The young Canadian born in Oman offers an undeniable stage presence, a solid, dark, extended, broad voice, capable of hoarseness as well as caresses, velvety and bravado in turn. Articulating its registers with virtuosity, a large dynamic scale and its expressive palette, the voice knows how to be sinuous, serpentine in seduction and scathing like a slap when Carmen wants to be hurtful or to be respected."
Omani-born Deepa Johnny, a graduate of the Young Artist Program at Los Angeles Opera, has already left a lasting impression in the opening seasons of her professional career. She has distinguished herself with critically acclaimed performances, including her role debut as Penelope in Monteverdi, Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria under Leonardo García Alarcón in a new staging by Pierre Audi at the 2024 Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, where she
was described as "deeply moving and totally convincing" and her powerful portrayal of Carmen in Romain Gilbert’s production for Opéra de Rouen Normandie, conducted by Music Director Ben Glassberg, in which she was hailed as “a revelation".
Johnny has further solidified her reputation as an exceptional new talent on the international stage through performances as Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, both at Portland Opera andOpera San Jose, and her appearances at Manchester International Festival, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Bregenzer Festspiele and at London’s Southbank Centre as part of theinaugural cast of The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions, an inspirational ensemble piece created by Ted Huffman and Philip Venables from the seminal LGBTQ+rights text by Larry Mitchell.
Deepa Johnny excelled in her role debut as the page Cherubino both in the ease of delivery of her delicate instrument and in her complete transformation for the trouser role. She had a great comic timing as well, and the audience loved her cross-dressing antics!
In the concert hall, Deepa Johnny has performed Mozart, Mass in C minor with l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, conducted by Leonardo García Alarcón, Handel, Messiah with Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Mathieu Lussier and she joined West Virginia Symphony Orchestra as part of their Sounds of the Seasons concerts, guest conducted by Luke Frazier from American Pops Orchestra. At New York’s Carnegie Hall, Deepa performed as part of Renée Fleming’s SongStudio Masterclass, she was a fellow of the renowned Ravinia Steans Vocal Institute presenting art song repertoire, and she presented a solo song recital together with pianist Alphonse Cémin as part of the 2024 Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. The 2024/25 season for Deepa Johnny includes several further debuts including concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Disney Hall and Carnegie Hall, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia under Diego Ceretta at Opéra de Lille, Dorabella in Così fan tutte under Duncan Ward
at Opéra National de Lyon and as Angelina in Rossini’s Cinderella at Houston Grand Opera. In Romain Gilbert’s acclaimed production from Opéra de Rouen Normandie, she will also reprise her highly acclaimed Carmen at the Hong Kong Festival.
We admire the stage commitment, the overflowing sensuality, the wide ambitus, with easy highs and well-rounded lows, as well as the full timbre of the heroine."
Deepa Johnny joined LA Opera’s prestigious Domingo-Colburn Stein’s Young Artist Program for two seasons from 2022-2024, making her debut there to considerable acclaim in the role of Owen’s daughter in Omar, a world-premiere by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels going on to sing roles in Der Zwerg, La traviata and as Mélisande in Impressions de Pelléas, all with Music Director James Conlon.
Performing experience while still at Indiana University, includes Meg Page in Falstaff at Aspen Music Festival, conducted by Patrick Summers and
alongside Bryn Terfel in the title role, Suzuki in concert version of Madama Butterfly with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under conductor Jun Märkl, Carmen in Arden Opera’s production of The Tragedy of Carmen, and at IU Opera Theatre, Rosina in Il barbiere di Sivilgia and the title role of Handel’s Xerxes and Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea.
Gaining early recognition in major competitions, Deepa Johnny won the Andre Bourbeau Best Canadian Artist award and the ICI Musique People’s Choice award at the 2022 Concours Musical International de Montreal competition and was the winner of the Western Canada District of the 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.