Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon has quickly established himself as one of Canada’s most impressive
and versatile singing artists. A graduate of Glenn Gould School of Music in Toronto and Indiana
University Jacobs School of Music, Asitha drew critical acclaim as Paul in Tapestry Opera/Scottish
Opera’s Rocking Horse Winner, receiving the 2016 Dora Award for Best Male Performance. Of his
performance, Richard Harris of the Globe and Mail wrote, “The surprise of the night was Asitha
Tennekoon… his silky, emotional presence on stage – both vocally and dramatically – gave the show a
powerful focus.” For his performance in the 2019 world premiere of Shanawdithit (Nolan/Burry) with
Tapestry Opera, Ian Ritchie of Opera Going Toronto wrote: “Tennekoon’s savage depiction of vicious
racist magistrate and merchant John Peyton is nothing less than harrowing.”
Asitha’s operatic highlights include his recent debut as Ferrando in Edmonton Opera’s Cosi fan tutte
and First Priest with Canadian Opera Company in The Magicflute. Upcoming performances include
Remendado with Pacific Opera Victoria’s production of Carmen, Angel’s Bone with Vancouver’s
Re:naissance Opera and the role of Flute in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Vancouver
Opera. Asitha has sung principle roles with Opéra de Montréal, Against the Grain Theatre,
Soundstreams Canada, Opera on the Avalon, Opera 5, and Opera Lafayette (USA).
On the concert stage Asitha is known for performing a wide variety of repertoire, from the Evangelist
in Bach’s Passions to premiering new works. Concert highlights include engagements with Tafelmusik
Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Regina Symphony Orchestra,
Ottawa Choral Society, Toronto Bach Festival, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. In December
2022, Asitha is the tenor soloist in Messiah with Vancouver Bach Choir.
In 2020 Asitha reprised his performance as Paul in Tapestry Opera’s album recording of Rocking Horse
Winner (Available on Bandcamp) and returns this summer to the stage of Tapestry Opera’s popular
outdoor Box Opera Concerts. Asitha shares in the development of Calgary Opera’s new work,
Namwayut with an Indigenous -led team of artists exploring new, generative paths of opera creation.
Asitha is featured in several OperaBreaks, cinematic videos directed by François Racine and produced
by Domoney Artists during the pandemic.
In addition to his artistic abilities, Asitha is a cofounder of Amplified Opera (AO), the Toronto -based
Indie opera company committed to placing artists at the centre of public discourse.
