Asitha Tennekoon

Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon, a graduate of The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School, has quickly established himself as one of Canada’s most impressive, versatile singing artists. He drew critical acclaim as Paul in Scottish Opera/Tapestry Opera’s Rocking Horse Winner, receiving the 2016 Dora Award for Best Male Performance. For his performance in the 2019 world premiere of Shanawdithit (Nolan/Burry) with Tapestry Opera, Ian Ritchie of Opera Going Toronto wrote: “Tennekoon’s savage depiction of vicious racist magistrate and merchant John Peyton is nothing less than harrowing.”

In this performance, Tennekoon revisits his musical journey so far, as an artist born and raised in Sri Lanka navigating the unfamiliar world of opera,  through a rich tapestry of musical styles from Sri Lankan folk songs to high baroque, from bel canto opera to contemporary art song and musical theatre. Asitha shares his joys and challenges on the way to finding a home in the world of western classical music.