Roanna Kitchen is a Canadian musical theatre and operatic soprano praised for her stage presence and musical versatility. She recently completed her Advanced Certificate in Performance (specializing in early music) from the University of Toronto. Roanna also holds masters and undergraduate degrees in Voice Performance from the same institution, during which time she studied with Frédérique Vézina and Danial Taylor.  

Roanna has performed various roles on stage including the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, Norina in Don Pasquale, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Mlle Jouvenot in Adrianna Lecouvreur, Jacinthe in Le Domino Noir, Frasquita in Carmen, Clarice in Il giuoco del quadriglio, Serpina in La serva padrona, Miss Robinson and Lady Appleby in The Shop Girl, Iris in Semele, Mabel in Pirates of Penzance and Donna Marie in Blood Brothers. Roanna is scheduled to perform the role of Julia Sullivan in The Wedding Singer later this season. She premiered the role of Mentuhotep in the new opera Conan and the Stone of Kelior and appeared in the original cast recording. Roanna has performed staged scenes such as “Restino imbalsamate...T'aspetto e tu non vieni” in La Calisto as Calisto, “Pur ti miro” in L'incoronazione di Poppea as Poppea and “Alfin siam liberati, Zerlinetta gentil…Là ci darem la mano” in Don Giovanni as Zerlina. She has also participated as a young artist in programs such as Camerata Bardi International Academy, Opernfest Prague, the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, Vocal Academy of Opera in Bodrum, the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, St. Andrew’s Vocal Techniques Workshop, Opera Nuova’s 10 Day Development Program and the Summer Opera Lyric Theatre. 

Roanna has has soloed in concert works including Handel’s Jephtha, Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Arcady’s Emerging Artists Recital, Purcell’s Come, Ye Sons of Art, Love, Beauty and Death in Venice at the TD Music Hall, Halloween Classics with the Quinte Symphony, An Evening of Turkish Song & Opera Favorites at the Bodrum Castle, Art for Peace: A Fundraising Concert for Ukraine through Opera in Reach, and Fauré’s Requiem. Additionally, she has been featured for the past two years on 99.3 County FM’s live radio show. 

Roanna has participated in masterclasses conducted by Paul Agnew, Dame Emma Kirkby, William Sharp, Russell Braun, Steven Philcox, Nathalie Paulin, Wendy Neilson, Kimberly Barber and Dominique Labelle and has worked with conductors such as Stefano Teani, Jaroslav Kyzlink, Jiří Štrunc, Elaine Rinaldi, Tulio Gagliardo, David Fallis, Christopher Bagan and Uri Mayer. She has been the recipient of multiple scholarships including the Arts Abroad Grant through Canada Council for the Arts, the Lillian and Henry Regehr Scholarship, the University of Toronto Music Fellowship Award, Arthur Edward Redsell Scholarship, Lois Marshall Memorial Scholarship, Undergraduate Campaign Scholarship and the President's Entrance Scholarship.

In addition to her love for music Roanna also became involved in film and voiceover work. Since graduating from the Mode Elle Model and Talent Agency and working with Catalyst TCM Inc. her credits have included the principal role of Elizabeth Ennen in the television show See No Evil, work on the audiobook The Tear Stained Throne, as well as commercials for Disney Cinderella Princess, Care Bears and Cabbage Patch Dolls.

Roanna currently holds an Executive Coordinator position at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music. She is very excited to continue working with students and emerging musicians, helping them to gain access to services that facilitate professional development and enrich their student life experience. Roanna looks forward to further exploring the world of music and its rewards.

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