Lois McDonall
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Discography
During her career, Canadian soprano Lois McDonall has mastered more than 40 principal operatic roles, most of which she has performed to great success with the English National Opera.
Lois McDonall began her studies at the University of Toronto, studying under Irene Jessner and Hermann Geiger-Torel. Shortly after, in 1964, she was the winner of the Metropolitan Opera Regional Audition in Seattle, Washington.
After spending the 1969-70 season as a soloist at the Stadische Buhnen in Flensburg, Germany, McDonall was engaged as the principal soloist with the English National Opera in 1970.
During her 14 years (1970-84) with the ENO, McDonall performed many roles to great acclaim, including the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Arabella in Arabella, Violetta in La Traviata, Leonora in Il Trovatore, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, Tosca in Tosca, and Elsa in Lohengrin. British composer Iain Hamilton composed several works especially for her, including Anna Karenina, Passion According to St. Mark's Gospel, and Cleopatra - Scena for Soprano and Orchestra. McDonall appeared in the world premieres of all of these works.
After leaving the ENO, McDonall taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1984 and then at the Royal Conservatory of Music from 1986 to 1992. She currently teaches at the University of Toronto and is the author of a masterclass, Self-discovery through music appreciation and performance.