Born and raised in Chatham, Ontario, Canadian tenor Ryan Nauta has earned acclaim for his “sparkling vocal prowess” (Opera Canada) and has been named “one to watch” (Le Devoir). 

Recent and upcoming engagements include appearances at Opera 5’s Toronto Opera Festival as the tenor soloist in Parelios and as Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi, Olaf in Gisela in her Bathtub and Romeo in City Workers in Love at Western University, and Jan in Janáček’s The Diary of One Who Disappeared at Calgary Opera. He has also appeared with Calgary Opera as the Notary in Don Pasquale and as the Minister and Chauffeur in Nino Rota’s The Witty Squirrel. Additional highlights include St. Brioche in The Merry Widow at Highlands Opera Theatre and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni through the Banff Centre’s collaboration with the National Arts Centre.

An active concert soloist, Ryan has performed major works such as Handel’s Messiah, Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, and Charpentier’s Messe de minuit, alongside repertoire by underrepresented composers including Ramírez’s Misa Criolla and Zelenka’s Missa votiva. His commitment to art song has taken him to the Franz-Schubert-Institut in Baden-bei-Wien, Austria.

Ryan is a recent alumnus of the McPhee Development Program at Calgary Opera, and holds degrees from McGill University and Western University. He is a recipient of numerous scholarships, including awards from the Kiwanis Foundation of Canada and the Art Song Foundation of Canada.