Karina Bray
Mezzo Soprano
"I loved Karina Bray as Flora. Her moves and facial expressions in the party scenes were delightful."
"...the Crown Prince, is a suitably henpecked royal with the pecking done, with Lady Bracknell like charm, by Karina Bray."
- Opera Ramblings, John Gilks- A Waltz Dream- Princess Adelaide
Die kanadische Mezzosopranistin Karina Bray überzeugte mit dunklem Timbre ebenfalls bei „Engel“, „Im Treibhaus“ und „Träume“ aus den fünf Gedichten für Frauenstimme und Klavier von Richard Wagner.
(The Canadian mezzo-soprano Karina Bray also impressed with her dark timbre in "Engel", "Im Treibhaus" and "Träume" from Richard Wagner's five poems for female voice and piano.)
Karina Bray as Princess Adelaide was often right in the middle as the funniest moments of the comedy unfolded.
- Barczablog, Leslie Barcza- A Waltz Dream- Princess Adelaide
"You possess an exceptionally beautiful, powerful mezzo-soprano voice, and you are a riveting actress. Your timbre and presence are very well-suited to both these arias, and you perform them with nuanced musicianship and poise."
- Joyce diDonato- Carnegie Hall Masterclass- Feedback
About
German-Canadian mezzo-soprano Karina Bray has appeared in roles including Fricka (cover) and Roßweiße in Wagner’s Die Walküre; Wellgunde and the Second Norn in Götterdämmerung; the Knusperhexe in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel; La Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi; Flora Bervoix in Verdi’s La Traviata; Azucena (cover) in Il trovatore; Dritte Magd, Erste Magd, and Die Vertraute in Strauss’ Elektra; and The Mother in Menotti’s The Consul.
Ms. Bray was the Canadian recipient of the Richard Wagner Stipendienstiftung in 2023, representing Canada in Bayreuth. In 2022, she was selected as one of only four singers worldwide to participate in the Bayreuther Festspiele Masterclass with renowned Wagnerian soprano Catherine Foster. The masterclass culminated in a Wagner concert at Villa Wahnfried, Wagner’s former home, where she performed with Wagner’s original piano.
A frequent competition laureate, Ms. Bray was a quarterfinalist in the inaugural Wagner Stimmen Competition in Bayreuth, Germany, in 2026. She has received numerous additional international honors, including the Gold Prize in the Euterpe Music Awards (2024), First Place in the Medici International Music Competition (2024), and Second Place in the BTHVN Wien Competition (2023).
A growing presence in the recording industry, Ms. Bray’s discography includes the world-premiere complete female recording of Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel, Elgar’s Sea Pictures, Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, and Michael Head’s Over the Rim of the Moon, with several additional recordings forthcoming.
Before transitioning to the mezzo-soprano repertoire, Ms. Bray performed leading and supporting soprano roles, including the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Anna Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, as well as Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème.
Dividing her time between Germany and North America, Ms. Bray currently studies with Jean MacPhail in Toronto. Her previous mentors have included renowned artists Mignon Dunn in New York, Gundula Hintz and Ralf Lukas in Berlin, and Stefan Vinke in Mannheim.