Biography
Canadian-Chinese coloratura soprano Sharleen Joynt has been praised for her "silvery, sparkling, substantial and resonant soprano" [Die Deutsche Bühne], her "scintillating high range, reminiscent of the most beautiful moments of Mady Mesplé" [Opernwelt], and "an artistic command that leaves the listener breathless" [Deutschland Radio]. Recently, Sharleen reprised the role of the Controller in Jonathan Dove’s Flight for Seattle Opera, which was filmed and released for streaming in April of 2021, critics exclaiming, “We know we’re in for an acting treat when we see Sharleen Joynt’s overpoweringly supercilious, impeccably turned out Controller, prowling her control tower and pulling the strings; we see her arched eyebrows and penetrating stare in close-up as she delivers stratospheric coloratura.” (Bachtrack).
Upcoming engagements include returning to Seattle Opera to debut the role of Morgana in Alcina, as well as debuting with Detroit Opera as Bess in Missy Mazzoli’s critically acclaimed Breaking The Waves. Recent engagements include Sharleen’s French debut with her signature role of Cunegonde in Candide with Opéra National de Lyon, Gilda in Rigoletto with both Florida Grand Opera and Opera Colorado, Amore in Gluck’s Orfeo with Seattle Opera, and a return to Edmonton Opera as Euridice in Orphée.
2020 engagements were to include a reprisal of her signature role of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos with Calgary Opera. In the previous season, she made a role and company début as Gilda in Rigoletto with Edmonton Opera, performed in New Year’s Galas with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and sang the Controller in Jonathan Dove’s Flightwith Pacific Opera Victoria. Prior engagements included performing the role of Winnie in Lembit Beecher’s Sky on Swings, a new opera about Alzheimers starring Frederica von Stade, with Opera Philadelphia, Musetta in La Bohèmewith Vancouver Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria, and Cunegonde in Candide at with Tanglewood Music Festival, Ravinia Music Festival, Anchorage Opera and Orlando Philharmonic. At home with new music, Sharleen also performed Christine in the North American Premiere of Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans’ Julie, based on the 1888 Strindberg play, “Miss Julie”, in a co-production with Canadian Stage and Soundstreams. In concert, highlights include Glière’s Concerto for Coloratura, Op. 82 (Guelph Symphony), as well as the soprano solos in Handel’s Messiah(Charleston Symphony), Howard Goodall’s Eternal Light requiem (Bach Society of St. Louis), and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 (Thunder Bay Symphony).
Sharleen made her European début when she joined the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau ensemble to sing Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera, Adele in Die Fledermaus, and Despina in Cosi Fan Tutte. With the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, she sang Marie in La Fille du Régiment and Adele in Die Fledermaus. She performed her signature role of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos with Theater St. Gallen, Theater und Orchester Heidelberg, and in the Chinese premiere of the opera, produced by Oper Leipzig. As part of the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg ensemble, Sharleen sang Frasquita in Carmen, Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Fausta in the German premiere of Scarlatti’s Marco Attilio Regolo in the Winter in Schwetzingen Baroque Festival, and Soprano 1/Ariadne in Wolfgang Rihm’s Dionysos.
Honors include nominations for Nachwunschsängerin (Singer of the Year), awarded by Opernwelt magazine, and the prestigious “Der Faust” prize, awarded by the German Stage Association. Her fearless onstage presence in German Regietheater led to a 3-page feature in Deutsche Bühne magazine. Sharleen has been a prizewinner in the Liederkranz Foundation Competition, the George London Foundation Competition, the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the Licia Albanese Foundation Competition, the Canadian Music Competition’s International Stepping Stone, and the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition.
