Canadian baritone Mark Wilkinson is active as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician across North America and abroad in an eclectic career that expresses his singular musicality, truthful storytelling, and gift for collaboration. In demand for both his beautiful voice and disarming personality, this celebrated singing actor has earned the respect of audiences and colleagues worldwide for his versatility and joyful artistry.
Wilkinson has contributed to international festivals and chamber ensembles with a particular talent for early music and new compositions. These include Soundstreams Canada under Maria Guinand (CBC Radio), the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Music and Beyond with PDQ Bach/Peter Schickele, the King’s College Choir and Ensemble Regale under Paul Halley (CBC Radio), the Ottawa International Writers Festival with Margaret Atwood, the inaugural Early Music Festival of Alberta with Brian Asawa and Jolaine Kerley, les Plaisirs du clavecin, the Ottawa Baroque Consort, the Afiara String Quartet, the Richard Eaton Singers, Pro Coro Canada, the Strathcona String Quartet, Da Camera Singers, Scona Chamber Singers, and the Cantata Singers of Ottawa. He also toured the American Midwest as soloist and mentor for the famed Ohio State Men’s Glee Club in collaboration with Harvard University, the University of Michigan, Bowling Green State University, Albion College, and the Ohio Music Education Association.
Orchestral performances include the Edmonton Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, l’Orchestre symphonique de Gatineau, the Alberta Baroque Orchestra, the Divertimento Orchestra, and more performances of Handel’s Messiah than he can count with churches and choirs across the continent. The Arts Club of Washington, D.C. sponsored his American recital début with lauded pianist Audrey Andrist, the Franz-Schubert-Institut provided his European recital débuts across Austria, including at Beethovenhaus, with pianist Christina LeRose, and The Aldeburgh Connection provided his Canadian recital début with pianists Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata. As both artist and teacher, he has sung with his dear friends, pianist Valerie Dueck and composer Daniel Mehdizadeh, for the world premieres of art song compositions at the East Chamber Music Festival. He has sung recitals and given masterclasses at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, SUNY Fredonia, The Ohio State University, the University of Toronto, and Concordia University of Edmonton. He was honoured to sing for R. Murray Schafer at the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards at the National Arts Centre, and he has since been a guest of the Governor General to sing at Rideau Hall.
On stage, his classical acting training has taken him to Shakespeare, Mozart, Shaw, Menotti, Sondheim, and world-premiere performances in the largest theatres and the most intimate venues. He has twice appeared with Le Nouvel Opéra for the Early Music Festival of Alberta and the Orford Arts Centre, created the lead role in the world premiere of Ryan Keebaugh’s DeSceNt inTo mAdnEss for the forward-thinking Sesquisharp Ensemble, and was the first Morales in Julie Nesrallah’s Carmen on Tap. Speaking of opera in a bar, his partnership with Operatic Revelry has brought opera throughout his adopted home of Ottawa in new ways. Other stage credits include Opera Lyra, Ottawa Chamberfest, the 1000 Islands Playhouse, Opera Inside Out, the Masque Chamber Theatre Players, and the Purple Shorts Festival.
Now settled in his home of Ottawa, his 2024-25 season reflects his collaborations with his community in returns to Operatic Revelry for 'Tricksters & Tomfoolery' at the Rainbow Bistro, Rideau Hall for the Governor General of Canada, CAMMAC Ottawa Valley for Dvorak's Mass in D, Seventeen Voyces for 'Christmas Gems', the Czech Embassy in Canada for a recital with Nadia Boucher, the Strings of St. John's for 'The Glory of Christmas', Handel's Messiah for both the Divertimento Orchestra and the North Grenville Concert Choir, the Canadian premiere of Dan Forrest's Creation with The Isabel Voices at the Isabel Bader Centre, and several recitals throughout the Ottawa Valley. He also joins Canada's newest and most exciting professional ensemble, Senza Nomine, a 12-voiced group of Canadian soloists dedicated to the highest-quality choral music.
Dr. Mark (as his students call him) holds the DMA in Voice Pedagogy and the Singing Health Specialist certificate from The Ohio State University. His talented mentors included Scott McCoy, Robin Rice, Elizabeth Turnbull, Sandra Graham, and Torin Chiles. He has won top prizes and received awards from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, the National Capital Opera Competition, the Alberta Baroque Music Society Competition, the Johann Strauss Foundation/Wirth Institute for Austrian Studies, the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, and the Helen Swank Voice Teaching & Research Laboratory. He owes a fond debt of gratitude to all of his colleagues from whom he has learned so much over the years, thanks to their generous artistry and natural guidance.
