Othalie Graham
Soprano
Canadian-American soprano Othalie Graham continues receiving stellar critical acclaim throughout North America and is widely known for her interpretations of the title roles in Turandot and Aida and her commitment to Wagnerian repertoire. Opera News calls her “a vocally secure Turandot, her gleaming tones well suited to the ice princess’s misanthropic resolve.”
Graham’s 2019-2020 season includes her role debut as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth with Toledo Opera and Opera Carolina, performing the title role in Turandot with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Serena in Porgy and Bess with the Harrisburg Symphony, performances as soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Mississippi and Delaware Symphonies, Verdi’s Requiem with the Reading Symphony Orchestra and Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, and a performance as the featured guest at the Traverse Symphony Wagner Gala.
Recent performances have included the title role in Turandot with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, part of Maestro Leonard Slatkin’s farewell concert; the title role in Aida with Opera Carolina, Toledo Opera, and at the Teatro Greco di Siracusa with Marcello Giordani; the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos with Festival Opera; covering Elektra at The Teatro San Carlo Napoli; the role of Minnie in La Fanciulla del West with Nashville Opera and Indianapolis Opera. Recent concert highlights include all-Wagner programs in Mexico City and at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Peru, and with the Washington Chorus at The Kennedy Center; Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with The Philadelphia Orchestra; the Verdi Requiem with the Atlanta and Mississippi Symphony Orchestras; Serena in Porgy and Bess with Toledo Opera, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and the Jacksonville Symphony; Isolde in Tristan und Isolde in Croatia and with the Washington National Chorus at The Kennedy Center in DC; and the Britten War Requiem with the Fondazione Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi.
Additional appearances have included the title role of Aida for the inaugural performance of the Istanbul International Opera Festival; the title role in Tosca with Festival Opera; and the title role in Elektra at Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts. In the Wagnerian repertoire, Graham’s notable roles also include Senta in Der Fliegender Holländer, Brünnhilde and Sieglinde in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, and Elisabeth in Tannhäuser.
Other concert engagements include Elijah with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; performances with the Lima and Plainfield Symphonies; Brünnhilde excerpts from Die Walküre for the L’Opéra de Montréal gala; a New York recital debut with the Liederkranz Society; and opera galas for Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera, Orquesta Sinfonica de Xalapa, and Oakville Symphony. Graham is featured on the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame in her hometown of Brampton, Ontario. She previously was the first-place winner of the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition in the Wagner Division, the Joyce Dutka Competition, the Wagner Division of the Liederkranz Competition, the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques Competition, and the Edward Johnson Competition. She is also a recipient of a Sullivan Foundation Grant and winner of the Jean Chalmers prize in the Canadian Music Competition.