Joyce El-Khoury


Joyce El-Khoury is a Lebanese-Canadian opera singer performing with leading opera companies and symphony orchestras around the world. She is a soprano praised for her bel canto singing.

Early life and education

El-Khoury was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Jean and Alex El-Khoury. She has two sisters, Cynthia El-Khoury Najm and Krista Jane El-Khoury – the latter also a singer. She came to Ottawa, Ontario, with her family at the age of six, and began taking private voice lessons at the age of 15 with Karen Spicer. With support from her teacher and parents, she pursued voice at the University of Ottawa under the tutelage of Ingemar Korjus. After graduating her Bachelor of Music at the University of Ottawa, she pursued her studies at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia while studying with Bill Schuman. El-Khoury was then invited to study at the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program while continuing her studies with Schuman. Her musical mentor and vocal coach is Laurent Philippe, with whom she regularly appears in recital.

Career

During the summer of 2010, El-Khoury was engaged by Lorin Maazel and the Castleton Festival to sing Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi and to cover the title role in Suor Angelica. On opening night, she was asked to step in to sing Suor Angelica; this marked the beginning of Maazel's mentorship. She went on to perform Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville in Beijing, Mimì in Puccini's La bohème, the soprano part of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis in Munich and her first Desdemona in Verdi's Otello with Maazel.
She sang Mimì in her Australian debut in 2019 for Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House.

Repertory

YearRoleComposerOperaLocation
2009NeddaRuggiero LeoncavalloPagliacciKnoxville Opera
2010FrasquitaGeorges BizetCarmenMetropolitan Opera
2011Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataKnoxville Opera
2012Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataWelsh National Opera
2012MagdaGiacomo PucciniLa rondineDes Moines Metro Opera
2012MimìGiacomo PucciniLa bohèmeOpera Lyra Ottawa
2012AntoninaGaetano DonizettiBelisarioOpera Rara
2013Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataPalm Beach Opera
2013Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataOpéra Théâtre de Saint-Étienne
2013Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataDutch National Opera
2013DesdemonaGiuseppe VerdiOtelloCastleton Festival
2013MimìGiacomo PucciniLa bohèmeCanadian Opera Company
2013MusettaGiacomo PucciniLa bohèmeCanadian Opera Company
2014RusalkaAntonín DvořákRusalkaNorth Carolina Opera
2014Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataKorea National Opera
2014RusalkaAntonín DvořákRusalkaConcertgebouw
2014MicaëlaGeorges BizetCarmenSanta Fe Opera
2014Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataLyric Opera of Kansas City
2014PaulineGaetano DonizettiLes martyrsOpera Rara
2015JulietteCharles GounodRoméo et JulietteAustin Opera
2015RosalindeJohann StraussDie FledermausVancouver Opera
2015EmmelineTobias PickerEmmelineOpera Theatre of Saint Louis
2015Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataSavonlinna Opera Festival
2015Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataCanadian Opera Company
2015MusettaGiacomo PucciniLa bohèmeBayerische Staatsoper
2016TatianaPyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyEugene OneginNorth Carolina Opera
2016Maria StuardaGaetano DonizettiMaria StuardaSeattle Opera
2016Tatyana BakstJake HeggieGreat ScottSan Diego Opera
2016LiúGiacomo PucciniTurandotOpera Philadelphia
2016SaloméJules MassenetHérodiadeWashington Concert Opera
2017Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataRoyal Opera House
2017LeïlaGeorges BizetLes pêcheurs de perlesOpéra National de Bordeaux
2017Violetta ValéryGiuseppe VerdiLa traviataGlyndebourne
2017ImogeneVincenzo BelliniIl pirataOpéra National de Bordeaux
2018MusettaGiacomo PucciniLa bohèmeTeatro Real de Madrid
2018ImogeneVincenzo BelliniIl pirataTheater St. Gallen

Recordings