Gordon Bintner, one of 10 singers participating in the 2nd annual COC Ensemble Studio Competition on November 29, 2012.
On November 29, 10 young singers will participate in the COC Ensemble Studio Competition, competing for cash prizes and a position in the prestigious Ensemble Studio training program for emerging artists. Today we will introduce you to two of our finalists. Our first finalist?Bass-baritone Gordon Bintner.
Gordon Bintner, a native of Regina, SK, is drawn to opera because it means he’s always learning something new. For thisbass-baritone, who says he would be a teacher if he weren’t a singer, the constant process of studying and performing is what makes opera so special.
Although he grew up singing, he only discovered opera in university. “It gives me a great deal of pleasure to explore this wonderful repertoire, to bring a character to life, and I find that studying and performing opera has had a profound impact on my personality, and my mind,” he says. “My journey in music and my journey through life are in many ways one and the same. Personal triumphs, the overcoming of obstacles, taking risks, sharing, discovery—it’s a lifelong journey, and it is as much personal as it is technical.”
Gordon’s music studies have taken him from Regina to Montreal, where he completed first a bachelor of music and then a master’s in opera and voice. He has also studied at Opera NUOVA (Edmonton), the Toronto Summer Music Academy and most recently the Merola Opera Program (San Francisco). He has portrayed Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro, Opera NUOVA), Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni, Opera McGill) and Colline (La Bohème, Angers Nantes Opéra). In 2013, he plays Lescaut (Manon) for Opéra de Montréal and appears in two productions by Opera McGill.
Gordon enjoys playing a range of roles. “Opera gives us the opportunity to transform ourselves, to bring drama to life through the beauty of sound and connection to the poetry, and it allows the audience to be transported, to use their imagination, and to experience the drama as it unfolds,” he says. He names Giovanni as his dream role because he is “one of the most profoundly complex and interesting characters in the repertoire.”
Due to his love for kids and learning, Gordon thinks he would be a teacher if he weren’t an opera singer, but would also love to do something physical. “Carpentry, perhaps?” he speculates.
After several years of living in Montreal, Gordon speaks French fluently. His other interests include physical activities, like dance and working out, as well as watching movies, cooking and spending time with friends.
Posted by Kathleen Keenan / in Ensemble Studio
