About

Canadian soprano Zoe McCormick is being noticed for her artistic honesty and musical intelligence. Born and raised in Ponoka, Alberta, Zoe is thrilled to be returning close to home in the 2026-2027 season as she joins Calgary Opera’s McPhee Artist Development Program.

She spent summers 2025 and 2026 as a Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Fellow, where she worked closely with artists such as Dawn Upshaw and Randall Scarlata and was noted for her sensitive delivery of text and vocal flexibility. Her performances at the Tanglewood Music Center include “No word from Tom” from Stravinsky’s the Rake’s Progress, Sarah Gibson’s The Boys Are There, Oliver Knussen’s Requiem: Songs for Sue, Samuel Barber’s Hermit Songs, Osvaldo Golijov’s Ayre, Bolcom’s Cabaret Songs, and songs by Charles Ives. She also participated in the Institut d’Art Vocal Canadien and the Lachine International Vocal Academy in 2024.

Recent highlights include winning the Grand Prize at the 2026 Wirth Vocal Competition, role debuts as the title role in Handel’s Alcina and Female Chorus in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia with Opera McGill, appearing as soprano soloist in Dvořák’s Te Deum with the McGill Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and performing in recital with pianist Alexey Shafirov on the Schulich @ Bon-Pasteur series at the Canadian Centre for Architecture. Past roles include Amina from Bellini’s La Sonnambula and Iris from Handel’s Semele, the Nightingale and Owl in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges and the Soprano in Johnson’s Four Note Opera. Zoe was also a 2026 Laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques - Théâtre Lyrichorégra 20, and a semifinalist of the Concours International de Chant de Marmande in August 2026.

Zoe completed a Post-Graduate Artist Diploma at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, where she studied with Tracy Smith Bessette, Martin Dubé, and Michael McMahon. She also holds a Master of Music from McGill University and a Bachelor of Music in Violin and Voice from Burman University, where she studied with Eduardo Sola and Wendolin Munroe. Zoe is a recipient of support from the Winspear Fund and the Dr. Dasha Goody Memorial Foundation. Zoe’s work is grounded in integrity and curiosity. Both a chamber musician and soloist, she loves collaborating with colleagues and friends, and exploring the many perspectives and voices that meet in every piece of music. When she is not singing, she loves spending time with her husband and their two cats, Kevin and Rameau, playing board games, and baking.