Baritone Alan Corbishley has sung throughout North America and Europe. In the UK, he sang Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, and Bach’s St. Mathew’s and St. Johns Passion, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus in London, and Papageno in The Magic Flute in Belfast. In France he sang lead roles in La Boheme, Peter Eötvös’ Le Balcon, and Rossini’s L’occassione fa il Ladro. With orchestra, Alan has performed Mahlers’ Beethoven 9th Symphony, Das Lied von der Erde, Mozart’s Requiem, Verdi’s Requiem, Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, Hayden’s The Seasons, Handel’s Messiah and more. Within the realm of professional musical theatre, Alan performed various roles in Seussical and Les Miserables, Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Lazar Wolf in Fiddler on the Roof, and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast.
As a Voice teacher, Alan’s students have had tremendous success. His students have the following credentials while under his tutelage: Multiple Provincial Winners at BC Festival of Performing Arts, multiple Winners of the Barbara Clague Festival of Song Competition at the Vancouver Academy of Music, Royal Conservatory of Music Exam Gold Medal and First Class Honours Results, and acceptance into various University Music and Voice programs across Canada and the US.
As a voice teacher, he believes in guiding students through the discovery of their instrument. Understanding breath, vocal technique, placement (etc) are only tools to help unleash the potential of each voice. As a teacher, he works with each student to develop a dialogue about a process that allows for students to internalize and properly understand their voice. Although his expertise is in classical vocal repertoire, he believes that a healthy approach to other genres lends to a deeper appreciation and freeness within one’s own specialized style.
Having started his studies in theatre, Alan eventually received his Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia followed by his Masters of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston in Voice and Opera.
Alan also studied as a vocal fellow for two summers at Boston Symphony’s prestigious Tanglewood Music Center where he performed with many of the world’s best artists. There he sang lead roles within Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi under the baton of Robert Spano, and Ramiro in Ravel’s L’heure Espagnole under the baton of Seiji Ozawa.
Alan also studied for two summers at The Music Academy of the West in California which is headed by famed mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne. There he also sang Harlequin in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos and then Sid in Britten’s Albert Herring to rave reviews.
As well as studying with the great Mary Morrison in Toronto for two years, Alan was one of 12 singers from around the globe to study in France for a one-year young-artist program in Marseille where he studied with Yvonne Minton.
Alan has also performed as a soloists with the following companies: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Opera, Castleward Opera (N. Ireland), City of Bath Bach Choir (UK), Connecticut Grand Opera, Exeter Bach Choir (UK), Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Modern Baroque Opera, Okanagan Symphony, Opera Holland Park (London, England), Opéra-Théâtre de Besançon (France), The Opera Project (UK), Vancouver Opera, Opera Kelowna, Vancouver International Song Institute, Western Canada Theatre.
Alan is also a success on many other artistic platforms. As a Stage Director, Alan has directed well over 30 productions including: The Lost Operas of Mozart with City Opera Vancouver where he returned to direct Nigredo Hotel in 2018 which was put on Vancouver’s Best of 2018 list, and again with COV in 2020 where he created and directed Berlin: The Last Cabaret at the Vancouver Push Festival. With his own company Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre, he directed the critically acclaimed adaptation of Handel’s Acis and Galatea and in 2022, the production of Angel’s Bone.
As a producer, Alan is the founding Artistic Director of Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre (www.soundthealarm.ca) and helps generate productions and concerts in various music genres including opera, musical theatre, audio drama, cabaret, chamber music and more. Alan is the Creative Producer for the very successful national tour of Music of the Night: The Concert Tour which is selling out theatres across Canada. He has also worked on multiple TED Conferences around the globe as an event producer
In 2006, Thompson Rivers University awarded Alan a Distinguished Alumni Award for his accomplishments in Arts and Culture. In 2012, Alan was the sole recipient of the Kamloops Mayors Award for the Arts for his innovations in the arts.