Swiss-Canadian mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh is noted as a singer with “sheer vocal agility and lovely rich sound” (Vancouver Sun). McIntosh is a graduate of the Adler Fellowship Program with San Francisco Opera (SFO) and the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio. She was a member of the Opernhaus Zürich’s International Opera Studio in 2022-2023. McIntosh was a Song Prize Finalist at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, as well as being the first prize laureate for the Concours Musical International de Montréal – Aria Division, second prize winner and best mezzo-soprano of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and the 2022 recipient for the Igor Gorin Memorial Award. Other previous accolades include being the Second Prize Winner for the Concours OSM, recipient of the Manetti-Sherem Vocal Prize, Wirth Vocal Prize, COC Ensemble Studio Competition, Ottawa Choral Society New Discoveries Competition, and inclusion on CBC’s “30 Hottest Classical Musicians Under 30” list.

In operatic repertoire, McIntosh frequents pants roles such as Cherubino, Ruggiero, Arsamene, Stephano, and Hansel. Other roles in McIntosh’s repertoire include Cenerentola, Anna (Maometto II), Rosina, Zerlina, Dorabella, Tamiri, Béatrice, and Little Women’s Meg.

An avid lover of art song and recital work, McIntosh seeks challenges in repertoire. She is dedicated to exposing audiences to music and experiences they may not have had before. Notable recital pieces in her repertoire include Messiaen’s rarely performed “Harawi,” and American composer, John Harbison’s, Motetti di Montale. Other art song repertoire include Berg’s Op. 2 & Sieben frühe lieder, Schoenberg’s Op. 2, Strauss’ Op. 27, and Poulenc’s Banalites, among many others.

In addition to the San Francisco Opera and Canadian Opera Company’s young artist programs, McIntosh participated in fellowships with Merola Opera, Songfest, Toronto Summer Music Festival, and The Banff Centre of the Arts. McIntosh graduated from McGill’s Schulich School of Music with an MMus, and a BMus from the University of British Columbia.

This season’s engagements include Offred Second in The Handmaid’s Tale at San Francisco Opera, her Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and Staatstheater Hannover debuts as Karolka in Jenufa and Romeo in I Capuleti ed I Montecchi, and returns to Deutsche Oper am Rhein as Hansel in Hansel und Gretel and Prosperina/Speranza in L’Orfeo at Opernhaus Zurich.

Simone was a Finalist in the Song Prize at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2023.