Irena Welhasch Baerg

Internationally renowned for her vivid operatic portrayals, Winnipeg born soprano Irena Welhasch Baerg is one of Canada’s most esteemed artists. Whether in the title role of Dvorák’s RUSALKA or as Mimi in LA BOHÈME, the power and poetry of her performances are undeniable. She starred as Blanche in LES DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES for the Canadian Opera Company, a production that was later broadcast on CBC-TV. Ms. Welhasch Baerg’s authority in the lyric French repertoire was confirmed with her engagements by Opéra de Nice for Mélisande in Debussy’s impressionist masterpiece. Further performances of Blanche de la Force have taken her to Edmonton Opera and Opéra de Montréal. Soon to be released is a recording featuring Ms. Welhasch Baerg in selections from the song repertoire of Debussy and Poulenc.

Her Puccini heroines include Mimi (Ottawa’s Opera Lyra, Orchestra London, Jacksonville Opera) Musetta (San Diego Opera) and Liu in TURANDOT (Canadian Opera Company). For Orchestra London, she added the title role in MADAMA BUTTERFLY to her repertoire under conductor Mario Bernardi.

Ms. Welhasch Baerg’s schedule has been filled with a wide variety of concert appearances. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 marked her return to the Québec Symphony and Ms. Welhhasch Baerg’s world premiere performance of Canadian composer Victor Davies’ oratorio REVELATION for the Winnipeg Symphony was reprised at the National Arts Centre for Festival Canada, again conducted by Bramwell Tovey. In a lighter vein, she has been heard in Gershwin and Viennese evenings for Brott Summer Music in Hamilton, Ontario and with the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony respectively. Her way with a waltz was also heard in concerts with the Mississauga Symphony and with the Edmonton Symphony. She was in Edmonton for a programme of Christmas favourites and Symphony Hamilton claimed her services for a concert devoted to MUSIC OF LOVERS.

She marked New Year’s in 2004 with a Gala concert at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and looks forward to Brahms’ DEUTSCHES REQUIEM with the Thunder Bay Symphony and a ‘Birthday Pops’ concert with Erich Kunzel and the Toronto Symphony.

Calgary Opera audiences have seen her in the title role of Lehár’s operetta DIE LUSTIGE WITWE, a role she also sang at the National Arts Centre and for the Canadian Opera Company National Tour. Ever open to new challenges, Ms. Welhasch Baerg appeared as the temperamental Prima Donna, Carlotta Giudicelli in the long-running Toronto production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

Frequently recorded by CBC Radio, she has appeared with the orchestras of Washington, D.C., Ottawa, Québec City and Winnipeg in programmes of Verdi, Mahler, Richard Strauss and Brahms. Ms. Welhasch Baerg has sung Beethoven’s SYMPHONY NO. 9 with an astonishing number of orchestras including the Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Orchestre symphonique de Québec and the orchestras of Hamilton, Kingston and Kitchener -Waterloo.