Daniel Taylor is a Sony Classical recording artist, Artistic Director of the Toronto Consort, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Trinity Choir as well as the Choir and Orchestra of the Theatre of Early Music, and one of the most sought-after countertenors in the world. His work has been recognized with GRAMMY®, Gramophone, Juno, Opus, CBC-SRC, BBC and Adisq Awards. He was awarded the National Medal for Music, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and was recently named as an Officer of the Order of Canada. 

Daniel appears as soloist on more than 120 recordings, which include Bach Cantatas with the Monteverdi Choir dir. Sir John Eliot Gardiner (Deutsche Gramophone Archiv and SDG); Renaissance duets with James Bowman and Michael Chance, Hollywood Actors Ralph Fiennes and Jeremy Irons (BIS) and with the late Martha Henry; Handel’s Rinaldo with Cecilia Bartoli, Gerald Finley and AAM dir. Christopher Hogwood (DECCA); Before Bach with Collegium Vocale dir. Phillipe Herreweghe (Harmonia Mundi); Bach’s setting of the Pergolesi Stabat Mater with Dame Emma Kirkby (BIS); Sakamoto’s pop-opera Life (SONY) in a cast that included Salman Rushdie and the Dahli Lama; Bach Cantatas with Bach Collegium Japan for Masaaki Suzuki (BIS); Vivaldi Gloria with the Bethlehem Bach Choir/Greg Fumfgeld (Analekta); five recordings of Handel’s Messiah, including those with the Montreal Symphony/Kent Nagano (Universal), Kammerchor Stuttgart/ Frieder Bernius (Carus), with the Handel & Haydn Society/Harry Christophers (Coro), with the American Bach Soloists/Jeffrey Thomas (Koch )and a CD/DVD with Tafelmusik/Ivars Taurins (Bravo Television). Daniel has recorded the CD/DVD of Bach’s Mass in B minor with the Ensemble Orchestral Paris/John Nelson (EMI Virgin) and also with the Kammerchor Stuttgart /Frieder Bernius (Carus). Recently, Daniel’s recording of Angelheart with cellist Matt Haimovitz, mezzo Frederica Von Stade and Actor Jeremy Irons with Producer David Foster won a GRAMMY Award. Daniel appears on two soundtracks for Cirque de Soleil: TORUK – The Story of Avatar (on which he sings the role of the Avatar) and TOTEM for Universal.

Daniel’s extraordinary series of recordings for SONY includes solo recordings The Voice of Bach and Come Again Sweet Love as well as his award-winning choral recordings with the ensemble he founded and conducts, The Trinity Choir: Four Thousand Winter, The Tree of Life, and The Path to Paradise.

Daniel’s professional operatic debut was at the Glyndebourne Festival followed by his North American operatic debut at the New York Metropolitan Opera. He appeared at the Rome Opera, Welsh National Opera, Canadian Opera, Opera North, in Munich and at the Edinburgh Festival. Gluck’s Orfeo and Handel’s Rinaldo at the Teatro Colon Buenos Aires, the World Premiere of Robert Lepage’s production of Ades’ The Tempest. Recently, he made his European Stage Directing debut with Puccini’s Suor Angelica with the Amalfi Coast Opera in Italy

He has joined leading orchestras including San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Lisbon, Cleveland, National Arts Centre, Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, New York Philharmonic, Philadephia Orchestra, Rotterdam Gothenburg and Scottish National, as well as the Cincinnati, Dallas and Houton Symphonies and the Israel Philharmonic and Taiwan National Symphony, and performed recitals at Lincoln Centre, Barcelona’s Palau de la Musica, at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall and the Forbidden City Concert Hall Beijing.

With the Monteverdi Choir and Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Daniel appeared on the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage joining in concerts and recordings across Europe and North America. With the English Baroque Soloists/Gardiner, he appeared in Handel’s Israel in Egypt at the BBC Proms, returning to the Proms with the Bethlehem Bach Choir and in recital with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. His long association with the Director Jonathan Miller included Handel’s Rodelinda (recorded for EMI Virgin) and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. He has also performed and recorded Handel’s Saul with Bachakademie Stuttgart (for Hänssler Classics) and Buxtehude Cantatas with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (Channel Classics).

As a conductor, he has led the Theatre of Early Music since XXXX, and made his guest conducting debut with Musica Angelica Los Angeles. He has also led the Newfoundland Symphony, the Kammerhcor Stuttgart, the Gabrieli Consort and as the first guest conductor in the history of The Tallis Scholars.

