Soprano Joni Henson is one of Canada's most thrilling young performers and her most recent season featured some of the most demanding roles in the soprano repertoire. She began with Alice in Verdi's FALSTAFF for Pacific Opera Victoria. This was followed in the winter by Senta in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER for Calgary Opera and she rounded out 2013-2014 with Elisabetta in DON CARLOS for Vancouver Opera, a role she first sang for the Canadian Opera Company. Her 2014-2015 includes Fricka in DAS RHEINGOLD for Pacific Opera Victoria, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 for the Winnipeg Symphony, Britten's WAR REQUIEM for the Victoria Symphony and she returns to the Canadian Opera Company as cover artist for Ortlinde and Gerhilde in Wagner's DIE WALKÜRE.

In her 2012-2013 season she was heard in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Ottawa's National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony (recording available online from the Detroit Symphony), as Desdemona in OTELLO for Calgary Opera, in Opera Galas for the Colorado Symphony and the Fairfax Symphony of Virginia and the title role in TOSCA for Pacific Opera Victoria.

While still a member of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, she appeared on the main stage as the Foreign Princess in RUSALKA, Fiordiligi in Mozart's COSI FAN TUTTE, and Gutrune in Wagner's GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG. Other successes include Senta in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER for Pacific Opera Victoria, Santuzza in CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA and Leonora in IL TROVATORE for Opera Hamilton, Verdi's REQUIEM for the Brott Music Festival and Leonora in Verdi's OBERTO for Toronto's Opera in Concert. She has also been heard in Verdi's REQUIEM, Britten's WAR REQUIEM and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Vancouver Symphony and Mahler's Symphony No.2 with the Calgary Philharmonic.

Further credits include Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montreal (Yannick Nezet-Seguin) in Ottawa and Montreal, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir's ELIJAH with Noel Edison, a debut recital for Music Toronto at the St. Lawrence Centre, 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.

Ms. Henson holds a degree from the University of Toronto and an Artist Diploma from the University of Toronto's Opera Division. Other roles include Mrs. Ford in Nicolai's MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR and Female Chorus in Britten's THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA. Awards have included the Opera Grand Prize at the XVth Concours International de Chant de Verviers Competition in Belgium, First Place Opera and French Melodie Awards at the Concours International de Chant de Marmande (France) and she was semi-finalist in the Metropolitan National Council Auditions. Ms. Henson attended the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara and received Encouragement Awards in the Marilyn Horne Foundation Vocal Competition.