Biography
MIKE FAN | 范祖铭 (they)
Tenor
“The most vulnerable” MIKE FAN | 范祖铭 (they/them), whose "dramatic side is remarkable” (Barcza Blog) has performed in 11 languages “sung extremely well and acted even better” (Opera Ramblings) across North America, the UK, Europe, and Australia for Pacific Opera Victoria, Le Monument National, Opera York, Infusion Baroque, and more.
A member of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, Mike’s powerful, flexible tenor has inhabited Mozart’s Don Ottavio and Tito, Verdi’s Alfredo and Conte Ivrea, as well as numerous new works and world premières. Recent 2023 engagements include Mike’s company début at the Canadian Opera Company in Beethoven’s Fidelio and Puccini’s La bohème, Edinburgh début at the world’s largest Fringe Festival at the invitation of the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom, and the world première of Chan’s Dragon’s Tale with Tapestry Opera and co-produced by Luminato Festival, Soundstreams, and the Harbourfront Centre.
Mike has received the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Gold Medal, Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques’ Prix Poulenc and has been invited to compete at the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera for the Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona’s Tenor Viñas Competition. Mike is founding Artistic Director of Opéra Queens and holds Masters, Bachelors, and Associate degrees in Opera & Voice, Speech Arts & Drama, and Piano Performance with additional training at the Rossini Opera Festival and Tampere Conservatoire. Upcoming, Mike returns to Toronto City Opera in 2024 covering Sam Polk and singing Elder Gleaton in Floyd’s Susannah as well as Remendado in their production of Bizet's Carmen.
For upcoming performances and events, please visit: https://www.MikeZFan.com/. Stay in touch with Mike on social media via @MikeZFan on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter and by signing up for their newsletter!
Photo: TamPhotography.ca
Updated Nov 24, 2024: kindly destroy previous versions
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