Daniel has appeared at the request of Prime Ministers of Canada, Presidents of the United States, on German television for the Prime Minister of Germany, on Spanish television for the Queen of Spain, in a recital for the King and Queen of Sweden, for the Queen of England and at a first nations pow-wow. He has appeared on Canadian television and radio in live events on many occasions for estimated total audiences of more than 5 million listeners. With a Canadian delegation, Daniel travelled on a trade, education, health and culture mission across Africa.

Daniel is a Visiting Faculty of the Siena Liberal Arts University (Italy), Victoria Conservatory of Music in British Columbia (Canada), the Paris Academy (France), and Amalfi Opera (Italy). He has given guest masterclasses across Canada and the United States and at the Royal Academy of Music (UK), Sao Paolo University (Argentina), Beijing Conservatory (China), Royal College of Music (UK), Oberlin Conservatory (Ohio), Bloomington University (Indiana), University of Vienna (Austria) and Guildhall School of Music (UK).

Daniel Taylor is Associate Professor of Voice, Early Music and Opera and Director of the Historical Performance Area at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. He was recently named a Senior Fellow at Massey College and is a leading Vocal Consultant to major Canadian Opera Companies and promoters. He leads the growing Historical Performance Area with graduate and post-graduate level programs. His scholarship and teaching includes exploring the relationship between performance and well-being, leading to the building of healthy and sustainable technique.

| Recital |

"The voice of this young man promises much for the future.  Supple, rich and warm, generous volume and a timbre well placed in all we heard, it filled the hall with all the harmonious sound we could hope for in this type of repertoire.  The presentations of Daniel Taylor were remarkable." — Le Devoir, Canada

| Recital |

"Singing with the smoothest seamless legato, and often very quietly, he exemplifies a lyrical quality of unusual poignancy. Taylor possesses a distinctive alto voice, dusky and shimmering like silk."

— The Gazette, Canada

BACH   | B-minor Mass |

“Taylor has a beautiful tone quality and purer, more expressive, vowels than most of his kind… The ‘Agnus Dei,’…was simple, hushed, heartfelt - and sublime.” — Richard Dyer, Boston Globe

         | Christmas Oratorio |

"…His voice of great beauty would have been reward enough.  But to this he brought a sense of phrasing that was transcendent." — Winnipeg Free Press, Canada

"Canada's star countertenor...his talents were on glorious display." — The Globe and Mail, Canada

"Canada's finest countertenor...his performance was simply a revelation" — The Toronto Star, Canada

         | St. John Passion |

"The most powerful solo moment of the afternoon was delivered by countertenor Daniel Taylor, a heart-shredding account of 'Es ist vollbracht'" — The Monterey Herald

         | St. Matthew Passion |

“Countertenor Daniel Taylor sang the alto arias with exceptional beauty of tone, accuracy of pitch and verbal specificity.” — The Cleveland Plain Dealer

BRITTEN | Canticle II | Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

“Daniel Taylor sang this moving work was immensely effective. Like Schoenberg’s Moses und Aron, here the voice of God is multi-voiced, sung as ethereal duets where Griffey and Taylor blended seamlessly.”

— Chicago Classical Review

“Daniel Taylor merged his sweet countertenor with Griffey's voice to ethereal effect in the passages representing God's utterances.” — Chicago Tribune

“Mr. Taylor’s ethereal sound blended hauntingly with Mr. Griffey’s tender yet penetrating singing…Mr. Taylor, as Isaac, captured the boy’s frantic feelings when he realizes what his father is about to do, singing the baffled phrases over madly scurrying runs in the piano.” — The New York Times

DOWLAND | O Sweet Love |

"The beauty of his voice will stop you in your tracks." — Gramophone, UK

GLUCK | Orfeo | Opera North

"But then there was the singing. And what singing, with Daniel Taylor's wonderfully true countertenor voice supreme throughout, his beautifully emotive Che Faro aria to his departed wife the cause of more than a few tears in the audience." — The Courier and the Advertiser, UK

"But dance and design aside, nothing could overshadow the breathtaking brilliance of countertenor Daniel Taylor as Orfeo. His pure, angelic voice dominated your attention." — Yorkshire Evening Post, UK

"Daniel Taylor, making his Opera North debut, is a superb Orfeo, on stage throughout the 90-minute performance strong and expressive vocally." — Yorkshire Post, UK

"Daniel Taylor's exquisite countertenor reminds us what a great part Orfeo is - especially in the lament which Taylor makes us hear as if for the first time." — Financial Times, UK

"Taylor's exquisitely decorated 'Che faro' is the highpoint of the evening." — The Scotland Herald, UK

"Daniel Taylor brings an illuminating duplicity to the role." — The Scotsman, UK

"Daniel Taylor's Orfeo, singing with gleaming tone, shapes the score with impassioned beauty."

