Biography
From San Francisco to the Vienna State Opera, from Zerbinetta to Salomé, Canadian soprano Jane Archibald is one of the most widely celebrated sopranos of her kind, known for mastering the most relentless of tessituras with complete ease, grace, and breathtaking artistry in roles such as Daphne, Mathilde, Donna Anna, Lucia and Konstanze to name just a few.
Jane has been featured far and wide on the foremost opera and concert stages of the world, amongst them the Metropolitan Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Teatro alla Scala, Opernhaus Zürich, the Wiener Staatsoper, San Francisco Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Festspielehaus Baden-Baden, the Canadian Opera Company, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and has with conductors Christian Thieleman, Michael Tilson Thomas, Loren Mazel, Marin Alsop, Kent Nagano, Bernard Labadie and Ricardo Minasi.
Known for her artistry and flawless vocal technique alike, Jane’s career is one of great scope that has generated excitement across Europe and North America with recent engagements including the title role in Alcina at Glyndebourne, the title role in Daphne at Oper Frankfurt, Mathilde in Guillaume Tell at Opéra National de Lyon, Tytania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Roxana in King Roger at Oper Frankfurt, the title role in Semele with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra at the Shanghai Symphony Hall, and Ginevra in Ariodante at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia.
In the 2022/2023 season Jane will make her role debut as Salomé at the Fondazione Lirico Sinfonico Petruzzelli e Teatro di Bari. In concert, Jane sings the soprano solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Rune Bergmann, Mozart’s Requiem with both National Arts Centre Orchestra and Bernard Labadie and Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Michael Francis, Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate with Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and Kent Nagano, works by Haydn and Beethoven with the Orchestra dell’Opera Carlo Felice Genova and Riccardo Minasi, and Debussy’s La Damoiselle élue and Dutilleux’s Correspondances with Seattle Symphony and Conductor Emeritus Ludovic Morlot.
Reviews
“Totally in tune with the directorial reading the protagonist, the very talented Canadian soprano Jane Archibald, moved Salome with a voice more lyrical than dramatic, admirably emitted and soaring in the high notes, capable of totally identifying with her character rendered in all its facets with an inexorable expressive “climax” culminating in the grand arioso finale.”
“Soprano Jane Archibald in the role of Salome effectively highlighted the multiple mood variations of the protagonist in perfect accord with the directorial vision, strong with an impeccable lyrical timbre homogeneous over the entire range, including the high range emitted with power and elegance.”
“As a performer she is perfectly in her role and offers a determined, perverse and die-hard Salome. The phrasing is intense and participative, just as crisp, and clear is the pronunciation of the text.”
“…a fine cast of excellent voices, led by Canadians Russell Braun, Michael Schade, and Jane Archibald – a musical tour de force. … Jane Archibald’s Donna Anna was thrilling from first note to last, with a sweep and an edge that made her presence on stage aurally riveting.”
“Jane Archibald’s “Ach! Ich liebte” is dramatic and causes chills, the “Traurigkeit” is simply exquisite, and “Martern aller artern,” is, without a doubt, the height of virtuosity! Whether it be her projection, tone, intensity, breath or agility, as a soloist or in the many ensembles, her voice radiates and surprises at every moment.”
More Reviews
“Jane Archibald is a Roxane dedicated body and soul to her guru (the Shepherd). This role is formidable because it requires a soprano that is as much a coloratura soprano (elegy in Act II) as a dramatic soprano (all of III) and the Canadian soprano seems just as much one as she is the other.”
Thierry Verger Forum Opera May 29 2022
“Jane Archibald was all vocal thunderbolts and lightning flashes as Armida, holding her own against the polished theatrical creation that is Pisaroni’s slippery Argante.”
Alexandra Coughlan theartsdesk March 14 2018
“…a fine cast of excellent voices, led by Canadians Russell Braun, Michael Schade, and Jane Archibald – a musical tour de force. … Jane Archibald’s Donna Anna was thrilling from first note to last, with a sweep and an edge that made her presence on stage aurally riveting. “
“Jane Archibald’s “Ach! Ich liebte” is dramatic and causes chills, the “Traurigkeit” is simply exquisite, and “Martern aller artern,” is, without a doubt, the height of virtuosity! Whether it be her projection, tone, intensity, breath or agility, as a soloist or in the many ensembles, her voice radiates and surprises at every moment.”
