An extraordinarily gifted, Germany-based young Canadian lyric tenor combining assured musicality and the communicativeness and varied tonal palette of a lieder specialist, Colin Balzer is fast becoming one of the most sought-after concert soloists of his generation. Following summer 2007 performances of Lully’s Psyché with the Boston Early Music Festival, his 2007-2008 season included concerts throughout Germany with the Munich Bach Choir; Bach Cantatas with Early Music Vancouver; Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Leipzig Baroque Orchestra; Händel’s Messiah with Toronto’s Tafelmusik and the Victoria Symphony; Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Quebec Symphony, and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion on a European tour with Spain’s Al Ayre Espagnol ensemble. In addition he performs Handel's Chandos Anthems in France, Germany and Poland with Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre.

In 2008-2009 he will sing the title role of Monteverdi's Orfeo in Edmonton, Haydn's Die Schoepfung with Yoav Talmi and the Quebec Symphony; the Mozart Requiem with the National Philharmonic and Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass with Philippe Herregweghe and Collegium Vocale Ghent.

A prizewinner of Holland’s Hertogenbosch Competition, the U.K.’s Wigmore Hall Song Competition, Stuttgart, Germany’s Hugo Wolf Competition and Munich's 55th International ARD Competition, Mr. Balzer also holds the rare distinction of earning the Gold Medal at the Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau with the highest score in 25 years. Masterclasses have been with such artists as Phillip Langridge, Robert Tear, Elly Ameling, Brigitte Fassbaender, Rudolph Jansen, and Christoph Prégardien. Born in British Columbia, he received his formal musical training at the University of British Columbia with David Meek and with Edith Wiens at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg/Augsburg.

For more information, visit Colin Balzer online.