— The Stage, UK

| Orfeo | Teatro Colon

"An epic portrayal by the Canadian countertenor Daniel Taylor...the elegance of the timbre, pure and crystalline.full, clear and powerful. The vocal intentions are nuanced with modesty and sincerity in phase with the dramatic play. The luminous silver-blue voice of the countertenor... warmly applauded." 

Teatro Colon, ORLYIX.COM

HANDEL | Arias from Rodelinda, Rinaldo, and Giulio Cesare | London Handel Players

“Taylor has a naturally dramatic presence coupled with a lively and vivid way with the music….He was instantly communicative whilst still being musical. Despite the drama of his performance, there was still a fine sense of line and good detail.” — Planet Hurgill (blog), UK

             | Agrippina | “Otho”

“How often do you have the opportunity to catch the remarkable Canadian Daniel Taylor Otho) in something other than a recital setting?  Not often enough.” — The Globe and Mail, Canada

             | Alexander’s Feast |

"Daniel Taylor has a power in bringing a massive audience to a standstill. The experience was strong and conclusive.  What a beautiful voice, thoughtfully produced and rendered with deep emotion."

— Le Devoir, Canada

             | Belshazzar |

“…visionary eloquence of the outstanding Canadian counter-tenor, Daniel Taylor.” — The Times, UK

| “Handel Love Duets” with Suzie LeBlanc | Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, Montreal

“…long-time collaborators Daniel Taylor and Suzie LeBlanc lit up the night with a dazzling display of virtuosity in a selection of Handel’s greatest arias and duos…Taylor and LeBlanc gave the sense of freshness that can only come from rigorous attention to detail.” — Kierstein Van Vliet, La Scena Musicale

             | Israel in Egypt |

The most notable performance came from countertenor Daniel Taylor, who sings with a sweetly beautiful tone entirely devoid of the usual falsettist edginess; he was particularly impressive in his final air, "Thou shalt bring them in." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch

| Joshua | Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra | Nicholas McGegan, cond.

“…sang with tenderness and conviction.” — Steven Winn, San Francisco Classical Voice

             | Julius Caesar | “Tolomeo” |

“The power and subtlety of this Canadian’s singing increase with each appearance.”

— The Globe and Mail, Canada

“As Tolomeo, Cleopatra’s rival for the Egyptian throne, the company engaged Canada’s fastest-rising counter-tenor, Daniel Taylor, who sang with an abandon bordering on verismo, demonstrating how far from the English choirboy esthetic counter-tenor with a dramatic sense have come nowadays.”

— William Littler, The Toronto Star

“Montreal counter-tenor Daniel Taylor didn’t just take Halifax by storm Sunday afternoon in St. Andrew’s United Church – he conquered the sell-out audience at Symphony Nova Scotia’s Baroque concert lock, stock and barrel…They leapt to their feet and cheered and shouted bravo on Sunday afternoon when Taylor finished the last of three arias from Handel’s Giulio Cesare, utterly forgetting the reserve implied by the ecclesiastical setting…They made Taylor sing two encores so they could do it all over again…the unquestioned highlight in this very fine concert, was Taylor as Tolomeo, shrieking threats at Cleopatra with a particularly nasty intensity on the word ‘humiliato’.” — Stephen Pedersen, The Halifax Herald Limited

             | Messiah |

“By all odds the best singing of the evening was countertenor Daniel Taylor’s modest, eloquent, moving account of ‘He was despised’.  This was music-making of a kind I’m sure Handel himself intended when, in his own famous Dublin performance of Messiah, he gave this aria not just to a good singer but to a great actress who could sing: Mrs. Cibber, sister of the composer Thomas Arne.  Mr. Taylor Saturday invoked the spirit of Mrs. Cibber.” — The Globe and Mail, Canada

What made this performance truly exceptional to me was the replacement of the usual contralto parts with a countertenor. There was a warm glow to Daniel Taylor’s “But who may abide” and “Good tidings from Zion” that simply doesn’t exist in the much cooler contralto timbre. And what a versatile voice — he could be all sweetness and light as in his duet with Zsigovics, “He shall feed his flock,” or sound fearless and daring, as in his commanding recitatives.  Steve Siegel, The Morning Call

"Canada's finest countertenor...there is a sense of utter conviction that sets him apart from the others."

