Collin Shay

Collin Shay is a French-American countertenor based in London. 2018 sees his debut for the Royal Opera as the title role in Na’ama Zisser’s new opera, Mamzer Bastard.

Upcoming recording appearances include works by Cheryl Frances Hoad with Alisdair Hogarth for Champs Hill Records, as well as works of Tunder and Buxtehude with Musica Poetica for the Veterum Musica label.

Shay will return to The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in September on the Opera Course, where he will sing Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in February 2019.

In 2017 he sang Ottone in L’Incoronazione di Poppea with Hampstead Garden Opera, and performed Cheryl Frances Hoad’s piece Invoke Now the Angels at Wigmore Hall with The Prince Consort Side-by-Side.

Other operatic roles include the title role of Cavalli’s Giasone, Silvio in Handel’s Il Pastor Fido, Tolomeo in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Goffredo in Handel’s Rinaldo.

Shay started his countertenor training at the age of 16 at the Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division, and later when on to receive a bachelor’s degree in music at McGill University in Montréal, Canada. After moving to London to complete postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music, he currently resides in the historical performance department as a Junior Fellow. He was the winner of the first ever Brian Nisbet Early Music Prize at the Guildhall with the sackbut and vocal ensemble, Sacred Bones. His studies were generously supported by The Sidney Perry Foundation and the Guildhall School Trust.