At the age of 11 Toronto-born soprano Emily Brown Gibson graduated from an early career in musical theatre to opera when she was offered a place in the Canadian Children’s Opera Company (CCOC). Throughout her adolescence Emily performed with the CCOC and also in the children’s chorus and in child roles in the Canadian Opera Company. At age 16 Emily starred as Laura in the quintessentially Canadian opera Laura’s Cow, the Legend of Laura Secord and her performance garnered enthusiastic reviews.
Emily went on to complete a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice Performance at McGill University and a Master of Studies in Music at the University of Oxford, where she graduated with a mark of distinction. The highlight of Emily’s time at Oxford was starring as Anne Trulove in the New Chamber Opera’s production of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress at Oxford’s historic Sheldonian Theatre. At Oxford Emily also had the opportunity to perform with the Oxford Alternative Orchestra as the soprano vocalist in Steve Reich’s opera The Cave. She also performed in several oratorios, including as a soloist in Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate and as the soprano soloist in J. S. Bach’s Peasant Cantata and Coffee Cantata.
Emily is currently studying for the Master of Music in Vocal Studies and Opera programme at the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester, where she is a recipient of a Leverhulme Scholarship. Her first year at the RNCM was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but, luckily for Emily, performance classes took place in the large opera theatre where students perform solos on the huge stage, both a daunting and exciting experience and one in which students can safely perform in a socially distanced manner.
The RNCM is one of the world’s most forward-thinking conservatoire. This has influenced Emily’s future plans to turn opera on its head, making it accessible and exciting for young and old alike, working in smaller venues with performers who can act as well as they can sing. Emily plans to stay in the UK when she graduates, to perform and also to work in education bringing opera to children. Her ultimate goal is to get funding and put together a programme similar to the CCOC to open up the world of opera to children who might not otherwise have access to it.
– Awarded The Dasha Shenkman Award 2021-2022