— Opera Canada

             | Messiah | Toronto Symphony Orchestra

“Both men brought deep, operatic emotion to their solo arias, as did Toronto-based counter-tenor Daniel Taylor, who has a particularly keen sense of the tragic.” — Toronto Star (thestar.com)

“They – along with countertenor Daniel Taylor in fine voice – brought a deep appreciation for the words they were singing, imbuing the often technically challenging music with the appropriate emotion.”

— Musical Toronto

             | Rinaldo | “Eustazio”

"Daniel Taylor, standing beside Bartoli, showed how quickly he is rising through the ranks of young countertenors, with his impeccable musicianship and beautifully even tone.” — The Guardian, UK

             | Rodelinda | “Bertarido”

"Daniel Taylor sang the role with astonishing purity of tone and musicianship." — The Times, UK

"Daniel Taylor, spectacularly virtuosic and incisive." — The Guardian, UK

"Daniel Taylor sang superbly, his vertiginious decorations a tour de force that made technique serve the drama...an exceptional countertenor." — The Independent, UK

"... sung here with a wonderfully sensitive and full tone by Daniel Taylor" — The Saturday Telegraph, UK

             | Rodelinda | “Unulfo”

"The Canadian countertenor Daniel Taylor in the conflicted role of Unulfo, friend of Bertarido, and advisor to Grimoaldo, has the invaluable stage virtue of stillness when needed, and his last aria was a musical high point of the evening." — Toronto Globe and Mail 

             | Saul | Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra | Ivars Taurins, conductor

“Daniel Taylor’s counter-tenor, clear and focused, provided a perfect rendition of the sweetness and goodness of the Bible’s David.” — Robert Harris, Toronto Globe and Mail

| Semele, “Where’ere you walk” | Elora Festival, Toronto

Taylor followed with a rendition of ‘Where’ere you walk’ from Handel’s Semele that was truly sublime. The transcendence that we were about to experience in the ensuing hours had begun to unfold.

— David Richards, Toronto Concert Review

             | Theodora | “Didymus”

"Taylor is a star.  The best I have ever heard...from a gleaming soprano top to his dusky chest voice."

— Financial Times, UK

"The radiant exception was the young Canadian countertenor Daniel Taylor in the lead role. His marvelously beautiful voice has the right combination of purity and sensuality. He looks the part and acts with passion in what is one of Handel's most complex roles." — The Spectator, UK

"Daniel Taylor excels...outstanding...sublime... His tone seraphically pure, his musicianship impeccable..." — The Times, UK

"By far the best singing comes from Daniel Taylor, the young Canadian countertenor star who brings a rare expressive beauty to the music." — The Sunday Times (London)

"Daniel Taylor, an exemplary countertenor...a true display of soulfulness." — Sunday Telegraph, UK

"Without doubt, this superlatively talented young man has a unique voice that he uses in a way that displays a rare ability to communicate with the audience." — The Observer, UK

"The vastly refined singing of Daniel Taylor…he possesses a clear, powerful voice."

— The New York Times

             | Esther | Gottingen Festival

“Mordecai is an altogether more lyrical role and well-suited to the softer grained voice of Canadian countertenor Daniel Taylor. His “So much beauty sweetly blooming” benefitted from the fragile tenderness Taylor brought to it, and his sweetness of tone flourished in partnership with Sophie Junker’s Israelite Woman.” — NewStatesman

             | Handel Arias and Pergolesi Stabat Mater | Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

“the steely cool of Taylor, gloating over his victory in the aria from Giulio Cesare.”

— Milwaukee Magazine

“Taylor's [sound] is warm, rich and nimble…Taylor handled the arias with musical depth and nuance, delivering them with a command of Baroque style that came across the footlights as natural expression rather than musicological rigor…The two singers traded, answered and blended phrases exquisitely, sometimes matching the shape of the other's phrases in perfect sync, sometimes asking a musical question for the other to answer. They made ornaments sound simple and natural and used vibrato selectively, for musical expression or dramatic effect. They leaned close to one another to match pitch and blend sound, interacting like the best of musical friends.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“How finely and sensitively Taylor and Van Doren shaded their melodies, and how alertly they tuned to each other and to the feeling of the moment…Fine control of purposefully applied vibrato had a lot to do with this, as did the overall beauty of their sound. Both singers possess the bright clarity and precision we associate with Baroque singing with very appealing qualities of luxury and generosity.”

