Biography

Neil Craighead is a professional bass-baritone opera singer based in Vancouver, Canada. He has been a journeyman of the Canadian operatic scene since his time in the Canadian Opera Company's prestigious Ensemble Studio. His deep, powerful voice has been heard from coast to coast in operatic and concert repertoire of all kinds. Since 2019, Mr. Craighead has expanded his passion to include teaching and returned to the University of British Columbia to pursue a doctorate in opera performance. He continues to be in demand as both a performer and a pedagogue. Neil is a proud father and devoted husband who enjoys collecting vinyl records, fishing, and carpentry.

This season, Mr. Craighead returns to Calgary Opera to begin the season as Masetto and The Commendatore in Mozart's Don Giovanni. He then returns to Vancouver Opera to reprise his role as the Minskman in Flight by Jonathan Dove, and finishes his season in Edmonton with his role debut as Wotan in their continued ring cycle production of Wagner's Die Walküre. Last season Mr. Craighead made role debuts as  Tripaldi in Ainadamar with Pacific Opera Victoria,  the Forester in The Cunning Little Vixen with UBC Opera, and Wotan in Das Rheingold at Edmonton Opera, as well as returning to Vancouver Opera as Sarastro in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. He joins the Regina Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Bach Choir this Christmas season for performances of Handel's Messiah.

  Mr. Craighead is a frequent performer with many of the major Canadian opera companies including the Canadian Opera Company, Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Edmonton Opera, and Calgary Opera. With a versatile range including repertoire from Handel to Wagner, Neil continues to perform both classic opera and contemporary roles, including several world and Canadian debut works. 

His concert repertoire includes works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven and beyond with many of the finest symphony orchestras and choral groups in Canada. He is a frequent soloist with Vancouver Bach Choir, and a fixture of many Messiah performances across the country each Christmas. Mr. Craighead is also a skilled recitalist, with a passion for art song and storytelling. His doctoral recital included works by Stetsenko, Wolf, and Vaughan Williams, as well as a world premiere.

In addition to his performing career, Neil maintains a small private voice studio and remains in demand as a pedagogue and clinician for schools and professional training programs. He has been a faculty member at NUOVA Vocal Arts summer intensive program and the University of British Columbia’s Summer Vocal Workshop. He is currently a doctoral candidate and Teaching Assistant in the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Music with his research focusing on pedagogy and performance practice of Italian recitative.