Winnipeg-born soprano Kady Evanyshyn completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree at The Juilliard School. She quickly gained the attention of critics when she sang the role of Annio (La clemenza di Tito) at the Aspen Music Festival in 2017.
Many performances at Juilliard, namely in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges (La Tasse Chinoise) and Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Meg Page) as well as works by Monteverdi with the Juilliard 415 ensemble and William Christie, contributed to establishing her as one of North America’s most promising lyric mezzo sopranos.
Upon graduating, she joined the International Opera Studio at Staatsoper Hamburg, where she spent three years before being invited as a member of the Ensemble. Last summer, at the Verbier Festival, she made her role debut as Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, a performance which was broadcast live on medici.tv. Engagements in Hamburg this year include her first Siébel (Faust), Hänsel in the Staatsoper’s Peter Beauvais production of Hänsel und Gretel, Zweite Dame (Die Zau- berflöte) and Zweite Magd in a production of Elektra conducted by Kent Nagano.
“The house has been giving me so many great opportunities. I don’t know where I’ll be in two years, but if I could keep working here regardless if I’m a guest artist or an Ensemble member, I would be happy because they know how to treat young people. To be able to work in a place where everyone is supporting you is such a gift.”
Ⓒ Dasha Dare
Germany is one of the last countries where singers are engaged for a certain number of performances per year in one company with the opportunity to renew their contracts. While this provides a unique sense of stability compared to freelancing and the opportunity to hone one’s skills, for North American singers, the decision to pursue a Fest contract often means having to uproot their lives in order to develop their craft and forward their careers.
“I’m really proud to be Canadian. I miss Canada so much, and especially Winnipeg, because I think it has a really specific flavour as a city. The fact that our country is so vast means that, in a sense, each city is in some way its own cultural hub and I love coming from a place that is so rich in diversity. I would love to be able to come back home to sing once in a while.”
Last season, in Hamburg, she created the role of Agnes in Samuel Penderbayne’s queer opera Fucking Åmal, based on the eponymous 1998 film by Lukas Moodysson, which addresses issues of sexuality and identity from the point of view of two teenage girls; the piece was revived this season to great critical acclaim. Another recent world premiere Evanyshyn did was Salvatore Sciarrino’s Venere e Adone alongside fellow Canadian Layla Claire, which opens on May 28 at the Staatsoper. This summer, she will sing her first Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther at the Bregenzer Festspiele.
“Variety is the spice of life. I’ve really enjoyed tackling new roles, new productions, new works. I know many professional singers who can sing the same roles for their entire careers, but that’s not for me. I’m looking forward to pieces that haven’t been written yet because I want to be involved in projects that tackle relevant issues and subjects that haven’t been addressed yet.
*this text was originally published in the spring 2023 print version of Opera Canada magazine. Click here to subscribe and support Opera Canada.
Speed Round with KADY EVANYSHYN
GO-TO KARAOKE SONG?
“My heart will go on”, as out of tune as possible.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO READ?
Perhaps not my all-time favourite, but I recently read and loved “When We Cease to Understand the World” by Benjamin Labatut.
IF A FRIEND WAS VISITING WINNIPEG, WHERE WOULD YOU TAKE THEM TO EAT?
I would do lunch at The Forks food hall, then dinner at Rae & Jerry’s, followed by a late-night burger and fries at VJ’s Drive Inn.
WHAT ROLE OUTSIDE OF YOUR FACH WOULD YOU LIKE TO SING?
Easy. Alfredo in La traviata – next!
MONTRÉAL OR NEW YORK BAGELS?
Montreal! My mom brings them back for me whenever possible.
Olivier Bergeron is a multi-tasking lyric baritone from Montreal. As a writer, he has contributed to Opera Canada and La Scena Musicale.
