Bass-baritone Alex Halliday is a rising star of Canadian opera

Alex Halliday, a young singer from St John’s, Newfoundland has come from the Rock to make waves in the world of opera. 

He is one of the most promising young artists in the Canadian Opera Company’s esteemed Ensemble Studio program, where he has been performing for the past three years. With a voice that is both powerful and expressive, the in-demand Halliday is currently performing in the Canadian Opera Company’s sumptuous productions of Verdi’s Macbeth, directed by Sir David McVicar with Assistant Director Andrew Adridge, and conducted by Speranza Scappucci; and Puccini’s Tosca, directed by Paul Curran with Assistant Director Marilyn Gronsdal and conducted by Giuliano Carella. Both are now on stage at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Halliday’s journey into the world of opera was not a typical one. Growing up, he spent most of his time playing hockey and other sports. It was not until high school that he discovered his love for performing, thanks to a drama class taught by Joel Pratt. Noticing Halliday’s enthusiasm and recognizing his talent, Pratt encouraged him to audition for the school musical, Les Misérables – even though Halliday had never before sung a note.

Despite his rawness, Halliday landed the role of Javert. This is when everything began to change. With the guidance first of his music teacher Janice Alcorn and then of his Memorial University voice teacher Dr. Caroline Schiller, Halliday discovered that his voice was best-suited for opera. He fell in love with the art form and began to pursue it with a passion and dedication that are unabated: “There is no other art form like it. Every day, opera gives me the opportunity to better learn how to express my own humanity and hopefully speak to someone’s soul in the process.”

Macbeth and Tosca, in which Halliday is currently performing, happen to be two of his favourite operas: “They’re both dark stories full of drama and tragedy, and make for a great end to our season at the COC.” In Macbeth, he plays the role of the Servant, which requires him to do jobs that serve Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, such as closing doors, delivering information, dressing them, and being ready for other commands. In Tosca, the Jailor has very specific duties to perform, such as closing and locking the gates of the accommodations which house the prisoners who can afford them: “I also have a meaningful interaction with Cavaradossi, as he is the one in the cell at the end of the opera when you first see me.” 

As Halliday explains, both roles are ideal for a young singer like him. First, “the roles are very contained, which allows me to put a lot of time and effort into making them great and not being spread too thin of my own vocal and dramatic abilities.” Second,  “performing these smaller roles also allows me to observe and watch the professionals who have been doing this for much longer, and see what it takes to truly be transcendent in a performance.”

Halliday’s preparation for both roles has been rigorous and demanding. He has studied the score for all of its markings, practiced the language diligently, and perfected his pronunciation so that it is coherent to a native speaker of the language. As the expression goes, “God is in the details” – and no detail is too small: “Making the most of these opportunities takes discipline, practice, and self-reflection. It takes a lifetime to become exceptional at all of these things, but it starts with perfecting the small roles you’re given.”

One of the biggest surprises for Halliday has been the unique vibe in the two rehearsal rooms. Every show has its own director, conductor, and cast of singers, actors, stand-ins, supers and dancers – and adjusting to the environment is part of the learning experience for a young professional. The rehearsal rooms for Macbeth and Tosca boast some of the highest levels of skill and artistry that he has experienced to date, and he is grateful for the opportunity to learn from such talented professionals.

For Halliday, the best part of being a professional singer is simply waking up every morning to do something he loves. But this benefit comes with built-in challenges. Financial instability is one, as contracts (and income) can run dry. Being a part of the Canadian Opera Company’s young artist program has helped with this. A second, more “personal challenge” – and one “I’ve really had to work at overcoming through the years” – is the fact that he is an introvert working in an extroverted field. “It’s not always easy to bare my soul in an environment where the stakes are low” – let alone when they are so high as they are in operatic productions.

When asked about his favorite opera, Halliday responds instantly: La Bohème. He describes it as a perfect opera, with heart-wrenchingly beautiful music composed by Puccini. Halliday is particularly moved by Mimi’s aria “Si, mi chiamano Mimi”, which he thinks perfectly foreshadows the ending of the character, as well as the current qualities we see in them at that moment. “It is tragic, beautiful, and in my mind totally perfect,” he says. “I’m moved to tears every time I listen to it.”

Growing up, Halliday spent many years in choirs, which helped develop his ear, and acapella singing, where he typically sings bass, is a favorite hobby of his, which he used to do a lot with his siblings. And separate from singing, Halliday also has a passion for other music and sounds that can be created by the voice, throat, and mouth. For instance, he enjoys beatboxing (at which he is self-taught) and throat-singing, overtone singing and other miscellaneous vocal skills. 

Halliday calls his experience working with the Canadian Opera Company “an incredible honour”: “their standards for performance and professionalism are unmatched in the industry, and it has been a great learning experience for me.” 

With his passion for singing and music, his dedication to the craft and his growing track record of success – including the twin roles in Macbeth  and Tosca – Halliday is a rising star with a bright future ahead of him: “Opera is a difficult and long studied art form, but it is also the most rewarding. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it.”

Macbeth runs until May 20, and Tosca runs until May 27. Reserve tickets on coc.ca.

©Arpita Ghosal, SesayArts Magazine, 2023