Gary Relyea

BASS-BARITONE

 

Renowned for the richness of his voice and his compelling musical insights, bass-baritone Gary Relyea is one of the most distinguished artists currently before the public. He has thrilled audiences in Britten’s WAR REQUIEM, Handel's MESSIAH, Mahler's Symphony No. 8 and Verdi's REQUIEM with prestigious orchestras including those of Cleveland, Montreal, Toronto, Baltimore, Detroit, San Francisco, Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra.

When he debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Schönberg's GURRELIEDER conducted by Sir Simon Rattle it was with performances in both Philadelphia and at Carnegie Hall. He has traveled around the globe: to Netherlands for performances of Monteverdi’s ORFEO at the Concertgebouw; to New Zealand for Mendelssohn’s ELIJAH and Walton’s BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST with the Christchurch City Choir; to Poland to sing in Bach’s ST. MATTHEW PASSION with the Polish Radio Orchestra; to Spain for the Bach PASSIONS with the Oviedo Symphony Orchestra; to Costa Rica for Mendelssohn’s ELIJAH and Beethoven’s SYMPHONY NO. 9 with their National Orchestra; to Guatemala for Donizetti’s opera LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR in the role of Raimondo.

Mr. Relyea performs extensively in opera singing numerous roles with opera companies and summer festival productions across Canada including — in British Columbia — Sarastro in Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE, Gremin in Tchaikovsky’s EUGINE ONEGIN and Daland in Wagner’s THE FLYING DUTCHMAN with Pacific Opera Victoria, and as Raimondo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Sarastro in Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE, and Friar Laurence in Gounod's ROMÉO ET JULIETTE with Vancouver Opera. His discography includes CBC’s releases, “Thine Angel’s Spirits” and “Rarities by Rossini and Verdi”. He starred in CBC-TV productions of THE BEAR by William Walton, ABERFAN by Raymond Pannell, and as the Commendatore in LEPORELLO’S REVENGE, Rhombus Production's take on Don Giovanni.