Coloratura soprano Sharleen Joynt has been praised for her "silvery, sparkling, substantial and resonant soprano" (Die Deutsche Bühne), her "scintillating high range, reminiscent of the most beautiful moments of Mady Mesplé" (Opernwelt), and "an artistic command that leaves the listener breathless" (Deutschland Radio). Recently, Sharleen reprised the role of the Controller in Jonathan Dove’s Flight for Seattle Opera, which was filmed and released for streaming, critics exclaiming, “We know we’re in for an acting treat when we see Sharleen Joynt’s overpoweringly supercilious, impeccably turned out Controller, prowling her control tower and pulling the strings; we see her arched eyebrows and penetrating stare in close-up as she delivers stratospheric coloratura.” (Bachtrack)

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Sharleen’s recent engagements include her “stunning” (ResMusica) French debut as Cunégonde in Candide with Opéra National de Lyon, critics hailing her a “formidable discovery” (Bachtrack) and “a revelation” (Forum Opera). She reprised Gilda in Rigoletto with both Opera Colorado and Florida Grand Opera, and returned to Edmonton Opera for her role debut of Euridice in Orphée. Last season, she returned to Seattle Opera for her role debut as Morgana in Handel’s Alcina, for which she was praised as “a silvery-voiced standout” [Gramophone]. Upcoming engagements include her debut with Wexford Festival Opera, as Prima Donna Daria Garbinati in Donizetti’s Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali. She will also return to Seattle Opera as the Queen of the Night in the Barrie Kosky production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

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Prior engagements include Sharleen’s first Gilda in Rigoletto with Edmonton Opera, her first Controller in Jonathan Dove’s Flight with Pacific Opera Victoria, and the role of Winnie in Lembit Beecher’s Sky on Swings —starring Frederica von Stade—with Opera Philadelphia. She sang Musetta in La bohème with Vancouver Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria, and Cunegonde in Candide at with Tanglewood Music Festival, Ravinia Music Festival, Anchorage Opera and Orlando Philharmonic. At home with new music, Sharleen sang Christine in the North American Premiere of Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans’ Julie, based on the 1888 Strindberg play, “Miss Julie”, in a co-production with Canadian Stage and Soundstreams. In concert, highlights include Glière’s Concerto for Coloratura, Op. 82 (Guelph Symphony), as well as the soprano solos in Handel’s Messiah (Charleston Symphony), Howard Goodall’s Eternal Light Requiem (Bach Society of St. Louis), Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 (Thunder Bay Symphony), and New Year’s Galas with the Hong Kong Philharmonic.

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Sharleen made her European début when she joined the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau ensemble to sing Oscar in Un ballo in maschera, Adele in Die Fledermaus, and Despina in Così fan tutte. With the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, she sang Marie in La fille du Régiment and Adele in Die Fledermaus. She performed her signature role of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos with Theater St. Gallen, Theater und Orchester Heidelberg, and in the Chinese premiere of the opera, produced by Oper Leipzig. As part of the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg ensemble, Sharleen sang Frasquita in Carmen, Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Fausta in the German premiere of Scarlatti’s Marco Attilio Regolo in the Winter in Schwetzingen Baroque Festival, and Soprano 1/Ariadne in Wolfgang Rihm’s Dionysos.

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Honors include nominations for Nachwunschsängerin (Singer of the Year), awarded by Opernwelt magazine, and the prestigious “Der Faust” prize, awarded by the German Stage Association. Her fearless onstage presence in German Regietheater led to a 3-page feature in Deutsche Bühne magazine, and she was featured on the cover of the Winter 2023 issue of Opera Canada magazine. Sharleen has been a prizewinner in the Liederkranz Foundation Competition, the George London Foundation Competition, the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the Licia Albanese Foundation Competition, the Canadian Music Competition’s International Stepping Stone, and the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition.