Faculty Profile:
Judith Forst

Canadian mezzo-soprano, Judith Forst has sung with most major opera companies throughout North America and Europe, including over 250 performances with the New York Metropolitan Opera, where she returned in 2013 for her 20th season. She has also performed frequently with the San Francisco Opera Company, the Chicago Lyric Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, Dallas Opera, Houston Lyric Opera, New York City Opera, the Vancouver Opera Association, and has sung for over 10 seasons with the Santa Fe Opera. Recent European engagements have included performances in Italy, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. She made her debut at Italy’s legendary La Scala in 2006 singing KABANICHKA in Janacek’s Kata Kabanova. Ms Forst’s most recent North American successes have included highly-acclaimed performances as KABANICHA at the Met, KOSTELNICKA in Janacek’s Jenufa with the Dallas Opera, and Dead Man Walking with the Pittsburgh Opera. She has sung for over 10 seasons with the Santa Fe Opera.  Her 2013 performances of the OLD PRIORESS in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites with the Canadian Opera Company were hailed as “emotionally shattering” and “magnificent.” Ms Forst scored a personal and critical triumph in 2010 with her world premiere performance in Lillian Alling (Vancouver Opera).  She performed another world premiere with the Calgary Opera in January 2011, singing in Bramwell Tovey’s The Inventor. In 1991 Ms Forst received an honourary Doctorate of Letters from the University of British Columbia, the first performing artist alumna to be so honoured, and in 1995, the University of Victoria conferred upon Ms Forst an Honourary Doctorate of Music. In 1992, Ms. Forst was inducted into the Order of Canada and in 2001 she was inducted into the Order of British Columbia.  In 2004, she received Canada’s prestigious RUBY AWARD marking her distinguished worldwide career in opera. Ms. Forst’s 2018 schedule includes a return to the Toronto Symphony for Candide and to the Vancouver Symphony for the Bramwell Tovey Gala.