Her attention to musical style, combined with a striking stage presence and warm, rich voice have taken Joyce El-Khoury to debuts as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata with the De Nederlandse Opera, Welsh National Opera, Opéra Théâtre Saint-Etienne, and Palm Beach Opera; Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello, the title role in Suor Angelica, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, all under the direction of Maestro Lorin Maazel at the Castleton Festival; and Antonina in Donizetti’s Belisario with Opera Rara at the Barbican Hall, under the baton of Sir Mark Elder - which marked her debut recording earned her an International Opera Award nomination for “Best Young Singer.”

In the current season, Joyce El-Khoury performs Violetta in La traviata with the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto and with the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. She will be heard in the title role of Maria Stuarda with Seattle Opera, and sings Tatyana in Eugene Onegin with North Carolina Opera. Also this season, she joins the roster of San Diego Opera to perform the role of Tatyana Bakst in Jake Heggie’s new opera Great Scott, alongside Frederica von Stade, Nathan Gunn, Isabel Leonard, and Anthony Roth Costanzo. On the concert stage, Joyce performs Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the Orchestre de Paris, under the baton of Jesus Lopez-Cobos.

Performances in the 2014-15 season included Violetta in La traviata with Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland. Joyce took on the title role of Tobias Picker’s Emmeline with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, to critical acclaim. She was heard in concert with Juan Diego Florez at the Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon, performed Juliette in Roméo et Juliette with Austin Lyric Opera, made a return to De Nederlandse Opera to sing Musetta in La bohème, and joined Vancouver Opera as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. Additionally, Ms. El-Khoury performed and recorded the role of Pauline in Donizetti’s Les Martyrs with Opera Rara at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Further engagements of note include her Canadian Opera Company debut as both Mimì and Musetta in Puccini’s La bohème; the title role in Dvorak’s Rusalka with the San Antonio Symphony/Opera San Antonio, North Carolina Opera and the Concertgebouw; her company debut with Santa Fe Opera as Micaela in their production of Bizet’s Carmen; her debut with Korea National Opera as Violetta in La traviata; Verdi’s Requiem at the Al Bustan Festival in Beirut; La bohème and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Munich Philharmonic; Marguerite in Faust with Opera Camerata of Washington, D.C.; Mozart’s Requiem with the New York Choral Society in Carnegie Hall; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Bruckner’s Te Deum with the Baltimore Symphony.

Born in Lebanon and brought up in Canada, Ms. El-Khoury earned her Bachelor of Music at the University of Ottawa. She received her Artist Diploma from the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, and is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. She is a First Prize winner in many competitions including: the Loren L. Zachary Competition, the Opera Index Competition, the George London Foundation, and the Mario Lanza Vocal Competition.