As Musetta in La Bohème, Vancouver Opera | Alcindoro: J. Patrick Raftery | Photo: Timothy Matheson
CALENDAR
UPCOMING
OCTOBER 14, 15, 20, 22, 25, 28 | 2023
Morgana, Alcina (Handel) | Seattle Opera
APRIL 6, 12, 14 | 2024
Bess, Breaking The Waves (Mazzoli) | Detroit Opera
RECENTLY
JANUARY 2023
Eurydice, Orphee+ (Gluck/Berlioz) | Edmonton Opera
DECEMBER 2022-JANUARY 2023
Cunegonde, Candide (Bernstein) | Opéra National de Lyon
NOVEMBER 2022
Gilda, Rigoletto (Verdi) | Opera Colorado
MARCH-APRIL 2022
Gilda, Rigoletto (Verdi) | Florida Grand Opera
JANUARY 2022
Amore, Orfeo (Gluck) | Seattle Opera
FEBRUARY 2021
Controller, Flight (Dove) | Seattle Opera
APRIL-MAY 2020
Zerbinetta, Ariadne auf Naxos (R. Strauss) | Calgary Opera (cancelled)
FEBRUARY 2020
Controller, Flight (Dove) | Pacific Opera Victoria
DECEMBER 2019
Soprano, A Viennese New Year | Hong Kong Philharmonic
AUGUST 2019
Cunegonde, Candide (Bernstein) | Ravinia Music Festival
FEBRUARY 2019
Musetta, La Bohème (Puccini) | Vancouver Opera
JANUARY 2019
Soprano, Concerto for Coloratura (Glière) | Guelph Symphony
DECEMBER 2018
Soprano, Messiah (Handel) | Charleston Symphony
SEPTEMBER 2018
Winnie, Sky on Swings (Beecher) | Opera Philadelphia
AUGUST 2018
Cunegonde, Candide (Bernstein) | Tanglewood Music Festival
JULY 2018
Queen of the Night, The Magic Flute (Mozart) | Konzerte Im Fronhof, Augsburg
APRIL 2018
Cunegonde, Candide (Bernstein) | Anchorage Opera
MARCH 2018
Soprano Solo, Eternal Light (Goodall) | Bach Society of St. Louis
FEBRUARY 2018
Musetta, La Bohème (Puccini) | Pacific Opera Victoria
OCTOBER 2019
Gilda, Rigoletto (Verdi) | Edmonton Opera
Photo
press
GILDA, RIGOLETTO | FLORIDA GRAND OPERA & Edmonton opera
Photo: Daniel Azoulay
"Sharleen Joynt was the essence of goodness as the hunchback’s sequestered daughter. Joynt’s sweetness of timbre was matched by spot-on intonation and effortless coloratura that veered excitingly into the vocal stratosphere. Her “Caro nome” was giddy with Gilda’s first flush of love palpably felt rather than a mere display piece. Joynt and Thomas’s voices blended felicitously in duet. After Gilda has sacrificed herself to save the life of the faithless Duke, Joynt sang her farewell at half voice, her death radiating pathos." —South Florida Classical Review
“The musical highlights are the arias for the lovely coloratura soprano Sharleen Joynt making her FGO debut as Gilda. Her voice effortlessly climbs and drops and trills through Verdi’s impassioned runs. As ludicrous as Gilda can be in 2022, Joynt makes her credible, even when she sacrifices her life for the scumbag Duke.” —Sun Sentinel
“Joynt shimmers with an angelic quality that is simply heavenly. Navigating Verdi’s writing with ease, Joynt simply captivated the audience, portraying Gilda with purity and innocence. Her performance of the aria “Caro nome” was particularly exquisite; her expressiveness made Gilda a shining light amid the darker themes of lust, betrayal, and vengeance.”—Schmopera
CUNEGONDE, Candide | TANGLEWOOD & Ravinia Music FestivalS
"The show-stopper was Cunegonde’s disquisition on feminine beauty, “Glitter and Be Gay,” in which Sharleen Joynt culminated coloratura virtuosity and athletic physicality with a sustained series of powerhouse high E-flats, ending with a whoop that ascended to the otherwise-unsingable tonic of the key, a high A-flat." —The Berkshire Edge
“Joynt gave a particularly brilliant rendering of her coloratura aria “Glitter and be gay,” with extra trills on the top and equally excellent diction throughout..” —The Boston Music Intelligencer
“Sharleen Joynt, a petite beauty with a glorious coloratura soprano voice, delivered a knockout performance of the killer aria “Glitter and Be Gay,” and danced her way through the show in a remarkably effortless way.” —WTTV
“Joynt is unparalleled as Cunegonde.” —Art Intercepts
CONTROLLER, FLIGHT | SEATTLE OPERA & PACIFIC OPERA VICTORIA
Video still: Kyle Seago
