Nicholas Burns

Possessing “a thrilling voice” (Olyrix) that “caresses the ear with its velvet” (Le Devoir), Canadian countertenor Nicholas Burns is “a major talent on the rise” (Ludwig Van Toronto). A multi-award winner of Carnegie Hall’s New York Oratorio Society Competition, Les Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques, the Vancouver International Music Competition, and Edmonton Opera’s Rumbold Vocal Prize, Burns has performed with leading ensembles on both sides of the Atlantic, including Les Arts Florissants, L’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Vancouver Opera, I Musici, Early Music Vancouver, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Recent and upcoming performances include engagements with Opera Sofia, Ensemble Caprice, the Montréal Bach Festival, and returning appearances with Arion Baroque Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, L’Harmonie des saisons, and Tafelmusik. Such sought-after collaborations continue to highlight his versatility across the modern and historically informed spheres.

On the operatic stage, Burns delivers commanding performances across centuries of repertoire. He has portrayed Cesare in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Bertarido in Rodelinda, Polinesso in Ariodante, and Lichas in Hercules. The Chronicle Journal described his Messiah performance as “a rare and beautiful experience,” praising his “pure vocal tones [that] evoked all the baroque splendor of Handel’s composition.” Equally adept with contemporary works, he premiered the opera L’Orangeraie by French composer Zad Moultaka, a “moving” rendition that “dominated the stage” (La Presse+).

Passionate about engaging with audiences both on and off the stage, Burns serves as Engagement and Musicology Curator at Vancouver Opera, where he hosts pre-show educational talks. He has also been invited for multiple public speaking engagements at the Vancouver Public Library.

Beyond his vocal prowess, Burns is an accomplished bagpiper, having won the World Pipe Band Championships in 2012.

"Nicholas Burns displays a rather lyrical countertenor tessitura, set off by very good articulations, enhanced by the clarity of his vowels and musicality. Dramatic intensity is also very much to the fore, as he distills variations of power into long phrases."

- Axel Driffort, Olyrix, August 30th 2023 (review in french)