Lyric mezzo-soprano Linda Barcan trained in theatre and singing voice at the University of Newcastle, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. She has performed in opera, oratorio, chamber music and art song in Australia, Europe and the USA, with companies such as Opéra de Lyon, Sydney Chamber Opera, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Opera Australia.

Linda specialises in 20^th and 21^st century vocal music and has appeared in several world and Australian premieres, including Christina’s World (Dorothy Hewitt/Ross Edwards), Abelard and Heloise (Paul Kavanagh/Ross Fiddes), Pecan Summer (Deborah Cheetham Fraillon), The Emperor of Atlantis (Viktor Ullmann), To Hell and Back (Gene Scheer/Jake Heggie), Two Remain (Gene Scheer/Jake Heggie), love fail (David Lang), Woven Song: Catching Breath (Deborah Cheetham Fraillon) and Eumeralla (Deborah Cheetham Fraillon).

Linda is an advocate for contemporary art song, interpreting works by Australian composers Linda Kouvaras, Katy Abbott, Ross Fiddes, Barry Conyngham, Stephen Lalor and Tony Noakes. Recent recordings include Women of Note: A Century of Australian Composers Volume 2 (ABC Classics), Gardener of Time: Barry Conyngham at 75 (Move Records), and Linda Kouvaras: Instrumental music, chamber works and songs Volume 1 (Toccata Classics).

Linda is currently Lecturer in Music (Voice) at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, the University of Melbourne.

AT THE FESTIVAL