A Vancouver Opera standout, soprano Erin Wall dies at 44
From Donna Anna to Desdemona, Wall made an indelible impression on her hometown stage
At the Vancouver Opera Festival in 2017, Erin Wall (who starred with Antonello Palombi) brought to life Desdemona in the first Otello staged here in more than three decades.Photo by Emily Cooper
STAR CANADIAN SOPRANO Erin Wall, a longtime favourite on the Vancouver Opera stage, has passed away at just 44. The cause was complications due to metastatic breast cancer.
Wall grew up in Vancouver and made an indelible impression in some of Vancouver Opera’s biggest productions. Memorable performances here include a transcendant Violetta in La Traviata in 2011; her signature role as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni in 2014; and Desdemona in the first staged rendition of Otello here in more than three decades (during 2017’s Vancouver Opera Festival). She was as memorable for her deeply felt acting as for her voice.
Erin Wall sang in the great opera houses of the world and grew up in Vancouver. Photo by Kristin Hoebermann
She also took leading roles on the big opera stages of the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Vienna Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Canadian Opera Company, and Seattle Opera. As an in-demand concert artist, she lent her golden voice to a Grammy Award-winning recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 by the San Francisco Symphony.
Wall was born in Calgary and moved to Vancouver when she was still a baby. She considered it her hometown.
Her parents were both members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the first time she sang with an orchestra was with the VSO in the Vancouver Bach Choir’s popular holiday “Sing-a-long Messiah”.
She famously tried out for UBC’s opera program but was turned down; in later years she would go back to teach master classes there. She ended up studying music at Western Washington University and Rice University in Houston. She joined the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she studied under the legendary Marilyn Horne.
Erin Wall was unforgettable as Violetta (with David Pomeroy as Alfredo) in Vancouver Opera's 2011 La Traviata. Photo by Tim Matheson
“All of us at the Lyric Opera are heartbroken at the news of Erin Wall’s death,” the Chicago company posted. “All of us were inspired by her artistry, her spirit, and her commitment to the art form and her colleagues.”
Wall was remembered as never being a diva, well-loved by her colleagues in concerts and productions.
Vancouver Opera lent its voice to the mourning happening over the last two days, posting: “Everyone at Vancouver Opera is devastated by the news of the passing of renowned Canadian soprano Erin Wall. Erin was an accomplished stage and concert artist with an international career, who was most recently seen at VO as Desdemona in 2017's Otello.”
The Canadian Opera Company and Wall’s family have announced they will launch an Erin Wall Tribute Fund to honour her life and legacy. “Erin was profoundly grateful for the mentorship opportunities she received as an artist and was committed to paying those experiences forward,” the COC said.
“It's with deep sadness in our hearts that we share news today of the passing of soprano Erin Wall. Erin was a gifted artist and part of our COC family, a joy to know as a colleague and a friend, and an inspiration to so many,” added the COC, which will be announcing details for the contributions in Wall's name next week.
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