<< indietro

Gary Boyce was born some 40 years ago into a family stemming from the Caribbean, an Island in the sun, where the sugar cane grows tall and the flying fish abound over the Caribbean Sea. His roots are footed in the earth of the Island of Barbados. An island being of great beauty, it is like a second home to him.
Having moved to Toronto, Canada from England, at the age of 8, and being introduced to choral church music at an early, he started singing at Grace Church-on-the-Hill, one of the many Anglican churches in the Toronto area. The choir of Grace Church on-the-Hill specialize in the glorious sacred music of the British choral tradition, under the direction of a respected British organist and choir master. The choir of Gentlemen and Boys offered him professional-level experience in the challenging music of Palestrina, Byrd, Bruckner, Howells, and others. With this choir Gary made a tour to England where he sang at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral and the Wesminster Abbey.
Child and Teenage
Born in London England, where his first talents were recognized, as a child he was very apt at remembering songs he had heard on the radio. Thus his family only assumed that he would one day choose a career as a singer.
A Path to Choose
In the 80’s as a teenager in Canada he was lucky to sing with Paul Anka and Barry Manilow in there respective background choirs. These great occasions gave him something to think about.
Education
His formal education as a singer began when he began to study with Albert Greer, a Canadian tenor known for his oratorio work, at the age of 14. Because of this tender age, and steady voice of a growing man, he was singing the solo voice in choral music and oratorio ranging from soprano to tenor range, and taking master classes with Catherine Robbin, Julian Braid and Jeffrey Dooley.
In 1982, after attaining the Emilie Rubleau Memorial Scholarship he began study at the University of Toronto, Royal Conservatory of Music with Patricia Kern , the Welsh Mezzo soprano, which convinced him that he was definitely a countertenor. All the while, he was still singing and working as a soloist and choral singer. After leaving high school, where he had a marvellous musical training from David Richards, Gary decided to study with Alan Fast, at McGill University, Faculty of Music. There he studied Early Music Performance, with his main instrument of course being vocal studies.
1989 was again a time for change and Gary moved to The Netherlands to study at the Academy of Old Music, with Max van Egmond, after receiving an award for funding from The Chalmers Fund - Ontario Arts Council, and the Foreign Government Award from The International Council for Canadian Studies.
Choirs
The choirs that gave Gary the most:
In Toronto:
Grace Chuch-on-the-Hill, St. Thomas’s Anglican Church, Ontario Youth Choir, St. James Anglican Cathedral, Opera in Concert, Spectrum Chamber Choir, North York Chamber Choir, Tafelmusik, Orpheus Chamber Choir, Mendelssohn Youth Choir, Downsview Secondary School Senior Choir
In Montreal:
Studio de Musique Ancienne, Christ Church Cathedral, Choir of the OSM, St. George Anglican Church, St. James United Church
In Holland:
Utrecht Barok Consort, Bach Vereniging, Cappella Figuralis, Westerkerkoor, Cappella Palestrina, Rheinische Kantori ( Germany)
Recordings
In the late 90’s Gary was one of the classical singers featured to make the CD Flamma Flamma -The Fire Requiem from Nicholas Lens, and Orrori del Amore from the same composer. Gary Boyce can also be heard on choir recordings as a part of, or as a soloist. Some of which are with Capella Palestrina, of various baroque works. Following this came Monkey and the White Faced Demon from Peter Schat and The Three Sisters from Peter Eötvös.
Collaborations
In the 80’s he did his first work for film and television, when he sang vocals for the Canadian Broadcasting Company film, The Greening of Ian Elliot and Private Capitals. The opportunity also to sing for commercials also arose when he sang in a Levi Strauss and Diet Pepsi commercial. In Begium he added vocals to the film Marie Antoinette is Not Dead. Followed by the filming of the music video of the single Flamma Flamma, which was often seen on MTV Euope, also in the 90’s he worked with Mathilda Santing of Holland, as a guest entertainer for television and concerts. And in 2000 there was the making of Orfeo Aqua the Film for Friesian TV.
Opera
Gary made his opera debut at an early age of 9, when he performed as Amahl in Menotti’s - Amahl and the Night Visitors. Followed by Oberon in Britten’s - A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Atelier D’Opera de L’Universite de Quebec a Montreal in 1985. In the 90’s his debut as Spirit in Purcells - Dido and Aeneas followed by Hsuan Tsang in Peter Schat s Monkey and the White Faced Demon and Orfeo in C.W. Gluck Orfeo and Euridice, in 2000. Most recently the opera from Peter Eötvös The Three Sisters, where he plays the role of Natasha has taken up much of the 1999 and 2000.
Recitals
Recitals are moments very special to Gary Boyce. With his intensity of character, he brings the audience close to him so that they are made to feel, his emotional energy. Concerts in the Opera of Lyon and in the Flemish Opera in Belgium, including various solo concerts in church and halls throughout Europe are examples of this presence.
Concert
Concerts with various ensembles including Il Fondamento(Belgium), Netherlands Bach Ensemble, Al Ayra Espänol(Spain), and Capella Frisiae(Friesland, Holland) to mention but a few, are also mentioned as high points to his career. With these concerts Gary has traveled Europe, Canada, the USA, Caribbean, and participated in festivals throughout Europe performing oratorio and liederen from various composers ranging from the baroque to the present day repotoire.
Conductors
Some condutors with which Gary has works:
Christopher Hogwood, Jan Pasveer, Brainerd Blydon - Taylor, Christopher Jackson, Giles Bryant, Peter Hawkins, Gerald Wheeler, T. Willard Harris, John Barnum, David Richards, Stuart Hamilton, Gerald Neufeld, Robert Cooper, Ian Sadler, Jos van Veldhoven, Maaten Michelse, Herbert Perquin, Vincent de Kort, Ira Spaulding, Kenneth Montgomery, Jos van Immsersal, Kian Pin Hiu, Pieter Vinck, Krijn Koetsveld, Hermann Marx, Paul Dombrecht, Roderick Shaw, Eduardo Lopez Banzo, Hoite Pruiksma, Herbert Krey, Jan Willem de Vriend, Victor Feldbrill, and others