“A masterful performance is turned in by Peter Blanchet
in The Tales of Hoffmann. The parts are so different
and Blanchet is so versatile you'd hardly know he was the same artist.”
– The Dallas Times
Peter Blanchet has gained a reputation as one of the most gifted and multi-faceted character tenors in the operatic world, as evidenced in The Dallas Times which reported his performances as the Four Servants in Les Contes d’Hoffmann as “A masterful performance is turned in by Peter Blanchet in The Tales of Hoffmann. The parts are so different and Blanchet is so versatile you’d hardly know he was the same artists.”
Mr. Blanchet’s engagements in the 2006-2007 season included performances as Tanzmeister and Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos with the Vancouver Opera, and the role of Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte with Portland Opera. Future engagements include returns to Ottawa as Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro, to Opera Ontario and Manitoba Opera as Goro in Madama Butterfly, and his Toronto Symphony debut as Monostatos in die Zauberflöte.
Mr. Blanchet opened the 2005-2006 season as Pang in Turandot for the Vancouver Opera, repeating the role in Calgary, and making his Los Angeles Opera debut as Goro in Madama Butterfly. He ended the season with performances as Dr. Caius in Falstaff for Opera Lyra Ottawa.
In the 2004-2005 season Mr. Blanchet was heard as Der Tanzmeister in Ariadne auf Naxos at L’Opéra de Montréal, Valzacchi in Der Rosenkavalier in Vancouver, Schoolmaster and Mosquito in The Cunning Little Vixen for Opera Pacific Victoria, and the Evangelist in the St. John Passion in Toronto. In 2003-2004 he was Pang in Turandot for the Opéra de Quebec, followed by the same role for the Edmonton Opera, was the Four Servants in Les Contes d’Hoffmann for the Calgary Opera, and Don Basilio and Don Curzio in Vancouver’s Le Nozze di Figaro. Mr. Blanchet made his Netherlands Opera debut in the fall of 2002 as Goro in a new production of Madama Butterfly, followed by Bardolfo in Falstaff for the Kentucky Opera, and Beppein Pagliacci in concert for the San Antonio Symphony.
In recent seasons the Canadian tenor has been heard at the San Diego Opera as Monastatosin Die Zauberflöte, the Atlanta Opera as Borsain Rigoletto, the Portland Opera asAchillesin La Belle Helene, the Vancouver Opera as Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro and Dr. Blind in Die Fledermaus, Opera Utah as Orestes in La Belle Helene, as Pedrillo in The Abduction from the Seraglio for Hawaii Opera Theater, the Calgary Opera as Goro in Madama Butterfly, Edmonton Opera for his signature roles, the Four Servants in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and made his Japanese debut at the Saito Kienen Festival, under the baton of Seiji Ozawa as L’Aumonier in Les Dialogue des Carmelites.
Mr. Blanchet’s debut season with Lyric Opera of Chicago included Elder Hayes in Floyd’s Susannah and The Idiot in Wozzeck. He returned to the company for Fedora and Capriccio Mr. Blanchet’s numerous engagements at the Dallas Opera have included Njegus in the historic performances of The Merry Widow which served as the American farewell for Dame Joan Sutherland, Triquet in Eugene Onegin, Squeak in Billy Budd, and the Servants in Les Contes d’Hoffmann.
New York Opera-goers have been witness to Peter Blanchet’s craft in numerous productions at the New York City Opera, where he was featured on a Live from Lincoln Center Telecast as Beppe in Pagliacci, wasthe Young Convict in Janacek’s From the House of the Dead, Loby in the New York premiere of Einem’s The Visit of the Old Lady, the Father in the world premiere of Mother of Three Sons and Mr. Erlanson in A Little Night Music, Daniel Buchanen in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, and The Schoolmaster in The Cunning Little Vixen.
A native of Toronto, Mr. Blanchet has appeared in a number of Canadian Opera Company productions including Boris Godunov, Ariadne auf Naxos, Die Fledermaus and Der Rosenkavalier, singing roles ranging from Der Tanzmeister to the Simpleton.
On the concert stage, Mr. Blanchet has appeared on both sides of the Atlantic in such works as the Evangelist in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Britten’s Rejoice the Lamb, Schubert’s Mass in G and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion in which he sings the Evangelist.