Wilkinson has contributed to international festivals and chamber ensembles with a particular talent for early music and new compositions. These include Soundstreams Canada under Maria Guinand (CBC Radio), the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Music and Beyond with PDQ Bach/Peter Schickele, the King’s College Choir and Ensemble Regale under Paul Halley (CBC Radio), the Ottawa International Writers Festival with Margaret Atwood, the inaugural Early Music Festival of Alberta with Brian Asawa and Jolaine Kerley, les Plaisirs du clavecin, the Ottawa Baroque Consort, the Afiara String Quartet, the Richard Eaton Singers, Pro Coro Canada, the Strathcona String Quartet, Da Camera Singers, Scona Chamber Singers, and the Cantata Singers of Ottawa. He also toured the American Midwest as soloist and mentor for the famed Ohio State Men’s Glee Club in collaboration with Harvard University, the University of Michigan, Bowling Green State University, Albion College, and the Ohio Music Education Association.
Orchestral performances include the Edmonton Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, l’Orchestre symphonique de Gatineau, the Alberta Baroque Orchestra, the Divertimento Orchestra, and more performances of Handel’s Messiah than he can count with churches and choirs across the continent. The Arts Club of Washington, D.C. sponsored his American recital début with lauded pianist Audrey Andrist, the Franz-Schubert-Institut provided his European recital débuts across Austria, including at Beethovenhaus, with pianist Christina LeRose, and The Aldeburgh Connection provided his Canadian recital début with pianists Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata. As both artist and teacher, he has sung with his dear friends, pianist Valerie Dueck and composer Daniel Mehdizadeh, for the world premieres of art song compositions at the East Chamber Music Festival. He has sung recitals and given masterclasses at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, SUNY Fredonia, The Ohio State University, the University of Toronto, and Concordia University of Edmonton. He was honoured to sing for R. Murray Schafer at the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards at the National Arts Centre, and he has since been a guest of the Governor General to sing at Rideau Hall.
On stage, his classical acting training has taken him to Shakespeare, Mozart, Shaw, Menotti, Sondheim, and world-premiere performances in the largest theatres and the most intimate venues. He has twice appeared with Le Nouvel Opéra for the Early Music Festival of Alberta and the Orford Arts Centre, created the lead role in the world premiere of Ryan Keebaugh’s DeSceNt inTo mAdnEss for the forward-thinking Sesquisharp Ensemble, and was the first Morales in Julie Nesrallah’s Carmen on Tap. Speaking of opera in a bar, his partnership with Operatic Revelry has brought opera throughout his adopted home of Ottawa in new ways. Other stage credits include Opera Lyra, Ottawa Chamberfest, the 1000 Islands Playhouse, Opera Inside Out, the Masque Chamber Theatre Players, and the Purple Shorts Festival.
Now settled in his home of Ottawa, his 2024-25 season reflects his collaborations with his community in returns to Operatic Revelry for 'Tricksters & Tomfoolery' at the Rainbow Bistro, Rideau Hall for the Governor General of Canada, CAMMAC Ottawa Valley for Dvorak's Mass in D, Seventeen Voyces for 'Christmas Gems', the Czech Embassy in Canada for a recital with Nadia Boucher, the Strings of St. John's for 'The Glory of Christmas', Handel's Messiah for both the Divertimento Orchestra and the North Grenville Concert Choir, the Canadian premiere of Dan Forrest's Creation with The Isabel Voices at the Isabel Bader Centre, and several recitals throughout the Ottawa Valley. He also joins Canada's newest and most exciting professional ensemble, Senza Nomine, a 12-voiced group of Canadian soloists dedicated to the highest-quality choral music.
Dr. Mark (as his students call him) holds the DMA in Voice Pedagogy and the Singing Health Specialist certificate from The Ohio State University. His talented mentors included Scott McCoy, Robin Rice, Elizabeth Turnbull, Sandra Graham, and Torin Chiles. He has won top prizes and received awards from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, the National Capital Opera Competition, the Alberta Baroque Music Society Competition, the Johann Strauss Foundation/Wirth Institute for Austrian Studies, the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, and the Helen Swank Voice Teaching & Research Laboratory. He owes a fond debt of gratitude to all of his colleagues from whom he has learned so much over the years, thanks to their generous artistry and natural guidance.
Mark Wilkinson, who was not only extremely enthusiastic but extremely flexible, looked like an angel that had been stretched -- short he wasn't -- and the ensemble followed his every sinuous move with rapt attention, as did I.
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Kirchner: I'll Be on My Way
Ohio State Men's Glee Club - Dr. Robert J. Ward, conductor Cincinnati, Ohio |
Mozart: Vedrò mentr'io sospiro (Le nozze di Figaro)
Frédéric Lacroix, piano Second Prize, National Capital Opera Competition |
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Bach: Selections from Johannes-Passion (live CBC broadcast)
with Marcio de Oliveira, tenor; Edmund Milly, bass-baritone King's College Chapel Choir, Ensemble Regale; Paul Halley, conductor |
Bach: Betrachte, meine Seel (Johannes-Passion)
Frédéric Lacroix, piano |