“The overall tone is always right, passing from melancholy to burlesque, from buoyant to falsely serious, in short, Mozartian. Qualifiers that could all be equally applied to Jane Archibald. The Canadian soprano convinces from her initial aria. Usually sadly vexed, this Konstanze shows a rapidly beating heart, darting and slicing her high notes while giving nuance and variation as fitting. The second and third arias cemented the support of a very enthusiastic audience: the virtuosity of her vocalization, the ease, the legato, the breath, of course, but especially the psychological construction, sentence by sentence, of a young woman in combat with herself and with a man’s world. “
“Jane Archibald rightly earned a generous portion of the audience’s cheers for her Donna Anna, not only for the aching clarity of her voice, but the total commitment of her performance as a woman dragged from virtual rape through a parent’s death and into a world of erotic confusion.”
“It was a grand night of singing… Soprano Jane Achibald had a triumph in her first ever Donna Anna – Her Coloratura in Non mi dir was perfect “
“An unbelievable mastery of singing, controlled with apparent ease… technical ease combined with a remarkable dramatic presence “
“In the Camerata concert, she proved her reputation as “the coloratura soprano of our time” by first delicately singing “Ruhe Sanft” in the highest heights and, after that, practically allowing “the tiger of fate” to spring directly into the hall (“Tiger! Wetze nur die Klauen”). […] Nothing is too heavy for Jane Archibald’s stupendous vocal virtuosity. Her ornamentation in “des Himmels Segen belohne dich!” (from “Martern aller Arten”) has not been heard this way before in Salzburg. Breathtaking!” “
Haydn, Camerata – Horst Reischenboeck, DrehPunkt Kultur
“Jane Archibald surely has few (any?) equals in the title role, her plush silvery soprano filling the house with a vibrant presence. Hers is one of the most assured techniques in the business, and she tossed of the coloratura of “Myself I shall adore” with utter confidence and great tonal beauty. The jaw-dropping accuracy and breath-taking rapidity of the (almost non-stop) melismas did not seem intended to be heard merely by mortal ears. But Ms. Archibald was much more that flash and dazzle. Her sonorous, limpid treatment of Handel’s legato phrases was no less impressive. “
Semele, Handel – James Sohre, Opera Today
“Archibald shows off a spectacular instrument and gorgeous technique in eight arias and one recitative from five operas… This is a treat from beginning to end.”
“The voice is clear with clean, articulate, effortless runs – necessary ingredients for any coloratura. Haydn’s vocal writing is often instrumental in nature, like woodwind parts, and Archibald negotiates the quick turns confidently. But, in the most lyrical sections, she also captures the conflicting emotions with a strong sense of drama and expression. The voice is lovely throughout.”
“This well-chosen program of arias (and overtures) from Haydn’s operas shows off her many gifts. She’s a marvelous technician, with absolutely fluid coloratura, an old-fashioned but welcome bell-like sound at the top of her voice.., totally even production for the two-and-a-half octaves below that, and a lovely trill… Archibald is a charming artist.”
“With powerful coloratura pipes, Archibald melts the reactor core this scenes from L’anima del filosofo, ossia Orfeo ded Euridice (1791) and Orlando Paladino (1782).”
“…the coloratura of soprano Jane Archibald as Zerbinetta, who stopped the show with her brilliant vocal pyrotechnics. Together they represented what this opera is all about: the contrast between deep and profound art, and light, delightful entertainment.”
Colin Eatock, The Globe And Mail
” …And that is when Jane Archibald triumphs as Zerbinetta, a frivolous woman. From virtuosity to virtuosity, this production gives meaning to the succession of difficulties. It’s a veritable display of fireworks! The soprano remains a lovely bird, difficult for her companions to catch, ready for anything.”
Marie Torrès, :Opéra national de Paris
“Canadian coloratura soprano Jane Archibald made her Metropolitan Opera debut and role debut as Ophélie in “Hamlet” on April 5. The strikingly attractive, angular blonde soprano has a youthful sound and stage presence that convinced one of the character’s innocence and fragility. Her voice is a lovely, pearly-toned instrument that moved effortlessly from full lyric outpouring to scintillating coloratura display. Her Mad Scene got one of the strongest ovations of the evening, even after a disturbing smoke incident caused by an overheated lighting instrument cleared the balconies. She is currently active on German stages; the Met should convince Archibald to return stateside on a regular basis. “
“…Jane Archibald is magnetic, witty and winning as a flapper Zerbinetta à la Sally Bowles. With her almost casual brilliance in the aria “Grossmächtige Prinzessin,” Archibald stops the show.”
