Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins has captured the attention of critics worldwide for both his voice and dramatic ability. He has performed across North America and Europe to captivated audiences, and will soon be singing on the Four Seasons Centre stage in our upcoming production of The Barber of Seville!

What he’s doing with us: Josh will be performing the iconic role of Figaro in Els Comediants' hilarious production of Rossini's The Barber of Seville with us this spring. He has previously sung as the world's most famous barber with both Vancouver Opera and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, to much critical acclaim! 

Where you might have seen him: So far this season Josh has made his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as Tadeusz in The Passenger, sung as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Glyndebourne Festival, Dallas Opera and with the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon. In concert, he has performed with Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as Dr. Pangloss in Bernstein’s Candide and has appeared in recital with the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago.

Past seasons include performances as Marcello in a new production of La Bohème at the COC and as Schaunard in a revival of the popular Franco Zeffirelli production of the same opera at Metropolitan Opera. In the 2013/2014 season Josh made international debuts at Oper Frankfurt as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and at Washington National Opera as Papageno in The Magic Flute. Other roles that season included a return to Glyndebourne as Argante in Handel’s Rinaldo.

Joshua Hopkins as Figaro in Lyric Opera of Kansas City's production of Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2012

 

Future seasons will see the baritone’s return to Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Houston Grand Opera.

 
What the critics have said:

"…one element of the endeavour transcends even this overall consistent standard – the quality and lithe exuberance of baritone Joshua Hopkins’ Figaro. Vancouver audiences have enjoyed Hopkins as a lieder singer who combines an innately appealing instrument with musical sensitivity and precision. Here he delivers a stunning interpretation of Figaro, rooted in his physical sense of the character. He has the tone, the timing, and the confidence to make it appear effortless fun; from quicksilver recitatives to solo work and ensembles, Hopkins is the focus of the production. And he couldn’t be better.”
-The Vancouver Sun (reviewing the Vancouver Opera production of Il barbiere di Siviglia)

"As for the muckraking Figaro, Hopkins played him as a delightfully flamboyant and unapologetically pompous charmer, with a physical presence approximating something between Will Ferrell and Liberace.  His entrance had him madly cutting off mullets, dying hair, and powdering noses with hilarious speed—all the while nailing the vocal theatrics of the “Largo al factotum” aria."
-The Georgia Straight (reviewing the Vancouver Opera production of Il barbiere di Siviglia)

"Joshua Hopkins was perfect – conversational and believable – as the lovestruck painter Marcello…"
-The Globe and Mail (reviewing the Canadian Opera Company production of La Bohème)

"To my ears, particularly impressive was the warm and gorgeous baritone of Joshua Hopkins, who is now deservedly at the Met."
-La Scena Musicale (reviewing the Canadian Opera Company production of La Bohème)

"The versatile Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins is a standout Schaunard, singing with robust sound and flair."
-The New York Times (reviewing the The Metropolitan Opera production of La Bohème)

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See Joshua Hopkins as Figaro in our upcoming production of The Barber of Seville. For more information and to buy tickets, visit here. 

You can also follow Josh on Twitter at @barihopkins

Photo credit: Dario Acosta