Born in Montreal of Ukrainian heritage, Taras is a singer who possesses a large vocal and dramatic range. He has performed with opera companies and orchestras throughout Canada, the United States and in Europe. In 2002, he made his European debut to critical acclaim in the title role of Don Giovanni performing in the major castles of France and Belgium. Famous film director GÉRARD CORBIAU (FARINELLI, LE MAÎTRE DE MUSIQUE, LE ROI DANSE) directed this production which was filmed live for TV5 and broadcast worldwide in 2003. In the spring of 2004, Taras returned to Europe to sing the role of Gremin in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in the the Czech Republic. Most recently, Taras sang with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at the Lanaudière Festival under the baton of maestro Kent Nagano in a concert version of Yevgheny Onegin for which he received wonderful reviews. The 2006-2007 season saw Taras perform in a very successful production of La Cenerentola with Calgary Opera in which he sang to critical acclaim the role of Don Magnifico (see reviews). He made his debut in January with Opera Ontario as Abimelech in Samson et Dalilah. In the spring he returned to Calgary Opera as Zuniga in Carmen. 2006 being Mozart's anniversary year Taras sang 2 very successful Mozart galas one in Guatemala City with American conductor Francis Graffeo, and the other at the Orford Arts Centre with the Orchestre Métropolitain under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. In December
2005, Taras was named the Artistic Director of the
GREEN MOUNTAIN
OPERA FESTIVAL in Vermont. He is very proud to be taking on this new
career path alongside his very busy singing career. The festival just finished
its second year and is growing tremendously in popularity. The 2003/2004 season saw Taras make a very successful debut with the Manitoba Opera where critics praised him for "stealing the show" as Leporello in Don Giovanni, a role he has sung with Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera and at the Aspen Music Festival. In February of 2004, Taras returned to Opera Saskatchewan as Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola. In 2005, he sang at Opera Lyra Ottawa and Manitoba Opera as Monterone and Sparafucile in Rigoletto to much critical acclaim and in October 2004, he performed at an opera gala with the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois Rivières. Other successful roles in Taras' repertoire include: Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro with both Opera Saskatchewan and Vancouver Opera where, according to one critic, he was "spellbinding"; Colline in La Bohème at Vancouver Opera, Calgary Opera, Edmonton Opera, Opera Lyra Ottawa and Manitoba Opera; Ferrando in Il Trovatore with both Opera Lyra Ottawa and Calgary Opera; The King in Aïda, a role which he has sung for l'Opéra de Montréal, Vancouver Opera, Calgary Opera, and Edmonton Opera; and many others. Performances at Canadian summer festivals include Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with the Metropolitan Orchestra of Montreal; at the Lanaudière Festival Taras sang Fernand in Le Trouvère and Ibn-Hakia in Tchaikovsky's Iolanta both under the baton of maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Taras also has a strong affinity for the lieder repertoire, as a result, in the summer of 2001 he gave a lieder recital with world renown pianist Vladimir Feltsman. In the summer of 2002 he gave a recital at the Music at Grazhda Festival (New York) to much critical acclaim. Oratorio highlights include: The Messiah with the Vancouver Bach Choir, the Vancouver Symphony, the Edmonton Symphony and the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois Rivières; Duruflé and Mozart Requiems in Montreal; Beethoven's 9th with the Victoria Symphony; Bruckner's Mass in F Minor as invited soloist with the University of Ottawa Choral Society. Taras has performed many times with the Minnesota Orchestra where the last time he sang with them the St. Paul Press hailed him as "the strongest singer". Taras, who speaks five languages fluently, received training as a member of the young artist programs of l'Opéra de Montréal and Vancouver Opera and did his musical studies at both McGill University and the University of Toronto . Taras was a district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, a finalist at the prestigious Belvedere International Opera Competition in Vienna and has been a recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation for Young Canadian Opera Singers, and from the Martha Lou Henley Foundation. Last summer, Taras was a recipient of a Conseil des Arts du Québec professional development grant. Taras has sung at American summer festivals such as Ravinia's Steans Institute, the Aspen Music Festival, and at the Tanglewood Music Center where he sang in the 50th anniversary production of Peter Grimes under the baton of maestro Seiji Ozawa. At the Aspen Festival, on a full fellowship, he sang under the baton of Metropolitan Opera conductor Julius Rudel, also under maestro Robert Spano. For both roles (Leporello and Nick Bottom) he received critical acclaim in Opera News and The Denver Post. Upcoming
engagements include Taras proudly returning
to Opera Lyra Ottawa in his signature
role of Leporello in Don Giovanni, and in the spring of 2008 he
returns to Edmonton Opera as Pistola in
Falstaff. |
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