Joyce El-Khoury
Hailed by ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ magazine as “the best and most convincing Norma I’ve seen in the last two decades… with remarkable technical mastery,” Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury has established herself as one of today’s most captivating operatic artists.
Known for her rich timbre, exquisite pianissimi, and commanding stage presence, she has brought more than forty leading roles to life on the world’s foremost stages.
Recent highlights include acclaimed role debuts as Norma at the Herodes Atticus Theatre at the Acropolis in Athens, Médée at Paris’s Opéra Comique, Manon Lescaut at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich and Carmen at Oper im Steinbruch. A frequent collaborator with conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Carlo Rizzi, Riccardo Muti, and the late Lorin Maazel, she has appeared with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro Real Madrid, Glyndebourne Festival, Dutch National Opera, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Canadian Opera Company, and Dallas Opera, among many others.
On the concert stage, El-Khoury has been heard with leading orchestras including the London, Chicago, and Houston Symphonies, Orchestre de Paris, Barcelona Symphony, the Münchner Philharmoniker, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. Her symphonic repertoire ranges from Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis to Verdi’s Requiem and Rossini’s Stabat Mater.
Her award-winning discography on the Opera Rara label includes Donizetti’s L’Ange de Nisida, Les Martyrs, and Belisario, works that underscore her reputation for reviving rarely performed gems. She also recorded Franz Liszt’s seldom-heard Sardanapalo for the audite label. Her solo album Écho (Opera Rara) received a Juno nomination, and in 2022 she was honored as the Dallas Opera’s Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year.
Equally committed to cultural advocacy, El-Khoury champions Lebanese art song in her recitals worldwide and supports the next generation of singers through her teaching initiative Lessons for Lebanon, offering masterclasses and mentorship to young artists.