Stephen Hegedus

Hailed as a singer possessing “...an instrument of rare beauty, majestic and commanding from the bottom of his range to the top” (Ottawa Citizen), bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus balances a busy schedule of both operatic and oratorio repertoire. This season, Hegedus returns to Pacific Opera Victoria for Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, and Opera Atelier for Charpentier’s David and Jonathan. On the concert stage, he sees reenagagements with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, and Les Violons du Roy, for the works of Handel, Mozart, and Bach.

Hegedus’ 2023/24 season included engagements with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (Bruckner’s Te Deum), Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (Haydn’s Creation), and Handel’s Messiah with the Victoria Symphony, Grand Philharmonic Choir and Guelph Chamber Choir. He returned to both Opéra de Montréal and joined the Canadian Opera Company on cover assignments in the world premiere of Bilodeau’s La reine-garçon and Cherubini’s Medea, respectively.

Additional recent engagements include Handel’s Messiah with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Vancouver Bach Choir, and appearances with Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières for both Puccini’s La bohème and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Especially appreciated for his performance in Messiah, he has been heard in Handel’s masterpiece with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Naples Philharmonic, Victoria Symphony, and Orchestre Métropolitain under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

In the role of Leporello, he appeared in both Opera Atelier and Manitoba Opera’s productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Further opera credits include Le comte Ory (Governor) and La Cenerentola (Alidoro) for Edmonton Opera, Carmen (Zuniga) and Don Giovanni (Masetto) for l’Opéra de Montréal, La bohème (Colline) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theseus) for Pacific Opera Victoria, and L’elisir d’amore (Dulcamara) for Vancouver Opera. As well, he joined Opera on the Avalon as Field Marshal Haig in the world premiere of Estacio’s Ours. A frequent collaborator with Opera Atelier, Stephen appeared as the Count in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Neptune/Time in Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses, Créon in Cherubini’s Medée in both Toronto and Versailles, and Lully’s Armide in co-production with Opera Columbus and Versailles.

In past seasons, Hegedus has been featured in Mozart’s Requiem with the Seattle Symphony and Houston’s Mercury Baroque, Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust with the Grant Park Festival in Chicago, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Florida Orchestra, Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium for I Musici de Montréal, Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Vancouver Bach Choir, and Weill’s Sieben Todsünden for the Toronto Symphony.

A prize winner at the Oratorio Society of New York’s Lyndon Woodside Oratorio Competition, his extensive concert experience includes appearances with the Vancouver Symphony (Mozart’s Requiem), Winnipeg Symphony (Haydn’s Creation), the Grant Park Festival (Dvorak’s The Spectre’s Bride, Brahms’ Requiem), l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Bernstein’s A Quiet Place), the Victoria Symphony (Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium), l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec (Bach’s Magnificat and Bruckner’s Te Deum), and the Aldeburgh Festival (Bach’s B Minor Mass). A finalist in the prestigious Operalia competition, Stephen made his Carnegie Hall debut singing Bach’s Mass In B-Minor with the Oratorio Society of New York and later returned for Handel’s Messiah.

August 2024

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““Canadian bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus was a superb narrator with a strong and attractive voice never overpowered by the chorus.””

— Chicago Sun, Andrew Patner (Grant Park Festival)

“This young singer possesses an instrument of rare beauty, majestic and commanding from the bottom of his range to the top, with infallible articulation and impeccable, organic phrasing. More of him in future NACO seasons, please.” [Messiah, NACO] Ottawa Citizen, Natasha Gauthier

“The singers are equally up to their assorted dramatic, comic and vocal tasks, most notably bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus as the philandering Count Almaviva.” [The Marriage of Figaro, Opera Atelier] Toronto Star, John Terauds

“Mr. Hegedus has always brought expressive range to his various and diverse roles, whether it be his Alidoro in last year’s production of Rossini’s Cenerentola for Edmonton Opera or Franz Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin for Against the Grain Theatre, to name just two wonderful performances. And in Medea he is at home with the unique blend of acting and singing required of Baroque French opera specialization, bringing a complete command of vocal and movement gesture to this difficult role.” Musical Toronto, Stephan Bonfield

“Canadian bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus… creating oceanic undertows of subtext as he rails against, reveres, and finally, triumphantly wrests power during the final brilliant image as his master perishes. His biting into an apple as forbidden fruit packed its own emotional wallop… Hegedus’s spot-on comedic timing during Act II’s opening scene, where he disguises himself with Giovanni’s sartorial jacket, had viewers in stitches with his buffoonery, as well as during his catalogue aria, Madamina, il catalogo e questo, during which he nonchalantly lists Giovanni’s conquests to a gaping Elvira.” [Don Giovanni, Manitoba Opera] Winnipeg Free Press, Holly Harris