with The Glenn Gould School. As Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia (MYOpera), Jonelle was praised for, “she handles the huge vocal range expertly and takes us on a beautiful dramatic arc throughout the show” (Schompera, Greg Finney).

Currently based in Toronto, Ms. Sills has completed the Artist Diploma Program (ADP) at The Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory of Music in 2018, after her studies at York University. Jonelle has also performed in master classes and coachings with notable artist such as Gerald Finley, Liz Upchurch, Adrianne Pieczonka, Tim Noble, Martin Katz, Catherine Robbin, Dawn Upshaw, and Joan Dornemann.

September 2025
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