William
Duffy

COUNTERTENOR

praised for his “command of the seemingly impossible high tessitura”
(South Florida Classical Review)

About

William Duffy is a California-born, Montréal-based countertenor soloist and ensemble singer, praised for his “command of the seemingly impossible high tessitura” (South Florida Classical Review). While his first contact with music was through the strings of his 1/16 Suzuki violin, today William prefers the medium of vibrating air with his body as the instrument. He continues to explore the extremes of his musical voice as a soloist and ensemble singer through the music of the renaissance, baroque, and today.

His recent performance highlights include a new album DISTANCE (ATMA Classique) with The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul; “Negro Spirituals”, a lecture-recital given by conductor Floydd Ricketts of newly-founded Ensemble Noir, whose mandate is to illuminate choral works written by or about people of colour; Carlo Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories for Holy Saturday with Seraphic Fire; and J.S. Bach’s oratorios for Easter and Ascension on tour across Canada with Ensemble Caprice.

William’s other notable endeavours include performing Songs of Unrequited Love written for countertenor, horn, and harp by esteemed Canadian composer Donald Patriquin, and an “urban pilgrimage” concert-installation of Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles with Voces Boreales. William also sings weekly at The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul in Montréal, where he has performed various works by contemporary composers, including: David Lang's Little Match Girl Passion, Gregory Spears’s completion of the Mozart Requiem, Robert Koolstra's Bach Markus-Passion reconstruction, and Arvo Pärt's Passio. William is a member of the chorus of the Montréal Symphony Orchestra.

William has enjoyed recent performances of Pergolesi’s Stabat mater with Vermont Chamber Artists; the world premiere of Nanumissuat - Île-Tonnerre, by Innu poet Natasha Kanapé Fontaine and Montréal composer Alexandre David; and Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri with Montréal Lutherans Downtown. Notably, the 2022-23 season will see William interpreting the extraordinary cantatas of Christoph Graupner with Geneviève Soly and Les Idées Heureuses; touring and recording with Seraphic Fire in Aspen, CO and South Florida; and performing J.S Bach’s B-minor mass with Ensemble Caprice.

William holds degrees in vocal performance (California State University, Chico) and choral conducting (McGill University).

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Schedule

William sings in services every Sunday at 11 AM at The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, corner of Redpath and Sherbrooke in Montréal, September through May.

Click here for a list of past performances.