Described as having “a voice that is both fluid and expressive” (Opera News) and “a voice to watch” (Opera Canada), Turkish-Canadian mezzo-soprano Beste Kalender’s first appearance at Carnegie Hall was in 2017 as part of the Spotlight Recital Series, after which she was featured as the Artist of Month by Musical America Worldwide. She returned to Carnegie Hall in 2018 for the Marilyn Horne Song Celebration, along with internationally celebrated artists such as Isabel Leonard, Nicole Cabell, Warren Jones and Lester Lynch.
A frequent performer on concert and opera stages internationally, Beste has recently performed at Opera San Miguel (Mexico), Helikon Opera (Russia), Bolshoi Theatre (Belarus), Teatro Comunale di Bologna (Italy), Sori Festival (Jeonju, Korea) and Les Chorégies D’Orange (France), as well as with various companies in Canada such as Toronto Operetta Theater, Against The Grain Theatre, Edmonton Opera, VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert, Mississauga Symphony, Koerner Hall, Opera On The Avalon, Brott Opera, Sinfonia Toronto etc. She made her professional debut in the title role of Bizet’s Carmen with Calgary Opera, where she was a member of the Emerging Artist Program. Her dramatic participation on the opening night was widely acclaimed in the media: “..On one hours’ notice, mezzo-soprano Beste Kalender, originally scheduled to sing the role of Mercedes, learned that she would have to sing the title role. This she did, and with remarkable success…” (Calgary Herald). Her American role debut was with the title role in La Cenerentola by Rossini at Music Academy of The West.
Among her accolades, Beste was named Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques and won the 2019 Prix Jeune Espoir Lyrique Canadien, the 2018 Inaugural Stuart Hamilton Memorial Award and the 2016 Sylva-Gelber Foundation Award. Beste holds an Artist Diploma in Voice from The RCM’s Glenn Gould School as well as a Master’s Degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of Toronto where she studied music cognition and development.
Beste’s repertoire includes roles such as Helene (La Belle Helene, Toronto Operetta Theatre), Carmen (Carmen, Calgary Opera), The Old Lady (Candide, Edmonton Opera), Leokadja Begbick (Rise and Fall of the city Mahagonny, Voicebox: Opera in Concert), Jade Boucher & Mrs. Patrick DeRocher (Dead Man Walking, Opera On The Avalon), Flora (La Traviata, Edmonton Opera), Zerlina (Don Giovanni, Amici Chamber Ensemble), Bianca (The Rape of Lucretia, Banff Centre & Against The Grain Theatre & Canadian Opera Company), Giovanna (Rigoletto, Teatro Comunale di Bologna), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel, CoOPERAtive Program at Westminster), Cenerentola (La Cenerentola, Music Academy of The West), Mercedes (Carmen, Music Academy of The West), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Stephano (Romeo et Juliette), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte) among others. www.bestekalender.com“
