October 22, 2023 Music on Sunday, Mezzo-soprano Songstress: Taryn Plater and Derek Stanyer

Mezzo-soprano Taryn Plater is a versatile performer and creator with a strong investment in the future of opera and arts outreach. She was a 2021-2022 RBC Artist Fellow with the Association for Opera in Canada and continues to be active both on and off stage. Taryn created the digital artist statement First Steps through Against the Grain's 2021 National Opera Intensive, exploring her cultural heritage through Ukrainian art song and dance, and in 2022, received a Ukraine – Heritage, Spirit and Future award in recognition of her artistic focus on Ukrainian art song. Her focus on Ukrainian classical repertoire has intensified over the past year with community-engaged performance, specialized training opportunities, and benefit concerts.

​Taryn was recognized for her “dramatic and vocal thrust” (Opera Canada) while portraying the title character in the Canadian premiere of Pasażerka. She has performed with Opera NUOVA and the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, and has featured in concerts in Germany and the Czech Republic. At home, she enjoys varied performance opportunities that range from accessible opera concerts in public spaces to jazz piano and vocal engagements. Taryn is grateful to be the recipient of a 2021 Vancouver Opera Foundation bursary and a 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Western Canada District) Encouragement Award.

​In addition to her performance endeavors, Taryn is a mentor with Opera InReach and the founding Artistic Director of Opera Unbound. She earned her opera performance degree at the University of British Columbia studying with Krisztina Szabó and Marisa Gaetanne while simultaneously pursuing training in linguistics and urban planning.

Derek Stanyer received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria in 2010, and his Masters of Music from the University of Ottawa in 2012 on full scholarship. He has won numerous awards and prizes, including finalist in the national Knigge Piano Competition, University of Victoria Concerto Competition, University of Ottawa Concerto Competition, and Sooke Philharmonic Concerto Competition. He also won top prize in the Johann Strauss Competition, allowing him to study at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria in 2012. Derek pursued an Artist Diploma at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris from 2012 to 2014, and is currently in the Doctorate of Musical Arts program at the University of British Columbia on a full Doctoral Fellowship. He has performed extensively both as a soloist and as a collaborative pianist throughout Canada, France, Belgium, Austria, USA, and Mexico. He has worked as a vocal coach for the UBC summer opera program and has also been a member of the Vancouver International Song Institute and the Songfest intensive summer program. He is currently working as a Vocal Coach and pianist for UBC opera, and has been a teacher at the Valhalla Suzuki Institute, the UBC Summer Vocal Academy, and the CYMC summer program. Derek’s recent notable performances include the NATSAA vocal competition, the Vancouver Fringe Festival, the Silk Purse Gallery concert series, Music Friends concert series in Vancouver, and recordings with opera companies Good Mess Opera, and Opera Unbound. Derek's doctoral research relates to the art songs of Nikolai Medtner, which are a substantial yet largely ignored part of the art song repertoire.