"We know we’re in for an acting treat when we see Sharleen Joynt’s overpoweringly supercilious, impeccably turned out Controller, prowling her control tower and pulling the strings; we see her arched eyebrows and penetrating stare in close-up as she delivers stratospheric coloratura." — Bachtrack
“Sharleen Joynt’s coloratura soprano travels amazingly sky-high when describing the wonder of jets coming and going, and she easily put a glint of steel into her voice when conveying disgust at the randy assignations between the Steward and Stewardess.” —Northwest Reverb
“Sharleen Joynt is a stand out, with moments of Queen of the Night-like glory. As the Controller, she is icy when required, but when she fully unleashes her coloratura to sing with and against the storm, she borders on otherworldly.” —Opera Canada
“As the Controller, Sharleen Joynt was stellar. Singing a stratospherically high part with absolute ease, it was hard to tell that that kind of range should actually be difficult.” —Schmopera
MUSETTA, LA BOHÈME | VANCOUVER OPERA
Photo: Timothy Matheson
"In classy flapper attire, with swirling white feather boa, soprano Sharleen Joynt captured the attention of the Café Momus clientele as a fearlessly glamorous Musetta in Act II. She tossed off “Musetta’s Waltz” with carefree abandon and it would take a singer of considerable ability and charisma to match her in sheer vocal and stage presence." —Opera Canada
“Making her Vancouver Opera debut, Sharleen Joynt was a show-stopping Musetta, delivering her star turn in the second act with great vitality and considerable style.” —Vancouver Sun
“But the real knock-you-off-your-seat singing comes from Sharleen Joynt’s glamorous Musetta, who fearlessly vamps it up and easily scales the heights of her famous aria.” —The Georgia Straight
WINNIE, SKY ON SWINGS | OPERA PHILADELPHIA
"Soprano Sharleen Joynt excelled as Winnie." —Heidi Waleson, The Wall Street Journal
“As Martha’s resigned, if impatiently tolerant daughter, Sharleen Joynt’s pure, glinting soprano ably tossed off the angular writing assigned to her.” —James Sohre, Opera Today
“Joynt, her character’s weariness well conveyed in body language, showed a fluty, penetrating instrument at ease with cleanly executing difficult intervals.” —David Shengold, Opera News
"Sharleen Joynt, making her début with Opera Philadelphia as Martha’s daughter Winnie, hits extremely high notes with incredible ease. The wild leaps mirror her desperation when her mother’s brain starts to fail and the rest of her life crumbles with the strain." —Margaret Darby, Philly Life & Culture
"The vocal writing for Sharleen Joynt, who plays Simpson's daughter, is perhaps the most challenging of the opera… She wrapped her voice around disjunct vocal lines confidently, and often with luster." —David Patrick Stearns, Philadelphia Inquirer
Photo: David Swanson
ZERLINA, #UNCLEJOHN | AGAINST THE GRAIN THEATRE
Masetto: Aaron Durand | Photo: Darryl Block
"Sharleen Joynt is a gorgeous Zerlina, with a voice full of power and control that is by turns seductive and serene." —Robert Harris, The Globe and Mail
"Zerlina is subtly portrayed by a singer new to me; New York-based Ottawa native Sharleen Joynt... She has a lovely voice, too. It's accurate and full and has a really interesting timbre; not exactly dark, not exactly light; coppery, perhaps?" —John Gilks, Opera Ramblings
"Sharleen Joynt's mischievous, uninhibited Zerlina enchants. Mozart invests his spunky romantic explorer with some of the loveliest in all opera. Joynt sails through the sumptuous music with a breezy, winning attack, silky and sunlit." —Ian Ritchie, Opera Going Toronto
"Overall, the most consistently outstanding performances come from Miriam Khalil as Elvira and Sharleen Joynt as Zerlina. In both cases, the sheer beauty of vocal production – the lovely dark tones of Khalil and the shimmering brightness of Joynt – overcame the satirically colloquial nature of Ivany’s libretto." —Christopher Hoile, Stage Door
ARIADNE/1. SOPRANO, DIONYSOS | THEATER UND ORCHESTER HEIDELBERG
(Translated from German)
Ariadne in Dionysos
"Koloraturwunder." —Joachim Lange, Die Welt
