Joshua Hopkins - Biography

Joshua Hopkins was supported by BBT between 2006 and 2011. For an up to date biography go to www.imgartists.com.

Widely respected as one of the ﬁnest singer-actors of his generation, Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins brings his “glistening, malleable baritone of exceptional beauty” (Opera Today) to a repertoire spanning four centuries. His versatile artistry is frequently on display on the stages of The Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, Glyndebourne, Washington National Opera, and the Canadian Opera Company. His recent seasons have featured signature roles including Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Papageno in Die Zauberﬂöte, and the title role in Billy Budd. In concert repertoire, he has appeared with the Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. With the Toronto Symphony, Joshua debuted the role of Athanaël in Massenet’s Thaïs under the baton of Sir Andrew Davis, recorded live for Chandos Records.

Profoundly committed to the art of song, Joshua’s first recital disc, Let Beauty Awake, features songs of Barber, Bowles, Glick, and Vaughan Williams on the ATMA Classique label and supported by BBT. More recently, in collaboration with Canadian author Margaret Atwood and American composer Jake Heggie, Joshua developed a new song cycle, Songs for Murdered Sisters, to wake people up to the epidemic of gender-based violence and to honour the memory of his sister. Written as both a chamber piece for voice and piano, and as a fully orchestrated piece for voice and symphony orchestra, the cycle was co-commissioned by Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and Houston Grand Opera.

Last updated: February 2021

I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the Borletti-Buitoni Trust for creating an opportunity so invaluable to the future of young performing artists. Receiving the recognition of such an esteemed committee of musicians is reward enough, but to also be granted a Trust Award is a dream come true. Having been born ‘across the pond’ in Canada, I had not taken on the challenge of introducing myself to the European artistic community. The great honour of having my name associated with the Trust has given me an exciting opportunity to do so. I hope to introduce Canadian music where it might not otherwise be heard and look forward to sharing my art with new audiences.

Photographs by Simon Pauly