British-Canadian baritone Alexander Dobson has been praised for his musical and dramatic artistry on both opera and concert stages.  Recent highlights include his portrayal of Wozzeck conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and Orchestre Métropolitain du Grande Montréal for which he was lauded for his “gripping embodiment of Wozzeck” (Journal Voir).  Other roles of note include Guglielmo (Cosi Fan Tutte), Belcoré (Elisir d'Amore) and Ned Keene (Peter Grimes), all with L’Opera de Montréal.

Recent operatic performances include Schaunard in La Bohème with Vancouver Opera and L’Opéra de Québec, Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette for L’Opera de Montréal and also for Opera Ontario, Sonora in Fancuilla del West with L'Opera de Montreal, Junius in The Rape of Lucretia for Pacific Opera Victoria, and his American debut with Opera Pacific (Costa Mesa) in their production of Carmen . Alexander made his London debut at ROH Covent Garden in The Midnight Court by Ana Sokolovic which premiered at the Linbury Theater in July 2006. 

A dedicated concert and recital artist, Alexander has appeared with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestre Métropolitain for Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfayer, the Boris Brott Festival for Mahler 8, Symphony of a Thousand, Toronto’s Aldeburgh Connection, the Vancouver New Music Festival, and with Montréal’s Theater of Early Music.  He has sung Schubert’s Winterreise in Montréal, Victoria, England, Paris, and with Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the piano, in Toronto, to great acclaim. Alexander sang   Handel’s Messiah with Orchestra London, Elmer Isler Singers, and the Brott Festival.  He has been heard frequently on CBC Radio Canada in recital and concert, and was seen on television as Marcello in BRAVO’s StreetScenes version of La Bohème. He recently premiered a new song cycle by Derek Holman, written especially for Alexander and the Talisker Players.

Upcoming opera engagements include Harlequin in Calgary Opera's Ariadne auf Naxos, Silvio in L'Opéra de Québec's Pagliacci, Marcello in La Bohème with Saskatoon Opera, Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas with The Theatre of Early Music, Dr. George Nelson in Kamouraska with Opera in Concert and with Edmonton Opera (La Traviata).  Upcoming Oratorio engagements include The Messiah with The McGill Chamber Orchestra, The Grand Philharmonic Choir and the Bach Elgar Choir, Messe de Minuit and Mass in A Major with the Ottawa Bach Choir, B Minor Mass with Chorus Niagara and St. John Passion with the Amadeus Choir where he will sing both Jesus and the arias. An established recitalist he will sing an all English Programme in Montreal at the end of November with pianist Peter Tiefenbach.

Alexander graduated from the University of Toronto Opera Division and the Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario with Honours.  He is also an alumni of the Music Theatre Program at the Banff Centre, Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, the Steans Institute for Young Artists at Ravinia, and L’Atelier Lyrique de L’Opera de Montreal.  Alexander is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes including those from the International Voice Competition of Paris (including the Edward Marshall Association Award for Outstanding Baritone), the Jeunesses Musicales National Competition, the Marilyn Horne Competition (Music Academy of the West), and the Jacqueline Desmarais Competition. 

An ardent singer since childhood, Alexander's solo début was at twelve years old, as a treble soloist in the Canadian premiere of Lloyd Webber's Requiem under conductor Elmer Iseler.

Last updated May 2008