The Canadian bass-baritone Giles Tomkins is the recipient of a number of awards, including the Distinguished Graduate Award from the University of Toronto’s Opera Division, the John Scott Award for career development from Scottish Opera, and he was a finalist in the International Vocal Competition in Marmande, France.

In Canada, Giles Tomkins has performed with the Canadian Opera Company, the Aldeburgh Connection, Opera In Concert, Chorus Niagara, Tapestry New Opera Works, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, and the Canadian Brass. His performances in the United Kingdom include concerts at the Aldeburgh Festival, including Purcell’s King Arthur conducted by Laurence Cummings, as a result of which he was invited to sing the role of Colline in a touring production of Puccini’s La Bohème with Scottish Opera. He later sang the European première of The Midnight Court (Ana Sokolovic) at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Giles Tomkins’s other operatic engagements include Don Alfonso Così fan tutte conducted by Maestro James Levine at the Tanglewood Music Centre, Figaro Le nozze di Figaro at Banff Centre for the Arts, Superintendent Budd Albert Herring at the Britten Festival in Aldeburgh, Pish-Tush The Mikado at the Toronto Operetta Theatre and Somnus in Handel’s Semele with Opera In Concert. His roles also include Masetto Don Giovanni.

Giles Tomkins has also performed on five international Naxos recordings with the Aradia Ensemble including La Griselda by Vivaldi in which he sings 3 arias and recitatives. He has been heard frequently on CBC Radio, Classical 96 FM, and BBC Radio 3 in the UK.

His recent engagements for Scottish Opera include Don Basilio in Sir Thomas Allen’s new production of Il barbiere di Siviglia and Pistola Falstaff. He also sang Figaro Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Lyra Ottawa, Colline La Boheme with Saskatoon Opera, and Cold Genius in Purcell’s King Arthur with Toronto Masque Theatre. He sang in the premiere of a Fado-inspired opera by James Rolfe entitled Ines with Queen of Puddings, which was subsequently broadcast on CBC Radio’s ‘Saturday Afternoon at the Opera’.

Giles Tomkins’s future engagements include Dr Grenvil La Traviata with Pacific Opera Victoria.