Christina Harvey

Harvey, Christina

Christina Harvey. Soprano, b Montreal 28 May 1939; B MUS (Montreal) 1967, premier prix (École Vincent-d'Indy) 1967. Granddaughter of the soprano Christina Barrie-Dickson (Strathcona Scholarship winner), Harvey studied in Montreal with Bernard Diamant, Louise André, and Ruzena Herlinger and was soloist with oratorio societies and, on radio and TV, with the Renaissance Singers. Further studies (1967-9) were in Geneva with Maria Carpi and in Munich at the Gernot-Heindl Opera Studio. In Geneva she performed cantatas of Bach and Handel with the JM World Orchestra; in Salzburg she sang in Messiah with the Munich Bach Choir and Orchestra. She sang 1971-2 for the Opera Forum in Enschede, the Netherlands (Papagena in The Magic Flute, Mia in Land of Smiles, and Marie in Egk's Der Revisor), and 1973-6 for the Netherlands Opera (eg, Clarina in La Cambiale di Matrimonio and Lesbina in Caluppi's Il Filosofo di Campagna). Thereafter she pursued a concert career, singing with orchestras in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Canada. A specialist in baroque ornamentation, she became a member of the early music group Quatre en Concert, which toured Ontario universities in 1976, Canada in 1977, and Holland in 1978 where they recorded for Danzell (see Peggie Sampson). Harvey's other Canadian activities have included performances at the NAC (Alice in Rossini's Le Comte Ory 1974; Messiah 1978) and a concert (1976) with the St Catharines SO (Niagara Symphony). For the Mirasound company in Holland she has participated in recordings of large choral works, including Bach's Magnificat and St John Passion (with the Residentie Bach Choir and Orchestra) and of short choral pieces and opera.

She returned to Toronto in 1984, where she taught privately until 1987. Harvey also coached 1984-6 singers with Opera Atelier of Toronto in baroque ornamentation. She retired from performing and established a public relations and communication consulting business in Toronto in 1988.