Peter Barcza is one of Canada's most versatile baritones and has won critical acclaim, both nationally and internationally, in a wide range of repertoire. He graduated from the Opera Department of the University of Toronto where he was a student of the renowned Canadian baritone Louis Quilico. He continued studies in France at L'École d'Art Lyrique de L'Opéra de Paris and in Italy at the Villa Schifanoia Graduate School of Fine Arts (Florence) where he studied with the great Italian baritone Tito Gobbi.

At the unusually early age of 22, Mr. Barcza began his career with the Canadian Opera Company and has since sung leading roles with Canada's major companies, including the Vancouver Opera, L' Opéra de Montreal, Calgary Opera, Manitoba Opera, Opera Lyra (Ottawa), Pacific Opera Victoria, Opera in Concert (Toronto), Opera Ontario (Hamilton) and on CBC radio and television.

A frequent performer in the United States, he has been heard at the New York City Opera as Germont in La Traviata and Marcello in La Boheme. He has sung two Verdi leads for Seattle Opera - the role of Rigoletto and DiLuna in Il Trovatore. He has also appeared with the New Orleans Opera, Connecticut Opera, Memphis Opera, Rochester Opera, Kentucky Opera, Arizona Opera and the Opera Orchestra of New York, with whom he sang Filippo in Beatrice di Tenda (Bellini).

Internationally, Mr. Barcza has sung with opera companies in Belgium, Germany, Mexico and in France at the Paris Opéra Comique. He last appeared in France as the High Priest in Samson et Dalila with L' Opéra de Metz and as Lescaut in Manon Lescaut with L' Opéra de Limoges, and debuted in New Zealand as Rigoletto.

His large and diverse repertoire performed ranges from the Verdi roles - Macbeth, Renato in Un Ballo in maschera, Amonasro in Aida - and such bel canto specialties as Alfonso in La Favorita, Antonio in Linda di Chamounix, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor and Belcore in L'Elisir d'amore to Valentin in Faust, Zurga in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Manfredo in L'Amore dei tre re (Montemezzi) and Ulisse in Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (Monteverdi). See Repertoire.

Peter Barcza is known for his reliability and professionalism as well as for the uniqueness of his interpretations. "Barcza's accomplishment was the most noteworthy. Not only were Zurga's declamations and arias finely crafted and richly sung, they were infused with a real sense of nobility and moral dilemma. This was an impossibly but refreshingly intelligent Zurga." (Montreal Gazette)

Writing in Opera Canada magazine, Stuart Hamilton, vocal coach, broadcaster and founder of Toronto's Opera in Concert, said "Peter Barcza is a linguist. He knows five languages, and when he is engaged for a role, he learns it in a week."

Mr. Barcza has appeared in recital and with symphony orchestras across Canada, including the Montreal Symphony, Quebec Symphony, Toronto Symphony and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa).

Since 2002, Mr. Barcza has been on the voice faculty at the University of British Columbia School of Music in Vancouver, where he also teaches privately. He has had students among the winners of the Vancouver Regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions for six consecutive years and many of his students perform with opera companies and symphony orchestras throughout North America and Europe. Mr. Barcza is also known for his master classes, which he has given throughout Canada. --- "Peter Barcza was very respectful of the singers, yet zeroed in on a single basic thing that would improve each singer's performance, using his wealth of professional experience. I saw the benefits in the studio afterwards, not only with the participants, but also the auditors." - Karen Smith, Victoria Conservatory of Music.