Canadian mezzo-soprano Emma Parkinson has been hailed as,"an outstanding voice…hall-filling, supple, rich, dark-tinged, with a golden sheen backed by an excellent technique" (La Scena Musicale).

This year, Emma debuted as Orlofsky in Opéra de Montréal's production of Die Fledermaus, and performed a concert in France with Les Chorégies d'Orange. This came after she made her European debut in Germany as Mercedes in a new production of Carmen with Seefestspiele Berlin 2012. Emma's other recent roles with Opéra de Montréal include Siébel in Faust, 2012, and the Third Wood Nymph in Rusalka in 2011. In concert, Emma has had the honour of performing the alto solo in Handel's Messiahwith the OSM, and the alto solo in Bach's Magnificat under the baton of acclaimed conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin. As a member of the Atelier Lyrique of Opéra de Montréal from 2010-2012, Emma performed Vera Boronel in The Consul directed by Oriol Tomas. A two-time laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques, Emma performed a concert tour of six cities in China in December 2011 with the Orchestre Symphonique des Jeunes de Montreal, and has won numerous prizes including the Prix Jeune Espoir Lyrique Canadien in 2011 . Ms. Parkinson is a recipient of the prestigious Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award 2012.

Emma completed her Master's Degree in Opera Performance at McGill University in 2010, under the instruction of renowned baritone Sanford Sylvan. There, she had the pleasure of working with Michael McMahon and Patrick Hansen in conjunction with Opera McGill. There, Emma was seen performing leading roles in Agrippina, The Rake's Progress, Trouble in Tahiti, Thésée, Dialogues des Carmélites and covering the title role in The Rape of Lucretia. In 2010, she was seen as Stephano in Roméo et Juliette in Edmonton's Opera NUOVA, and she also sang Berlioz's exquisite cycle, Les Nuits d'été with the McGill Sinfonietta that spring. In the summer of 2009, she appeared as Carmen in La Tragédie de Carmen at the Banff Summer Arts Festival Opera as Theatre Program.