McPhee Voices: Ryan Nauta

Most recently, tenor Ryan Nauta made us laugh out loud as Ambrogio, the hilarious help in April's The Barber of Seville. Now, the Canadian tenor is officially an alumnus of the McPhee Artist Development Program, and we caught up with him about the highlights, learning curves, and next steps:

What's a standout memory from your time as a McPhee Artist?

Ryan Nauta: "I have fond memories of my time as the Notary in Don Pasquale. Everything from the concept of the show, to the all-Canadian cast, to the vibes of working in the room was artistically fulfilling. It was also my first mainstage production with Calgary Opera, so I definitely have a soft spot for it."

What was your biggest learning curve as a McPhee Artist?

RN: "One of the challenges of being a McPhee is balancing responsibilities; we may need to work on a mainstage production in the morning, a McPhee outreach concert in the afternoon, then learn new music for a future audition in the evening. You can only truly learn how to balance responsibilities when you are given them, and that is a benefit of being in this program."

What do you know now about opera that you didn't before you joined the program?

RN: "The McPhee Development program gave me a first-hand understanding of the dedication and effort needed to sustain this art form; it was very inspiring to go to work every day and watch world-class talent create beautiful music."

What's next? Tell us about an upcoming project or contract that you're excited about.

RN: "I'm currently in Toronto preparing for Opera5's Toronto Opera Festival, where I’ll be performing the role of Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi from June 3-7, and the tenor soloist in the world premiere of Cecilia Livingston and Duncan McFarlane's Parḗlios, which runs from June 12-14. I’m also glad to say I'll be sharing the stage in both of these productions with a fellow alumnus of the program, Aaron Dimoff!"