Born: May 28, 1939 - Montreal, Canada

The Canadian soprano, Christina Harvey, is the granddaughter of the soprano Christina Barrie-Dickson (Strathcona Scholarship winner). Christina studied in Montreal with Bernard Diamant, Louise André, and Ruzena Herlinger, garduating wit Bachelor of Music in 1967. In 1967 she won premier prix at the École Vincent-d'Indy. She was soloist with oratorio societies and, on radio and TV, with the Renaissance Singers. She had further studies in 1967-1969 in Geneva with Maria Carpi and in Munich at the Gernot-Heindl Opera Studio.

In Geneva Christina Harvey performed cantatas of Bach and Händel with the JM World Orchestra; in Salzburg she sang in Messiah with the Münchener Bach-Chor & Orchester. She sang in 1971-1972 for the Opera Forum in Enschede, Holland (Papagena in The Magic Flute, Mia in Land of Smiles, and Marie in Egk's Der Revisor), and from 1973 to 1976 for the Netherlands Opera (eg, Clarina in La Cambiale di Matrimonio and Lesbina in Caluppi's Il Filosofo di Campagna). Thereafter she pursued a concert career, singing with orchestras in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Canada.

A specialist in Baroque ornamentation, Christina Harvey became a member of the early music group Quatre en Concert, which toured Ontario universities in 1976, Canada in 1977, and Holland in 1978 where they recorded for Danzell. Her other Canadian activities have included performances at the National Arts Centre (NAC) (Alice in Rossini's Le Comte Ory 1974; Messiah 1978) and a concert (1976) with the St Catharines Symphony Orchestra (Niagara Symphony). For the Mirasound company in Holland she has participated in recordings of large choral works, including Bach's Magnificat (BWV 243) and St John Passion (BWV 245) (with the Residentie Bachkoor & Residentie Bachorkest) and of short choral pieces and opera.

Christina Harvey returned to Toronto in 1984, where she taught privately until 1987. She also coached from 1984 to 1986 singers with Opera Atelier of Toronto in baroque ornamentation. She retired from performing and established a public relations and communication consulting business in Toronto in 1988.

Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2006 Historica Foundation of Canada (Author: Florence Hayes)
Contributed by Teddy Kaufman (November 2006)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

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Gerard Akkerhuis

Soprano

BWV 245

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Harvey, Christina (The Canadian Encyclopedia)

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