Ellen McAteer

Canadian soprano Ellen McAteer has been praised for her “brilliant, clear soprano” (New York Arts) and “stupendous singing” (Calgary Herald), as well as for her “steely soprano” which “handles Purcell’s fussy lines with sparkling agility” (The Star). On the operatic stages, she has been recognized as a “powerhouse of dramatic assuredness, the ultimate in vulnerable intensity” (Opera Canada). Ellen’s performances are diverse and include world premieres alongside staples of the classical and Baroque eras. Invitations from leaders in the field have brought her across Canada and around the world, including to Aldeburgh (Bach Canatas with the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program led by Philippe Herreweghe), Buenos Aires (Amor in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice with Teatro Colón), Halifax (Handel duets with Symphony Nova Scotia, led by Jeanne Lamon), Banff (Lola in Crush by James Rolfe), and Mexico (Tigrane in Handel’s Radamisto, led by Martin Hässelbock). She has been a featured soloist on several recordings, including with the Theatre of Early Music, The Trinity Choir, and the Caelis Academy Ensemble. She holds Voice Performance degrees from the University of Toronto and McGill University and was a recipient of the Glenn Gould School’s Rebanks Family Fellowship. She has furthered her studies at The Banff Centre, Oberlin Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, Orford Arts Centre, and Victoria Conservatory of Music. She has received career support from Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques, the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation, and the Canada Council for the Arts. Based in Ottawa, Ellen was recently named the assistant director of the Big Soul Project choir, Ottawa’s largest community choir, and runs a private music studio for children and adults. She is also pursuing her PhD in interdisciplinary research in music at the University of Ottawa, exploring the therapeutic use of singing for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Photo by Sam Gaetz.