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.
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(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)/Roßweiße in Wagner’s Die Walküre, Wellgunde/Second Norn in Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, La Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Flora Bervoix in Verdi’s La Traviata, Azucena (cover) in Verdi’s Il trovatore, Dritte Magd/Erste Magd/Die Vertraute in Strauss’ Elektra, The Mother in Menotti’s The Consul, and Princess Adelaide in Oscar Straus’ A Waltz Dream.
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Ms. Bray was the Canadian recipient of the Richard Wagner Stipendienstiftung in 2023, representing her country in Bayreuth. She also participated in the Bayreuther Festspiele Masterclass in 2022, selected as one of only four singers worldwide to work with Catherine Foster. The masterclass concluded with a Wagner concert at Wagner's home, Villa Wahnfried, on Wagner's original piano. A frequent competitor, she has received numerous honors including 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).
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A growing presence in the recording industry, Ms. Bray’s discography includes the world-premiere complete female recording of Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel, Michael Head’s Over the Rim of the Moon, with several additional releases forthcoming.
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Before transitioning to the mezzo-soprano repertoire, Ms. Bray sang leading and supporting soprano roles such as the title character in Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Anna Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene at Halifax Summer Opera Festival, as well as Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème.
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Ms. Bray holds an Honours Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Wilfrid Laurier University (Ontario). Dividing her time between Germany and North America, she currently studies with Jean MacPhail in Toronto. Previous mentorship has included renowned artists Mignon Dunn (New York), Gundula Hintz and Ralf Lukas (Berlin), and Stefan Vinke (Mannheim).