Lawrence Wiliford
Lauded for his luminous projection, lyrical sensitivity, and brilliant coloratura, American-Canadian tenor Lawrence Wiliford is in high demand in concert, opera, and recital repertoire. In 2022–2023, he joined both the Houston Symphony and NAC Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah, and returned to Early Music Vancouver for vocal selections by Schütz. In the 2023–2024 season, Wiliford appears as the tenor soloist in Messiah with the NAC Orchestra as well as the Toronto Korean Canadian Choir. He also returns to the Hamilton Philharmonic for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.
Lawrence Wiliford’s concert engagements encompass the major symphony orchestras and early music groups in the U.S. and Canada. Recent season highlights include performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; Mozart’s Requiem with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Seattle Symphony; and Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Op. 31 with the Hamilton Philharmonic. Additional appearances of note include Handel’s Messiah with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. With the National Arts Centre Orchestra, he has previously sung in J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor and Christmas Oratorio, Mozart’s Requiem, and Haydn’s Nelson Mass.
His recorded projects appear on several labels and include a Grammy-nominated and Juno Award–winning recording of music by Vaughan Williams with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Peter Oundjian (Chandos); J.S. Bach’s St John Passion under the direction of Alex Weimann (ATMA Classique); a program of late works for tenor and harp by Benjamin Britten (ATMA Classique); and sacred songs by Edmund Rubbra, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Gustav Holst (Stone Records). He is also a featured soloist on the 2020 Juno Award–nominated recording of Zachary Wadsworth’s oratorio When There is Peace by Chor Leoni Men’s Choir. In addition to his performing schedule, Lawrence Wiliford is co-artistic director of the Canadian Art Song Project.