— Third Coast Digest

             | Zadok the Priest, Coronation Anthems |

“It began with Daniel Taylor and his Theatre of Early Music, chorus and orchestra, who presented Handel’s anthem, Zadok the Priest. It was a splendid performance; one can scarcely imagine a stronger way to open a festival.” — Ottawa Citizen

ORFF   | Carmina Burana

"Counter-tenor Daniel Taylor...sang a magnificent Roasting Swan." — Ottawa Citizen

       | Carmina Burana | Royal Scottish National Orchestra | Peter Oundjian, conductor

“…counter-tenor Daniel Taylor…knew precisely how to characterize Orff to maximum effect.” — Herald Scotland

“Daniel Taylor was clearly enjoying himself…as the Roasting Swan…”

— Simon Thompson, Seen and Heard International

PERGOLESI | Stabat Mater |

“Taylor’s falsetto is a wonder of nature, which he uses with the skill of a brain surgeon.” — Toronto Star

PURCELL | Dido and Aeneas | “Aeneas” | Theatre of Early Music

“Daniel Taylor, who directed the enterprise, also assumed the role of the eminently nasty sorceress and was most convincing with the sinister colour that his voice assumed—rather chilling.”

— Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen

               | Songs |

“...the reigning Canadian countertenor ...a touching account of Purcell songs...the audience was rapt.”

— The Globe and Mail, Toronto

VIVALDI | Stabat Mater |

“Taylor shone in the “Stabat Mater”, one of Vivaldi’s earliest sacred works. His uncanny ability to execute the subtlest of nuances is captivating. One is drawn in by his performance from the opening note…Part of Taylor’s magnetism stems from the pure emotion he exudes, while looking directly into the audience. He is masterful at making a connection with his listeners. With richness of tone, a superb instrument and total clarity of diction, his performance had it all.” — Gwenda Nemerofsky, Manitoba Free Press

“Taylor’s voice, constant and clear…is the unwavering spirit, carried aloft above the tumult of earthly existence.” — Susan Walker, Toronto Star

ZELENKA | Masses |

“...rendered with intimacy and spiritual reflection...impeccable...built the drama brilliantly.”

— Reutlinger General-Anzeiger, Germany

ARTICLES

“Daniel Taylor is Canada's best countertenor and  one of the most sought-after young stars of the Early Music scene.” — The Mirror, Canada

“...displays breathtaking agility, ravishing purity and heightened expressivity." — Wholenote Magazine, Canada

“widely lauded, ultra-virtuostic...” — Toronto Life Magazine, Canada

“Taylor's voice is immediately touching, rounded and full, and his technique is undeniably solid.”

— Gramophone, UK       

CD REVIEWS

Handel: Dixit Dominus; Bach & Schütz – Motets | Ottawa Bach Choir | ATMA ACD2 2790 | March 2019

“Daniel Taylor guests for the alto aria Virgam virtutis in which the interplay between his golden voice and the continuo instruments is sublime.” — The Whole Note

Bach: Cantatas | Theatre of Early Music | (ATMA Classique)

..true chamber music, for which Taylor rightly uses solo instruments to give each ensemble its distinctive colour and texture…these performances have a laid-back atmosphere not easily achieved in such highly structured music…If Taylor’s team of voices and instruments can keep working together in the harsh climate of today’s music business, they may make important contributions to our understanding of this rich repertoire.” — Eric Van Tassell

Bach: Lamento | Theatre of Early Music | (ATMA ACD2 2261)

“I now prefer this CD to any of its predecessors.  Daniel Taylor displays…subtlety and sensitivity…these performances allow the music to speak for itself…they make their effects by the most subtle of inflections…no one should miss these musicianly and moving performances.” — Eric Van Tassel

“a perfect demonstration of intense expression, profound dignity and solid craftsmanship...Daniel Taylor possesses one of the most purely beautiful countertenor voices today and uses it with skill and poise, amongst his excellent rivals, ultimately his performances are the ones which make the strongest all-round appeal to the senses.” — Gramophone

Handel: Saul | Bach-Collegium Stuttgart | Rilling, cond. | HMY292

“The standout…is Daniel Taylor as David, luminous of tone, unfailingly eloquent in his phrasing and ornamentation.” — Gramophone

Sylvain Bergeron/Claire Gignac: “Perceval” | La Nef | Sono Luminus (Dorian Disk)

"Sung with clear, unadorned lyrical beauty by countertenor Daniel Taylor in perhaps his best recorded performance to date." — ClassicsToday.com, USA

“An unwavering spirit carried aloft above the tumult of earthly existence” – Toronto Star