Biography

MIKE FAN | 范祖铭

Tenor

“The most vulnerable” operatic tenor Mike Fan | 范祖铭 (they/them) is renowned for their warm, resonant voice and extraordinarily versatile performances “sung extremely well and acted even better” (Opera Ramblings). Mike’s recent operatic roles include a “spectacular” title role of Mozart’s demanding Idomeneo in the original bravura version, Sam Polk in Floyd’s Susannah, and Remendado in Bizet’s Carmen.

A striking multi- disciplinary performer whose "dramatic side is remarkable” (Barcza Blog), Mike’s performances span 11 languages across North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, and Australia for organizations including Pacific Opera Victoria, Le Monument National, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Other recent engagements include Mike’s company début at the Canadian Opera Company in the new, Dora-nominated Ozawa production of Beethoven’s Fidelio; creating the world première of Chan’s Dragon’s Tale co-produced by Tapestry Opera, Luminato Festival, Soundstreams, and Harbourfront Centre; and their recital début at the iconic Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre for Asian Heritage Month.

Mike’s many awards include the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques’ Prix Poulenc, Royal Conservatory of Music’s Gold Medal, and numerous Canada Council for the Arts grants. Mike has also competed for the Loren L. Zachary Society Competition at the Los Angeles Opera, Gerda Lissner Competition at the Kosciuszko Foundation, and the Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona’s Tenor Viñas Competition at the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera. An enthusiastic advocate offstage, Mike is proud founding Artistic and Executive Director of the QTBIPOC+ non-profit Opéra Queens and joins the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts in the 2024-25 season as juror for the Dora Awards.

Fluent in 7 languages, Mike holds degrees in Biomedical Science, Opera & Voice, Speech Arts & Drama, and Piano Performance with additional training at the Rossini Opera Festival and Tampere Conservatoire. Mike maintains an active teaching studio from their current base in Toronto, Canada. Stay tuned to Mike’s journey at www.MikeZFan.com and on social media @MikeZFan.

MIKE FAN, CAEA, ARCT, MMus, HBMus, BScH ~ At a Glance

Opera Engagements

Canadian Opera Company
Pacific Opera Victoria
Tapestry Opera
Amplified Opera
Opera York
Toronto City Opera
Teesri Duniya Theatre
Accademia Rossiniana Alberto Zedda, Rossini Opera Festival
Dr. Michael Warren NYC & Toronto Voice Intensives
Italian Canadian Heritage Foundation
Concerti Fulmini series
Kultrún World Music Festival
NUMUS
Guelph Symphony Orchestra
KW Symphony Orchestra
Opera Laurier
Halifax Summer Opera
Opera NUOVA
Toronto Vocal Studio
Canadian Ambassador Choir
Vera Causa Opera
Guelph Chinese Performing Arts
Guelph Chinese Canadian Culture Association
Eden Mills Arts Festival
Society for the Archaeology of Ancient Music

Awards

2023 ~ Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Abroad
2022 ~ Canada Council for the Arts, Public Outreach
2022 ~ Canada Council for the Arts, Explore & Create: Concept to Creation
2021 ~ Canada Council for the Arts, Digital Now
2021 ~ Le Prix Poulenc, Les jeunes ambassadeurs lyriques
2020-21 ~ SSHRC CGSM
2020 ~ Opéra McGill Scholarship
2019-20 ~ Shapiro Fellowship in Opera
2019-20 ~ Schulich School of Music: Graduate Excellence Fellowship
2018-19 ~ Harold & Violet Seegmiller Award
2018-19 ~ Mrs. Iqbal (Bali) Badhwar Memorial Award
2018-19 ~ Concordia Scholarship in German
2018 ~ Ontario Federation of Music Festivals: Provincial Finalist (Voice, National Qualifying Class)
2017-18 ~ William Thomson Scholarship
2017 ~ Ontario Federation of Music Festivals: 1st Place (Advanced Speech Arts)
2014 ~ RCM Gold Medal, Grade 10 Voice
2014 ~ NATS Competition: 1st Place (Mature Beginners)
2013, 2014 ~ College of Biological Science, Roll of Distinction
2010 ~ University of Guelph Entrance Scholarship
2010 ~ Ontario Scholar
2008 ~ Kincardine Summer Music Festival, Chamber Music Scholarship
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2017, 2018 ~ Kiwanis Music Festival of Guelph Scholarships: Senior Voice, Senior Piano, Speech Arts (Provincial Finalist)

Acting Engagements

Infusion Baroque
Théâtre Alphonse-Desjardins
Aramusique
Leaf Music
Scratch Takes
Merridian Films
SteamWorld Entertainment
Student Budget Productions
Memory Tree Productions

Education

MMus ~ Masters in Music, Opera & Voice Performance (McGill University: Schulich School of Music, 2021)
ARCT ~ Speech Arts Performance (Royal Conservatory of Music, 2021)
HBMus ~ Honours Bachelor’s in Music (Voice Performance) with High Distinction, Double Minors in Italian & German (Sir Wilfrid Laurier University, 2019)
ARCT ~ Voice Performance (Royal Conservatory of Music, 2015)
BScH ~ Honours Bachelor’s in Biomedical Science with Distinction (University of Guelph, 2014)
OSSD ~ Ontario Scholar (Centennial Collegiate and Vocational Institute, 2010)
ARCT ~ Piano Performance (Royal Conservatory of Music, 2009)

Teaching Engagements

The Studio of Mike Fan ~ Voice, Piano, Music Theory, Maths, Sciences, ESL, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin
Express Voice Studio
Sir Wilfrid Laurier University ~ German 110 & 111
The Canadian Independent College ~ Chemistry 4U
Community Living Guelph Wellington ~ Passport Tutoring: continuing education
Kratovic School of Music ~ Voice, Piano, Music Theory
Octave Music Centre ~ Voice, Piano, Music Theory
Yamaha Children’s Music Academy ~ Piano, Music Theory
JamSchool ~ Piano, Music Theory

Pianist Engagements

Kincardine Summer Music Festival
Ontario Federation of Music Festivals
KW Kiwanis Music Festival
Kiwanis Music Festivals of Guelph
Eta Pi Society
Weston Terrace
Royal on Gordon
The Elliott Community
St. Joseph’s Health Centre
Factory 163
The Women of Broadway and Beyond

Page updated

Report abuse