The Artist of the Week is Canadian tenor Frédéric Antoun. He will be the tenor soloist in Haydn‘s Creation with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra on March 20th (tickets and info here).
Frédéric’s noble and sincere voice has taken him to stages all over the world. Recent engagements include performances with Orchestre Métropolitain, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Opéra de Montréal and Opera West.
This week, Frédéric chats with us about his favourite operas, singers he admires and his first voice lesson. Read on to find out more.
When was your first singing lesson (and with whom)?
In 1996, with tenor David Doane at École de musique Vincent d’Indy.
Favourite city that you’ve worked in?
Salzburg.
Favourite place?
The Alps.
If you weren’t a singer, you’d be…?
A doctor.
Top 3 favourite composers?
Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky.
Top 3 favourite operas?
La bohème, Falstaff, Otello.
What’s your favourite opera house?
Zürich, for its acoustics and intimacy.
Which opera role do you want to be singing right now?
Des Grieux in Manon by Massenet.
Which opera role do you want to be singing in 10 years?
I don’t think that far. I just worry about my mortgage.
Who is a singer you admire that is currently working?
Arturo Chacón Cruz.
Who is a singer you admired from the past?
Jussi Björling.
What’s your favourite orchestral instrument? Why?
The clarinet, because it triggers a special place in my brain where it just takes over.
What’s your favourite thing about singing with an orchestra?
The rapture.
Tent or hotel?
Hotel. I can go into nature and come back to the hotel 🙂
What is one surprising thing that you have learned in becoming an opera singer?
It has opened me up and took away my timidity.
What was the first opera you ever saw?
Die Zauberflöte.
What’s your ancestry?
Egyptian.
What’s your favourite mind-calming practice?
Cross-country skiing and meditation, but I don’t meditate enough.
What’s your favourite movie?
I’ve rewatched The Exorcist for the fifth time recently. It is still scary 50 years later. The director William Friedkin surpassed himself.
What’s your favourite non-classical band?
U2. Music of my teenage years.
© Stefan Brion
As Don José in Carmen with Maîtrise Populaire de l’Opéra Comique
© Photo by Caitlin Oldham; courtesy of Washington Concert Opera
At Washington Concert Opera
© Agathe Poupeney
In The Exterminating Angel with Opéra national de Paris
The Dawn of the World: Haydn’s Creation
Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Simon Rivard
SOPRANO: Anna-Sophie Neher
TENOR: Frédéric Antoun
BARITONE: Jesse Blumberg
Step into the light with The Dawn of the World: Haydn’s Creation on Friday, March 20, 2026 at 8pm at the Arts and Culture Centre, presented by Wedgwood Insurance.
Experience the awe and wonder of the universe’s first spark through Joseph Haydn’s masterwork The Creation—a sweeping oratorio that brings the formation of the world to life with radiant choruses, colourful orchestration, and boundless optimism.
Led by NSO Music Director Simon Rivard, this celestial celebration features an all-star trio of soloists: soprano Anna-Sophie Neher, tenor Frédéric Antoun, and baritone Jesse Blumberg, joined by the powerful voices of the Philharmonic Choir of the NSO (PCNSO).
From chaos to light, from sea to sky, from birdsong to humanity—Joseph Haydn’s music captures it all with wit, drama, and joy. Don’t miss this transcendent journey through the origins of the world—guaranteed to leave you feeling uplifted and inspired. Tickets are available at the ACC Box Office (709-729-3900), online atwww.artsandculturecentre.com and at the door.
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