Profile:
Clarence Frazer

Hailed as a "singer to watch" (Musical Toronto), Canadian baritone Clarence Frazer is earning praise for having a “silvery baritone that retains its silky texture through his entire range" (London Free Press) who “possesses a powerful, robust voice" (Paula Citron). His “brilliant and stalwart singing” (Calgary Herald) earned him praise in The Banff Centre’s production of Crush – “Mr. Frazer’s acting was excellent, his singing melodious, rhetorically balanced and beautiful” (Calgary Herald). In 2016, Mr. Frazer made his debut with Pacific Opera Victoria as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia and with Canadian Stage/Soundstreams Canada as Jean in the North American Premiere of Philippe Boesmans’ opera Julie.

Recent highlights for Clarence include the role of James Isbister in the Canadian Opera Company’s acclaimed production of Louis Riel, with further performances at National Arts Centre and L’Opera de Quebec and two guest appearances with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in Handel’s Messiah and Figaro in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (concert version).

Highlights for the current season include a return to Saskatoon Opera to sing the role of Marcello in La Bohème, Crazy for Gershwin at Westben Arts Festival, a debut with Caelis Academy Ensemble and the Ottawa Baroque Consort in Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium, debut with Chorus Niagara in Handel’s Messiah, a return to the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in Mozart Requiem, a world premiere and company debut in Toronto, Canada and a return engagement with the National Arts Centre Orchestra at the National Arts Centre/Centre national des Arts in Ottawa, Canada.

Mr. Frazer is an alumnus of Opera NUOVA, Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artists Program and Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, where he made his mainstage role debut in 2015 as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia. As Figaro Mr. Frazer was “very polished” and “made for the part” (John Gilks, Opera Ramblings). Other COC credits include Schaunard in La Bohème, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and Prince Yamadori in Madama Butterfly. In 2016, Clarence starred in Saskatoon Opera’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. Clarence has also sung Marcello in La Bohème, Publio in La clemenza di Tito; Prince Yamadori and Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly, Ford in Falstaff, Daggoo in Moby-Dick, Escamillo in Carmen, Dandini in La Cenerentola, Don Giovanni and Masetto in Don Giovanni, and Sid in Albert Herring.

On the concert stage Mr. Frazer recently performed John Stainer’s The Crucifixion and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs with Saint Thomas Church, Toronto; Handel’s Messiah with Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Mississauga Symphony Orchestra; Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder at The Banff Centre with The Banff Centre Chamber Orchestra and Maestro Christopher Mokrzewski; Haydn’s The Seasons at the Kincardine Music Festival; Christus in Bach’s St. John Passion with the Metropolitan United Church Festival Choir and Orchestra as well as Mozart’s Requiem; Beethoven’s Mass in C; Orff’s Carmina Burana and Mozart’s Coronation Mass.