"Soprano Sharleen Joynt enchants not only with her glittering coloratura, but also her strongly erotic aura." —Thomas Weiss, Darmstädter Echo
"With a rich, focused yet ethereal sound, soprano Sharleen Joynt brings both erotic seduction and wit to the role of Ariadne.” —Damian Kern, Der Neue Merker
"Sharleen Joynt sings, purrs, coos, and ravages her way through this extremely high role excellently." —Eckhard Britsch, Opernnetz
"Sharleen Joynt nailed Araidne's heavenly highs and hellish intervalic leaps with exemplary clarity and precise intonation." —Alexander Dick, Badische Zeitung
“Particularly outstanding was Sharleen Joynt as the 1st High Soprano and Ariadne. She has mastered the exchange between the highest highs and lowest lows perfectly. Her voice remained consistently clear and fexible.” —Jelena Rothermel, Operapoint
"And how could one better cast the role of Ariadne than with the phenomenal Sharleen Joynt, who fulflls all of Rihm's extreme requirements effortlessly." —Jörn Florian Fuchs, Deutchlandradio
"Sharleen Joynt possesses both presence and breathtaking coloratura." —Joachim Lange, Online Musik Magazin
ZERBINETTA // ARIADNE AUF NAXOS (THEATER UND ORCHESTER HEIDELBERG)
(Translated from German)
Componist: Anna Peshes | Photo: Klaus Fröhlich
“Young Canadian Sharleen Joynt as Zerbinetta is the highlight of the production. She combines technical command with spirited acting and a love for taking risks and will certainly soon enchant audiences way beyond Heidelberg with her attractive voice whose scintillating high range is reminiscent of the most beautiful moments of Mady Mesplé.” —Claus Ambrosius, Opernwelt
“The most remarkable feature about Heidelberg's Ariadne is Sharleen Joynt's big solo: the cheekiness of the leader of the commedia dell'arte group transported into the 20th century culminates in an aria about extreme experiences of exalted love, delivered with an artistic command that leaves the listener breathless. Soprano Sharleen Joynt's Despina in Dessau carried great conviction - her Zerbinetta kindles enormous enthusiasm.” —Frieder Reininghaus, Deutschlandradio Kultur
“Zerbinetta was cast with a singer from the house, and Sharleen Joynt sang her role with a secure soprano that carried well delivering a performance of breathtaking vocal accuracy.” —Uwe Marcus Rykov, European-News-Agency
“But this Zerbinetta is the absolute highlight! Not for a long time has the opera stage seen a Zerbinetta of such power, virtuosity and security as in Sharleen Joynt's performance. The audience voiced its appreciation with a show-stopping XL-ovation. She is a discovery that will be noticed in many places and probably heard very soon at larger theaters.” —Joachim Lange, Online Musik Magazin
“Coloratura Sharleen Joynt delivers a breathtaking Zerbinetta, and has already covered the role at the Metropolitan Opera New York and sung it in Tel Aviv. What a voice! Effortless, smooth, capable of great dynamic differentiation, always perfectly controlled and yet completely natural - her intonation is crystal clear, as evidenced when she meets the orchestra with spot-on precision after her extended solo cadenza: a world class singer in Heidelberg's ensemble!” —Matthias Roth, Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung
“Sharleen Joynt with her enchanting lyric coloratura soprano delivers a ravishing portrayal that sparks the audience's enthusiasm.” —Eckhard Britsch, Mannheimer Morgen
“The pretty Canadian coloratura Sharleen Joynt already wowed the audience with her coquette portrayal in the prologue. In the second part, her big aria, sung with admirable commitment, earned her an ovation that stopped the show for several minutes.” —Udo Pacolt, Der Neue Merker
“Sharleen Joynt sings this daunting role with a silvery, sparkling, substantial and resonant soprano. She nails her top notes with dazzling accuracy and navigates the aria's many diffculties with skill and artistry. Hers is clearly a well-crafted performance that exudes vocal brilliance and is distinguished by a scintillating stage presence. “ —Detlef Brandenburg, Die Deutsche Bühne