Michelle Lafferty

Mezzo-soprano Michelle Lafferty, is a First Nations indigenous woman from the Northwest Territories and graduated in 2019 from The University of Western Ontario with her Master’s in Literature and Performance. In 2017 she has performed the roles of Mrs. Peachum in Benjamin Brittens opera The Beggers Opera, Katisha in The Mikado and La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica. She has performed the role of Eileen in the Ecstasy of Rita Joe by Victor Davis through Opera in Concert in Toronto’s St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. Secondly performed in Summerland British Columbia for the Gorge Ryga Festival. In 2019 she was involved in The Banff Centre for the Performing Arts program for Indigenous Classical Musicians Gathering and a Call to Witness performance showing what Indigenous musicians and composers are hoping to share and regain Musical Sovereignty. Recently in 2021 she was part of a team of musicians and composers with Calgary Opera that curated the opera lab “Namwayut” dramaturged Marion Newman. An indigenous opera about indigenous resilience. She has also received a Dora Award for best ensemble in the Opera category for Soundstreams production of Two Odysseys Pimooteewin/Gállábártnit.