Soprano Joni Henson is one of Canada’s most thrilling young performers. Recent successes on the opera stage include Elisabetta in DON CARLOS, Fiordiligi in Mozart’s COSI FAN TUTTE, the Foreign Princess in RUSALKA and Gutrune in Wagner’s GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG, all for the Canadian Opera Company.  During the 2008-2009 season, she was with the Vancouver Symphony for Britten’s WAR REQUIEM (Bramwell Tovey), with Toronto’s Mendelssohn Choir (Noel Edison) for ELIJAH, and the Hamilton Philharmonic (James Sommerville) for Berlioz and Mendelssohn.  She appeared in special concerts with the Kingston and Sault Ste. Marie symphonies, and presented a debut recital for Music Toronto at the St. Lawrence Centre in Toronto with pianist Stephen Ralls.

Highlights for next season include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Vancouver Symphony (Tovey), Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montreal (Yannick Nezet-Seguin) in Ottawa and Montreal, and a gala opera evening for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. She will also cover the role of Desdemona in OTELLO for the Canadian Opera Company. 

Ms. Henson’s recent performances have included Desdemona in OTELLO with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Santuzza in CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA with the Windsor Symphony, Marie in DIE TOTE STADT for Opera in Concert and concerts with the Aldeburgh Connection of Toronto and the Elora Festival of Ontario.  

Ms. Henson earned her Bachelor in Vocal Performance degree from the University of Toronto. She also received her Artist Diploma from the University of Toronto’s Opera Division. While at the Opera School she performed the roles of Fiordiligi in Mozart’s COSI FAN TUTTE and the title role in Handel’s ALCINA. Further roles include Nedda in Leoncavallo’s PAGLIACCI, Mrs. Ford in Nicolai’s MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR and Female Chorus in Britten’s THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA.

In 2003, Ms. Henson was awarded the Opera Grand Prize at the XVth Concours International de Chant de Verviers Competition in Belgium. She also received the First Place Opera and French Melodie Awards at the Concours International de Chant de Marmande Competition in France. In 2006 Ms. Henson was a semi-finalist in the Metropolitan National Council Auditions.

Ms. Henson attended the esteemed Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California where she studied with Marilyn Horne. In excerpts, she was seen there as Vitellia in Mozart’s LA CLEMENZA DI TITO and Donna Anna in DON GIOVANNI. She was honoured to receive Encouragement Awards in the Marilyn Horne Foundation Vocal Competition. A former member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, she debuted with the company as Alisa in Donizetti’s LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR and other roles with the company include Lady Billows in ALBERT HERRING, Inez in IL TROVATORE, and First Lady in THE MAGIC FLUTE.