Authors
Lara Secord-Haid
Praised by international publications, Soprano Lara Secord-Haid has been described as “possessing a rich and expressive overall quality” (Attencion San Miguel), “charismatic” (Opera today) and was praised for her “flinty acuity” (New York Times). She is enjoying a diverse and dynamic international career.
Recent performances include, Sophie in Werther (Manitoba Opera), A concert at Landestheater Linz (Austria), a concert in the Jeonju International Sori Festival in Korea, a Gala concert at Opera Helikon in Moscow, a recital in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s Summer concert series featuring works of Debussy and Granados, a 15 city opera concert tour throughout China, Cendrillon in Cendrillon (New York Lyric Opera), a solo concert with Opera San Miguel (San Miguel, Mexico), Marsinah in Kismet (Little Opera Winnipeg), Cat in Bremen Town Musicians (Highlands Opera Studio, HOS), Dortchen in The Brothers Grimm (HOS), Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw (Opera on the Avalon) Marzelline in Fidelio (Manitoba Opera), 3 Settings of Celan by Harrison Birtwistle with the AXIOM Ensemble (Lincoln Center), Miss Silverpeal in The Impresario (North Shore Music Festival) and Tytania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Opera on the Avalon).
Some additional highlights of her work include Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos (Manhattan Opera Studio) and Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica (Manhattan Opera Studio) Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni (Banff Center), Giulia in La Scala di Seta (Juilliard) and The Woodpecker in The Cunning Little Vixen (Juilliard), excerpts from Manon (New York Lyric), exerpts from Rigoletto (Juilliard).
On the concert stage Ms. Secord-Haid has delved in with keen interest into the study and performance of contemporary works. She performed an Alice Tully Hall premier of Ritual by Alessandro Iglesias Rossi and works of John Cage with The New Juilliard Ensemble and at the Banff Centre with the resident new music ensemble conducted by Joel Sachs.
Additionally, Ms. Secord-Haid performed Handel’s Messiah and Verdi’s Requiem with the Orchestra at Shelter Rock and sang works of Granados, R. Strauss and Rimsky-Korsakov in recital. She has given recitals in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s summer concert series and performed with the orchestra, Tyzik’s 12 gifts of Christmas and Howard Blake’s The Bear.
Ms. Secord-Haid is a winner of the prestigious George London Award (2017). She was also a first place winner of the Upper Midwest Regional Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and went on to the Upper Midwest Regional finals to win 3rd place. Additionally, Ms. Secord-Haid was named a Jeune Ambassadeur Lyrique (2015, 2016) by Théâtre Lyrichorégra 20 and was awarded the top Canadian Prize of Jeune Espoire Lyric Canadien as well as the Mexican, Austrian, Korean, Russian and the Chinese Lyric Bursaries and the Opera San Miguel Prize “for outstanding Artistic potential”. She recently took a top prize in the Orvieto International Singing Competition, was a finalist in the Benjamin Matthews Vocal Competition and has received awards form the Giulio Gari Foundation, the George London Foundation, the Manitoba Arts Council and the Winnipeg Arts Council. She was additionally a two-time finalist in the Canadian Opera Company’s Center Stage competition.
Ms. Secord-Haid holds a Master of Music from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor of Music from The New England Conservatory of Music. She was a fellow at the Internationale Meistersinger Akademie, attended Highlands Opera Studio, the Banff Center, the Conservatoire de Nice summer academy and the Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium.