Bio
Originally from Edmonton, Alberta (Treaty 6), Spencer Kryzanowski (he/him) is a conductor, répétiteur, and vocal coach based in Toronto, Ontario (Treaty 13). Currently, he is on faculty in the University of Toronto Opera department as a répétiteur and vocal coach, music staff at the Royal Conservatory of Music, the resident pianist for Against the Grain Theatre's Opera Pub series in Toronto, and music staff with Pop Goes the Opera in Edmonton.
Spencer believes strongly in equity, diversity, and inclusion in the rehearsal room and on stage. For Spencer, creating safe and brave spaces where everyone's voice and input is valued and where singers and musicians can explore the full range of their artistic practice is essential for all projects.
As a conductor and music director, Spencer has worked on numerous productions across Canada. Most recently, he music directed Hank & Gremlin with Good Mess Opera. This new adaptation of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel features an exciting and timely libretto by Sawyer Craig that will be made into a feature-length claymation movie.
Spencer made his conducting debut with University of Toronto Opera in January 2023, conducting Disobedience, a new opera written by UofT's Student Composer Collective. His other conducting and music directing credits include Puccini's Il tabarro with Pop Goes the Opera, Arthur Benjamin's A Tale of Two Cities with UofT Opera, Puccini’s La bohème with Mercury Opera, Puccini’s Suor Angelica with Pop Goes the Opera, and Rebecca and the Bad Wizard, a children's opera.
Spencer's recent répétiteur credits include Nino Rota's Il cappello di paglia di Firenze and a comedic triple-bill of Hindemith's Hin und zurück, Offenbach's Monsieur Choufleuri, and Douglas Moore's Gallantry. Other credits include Copland's The Tender Land; Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia; Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi; and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. Spencer had the pleasure of workshopping Melancholia, an opera based on the Lars von Trier film, by Mikael Karlsson and Royce Vavrek in 2023 for the Royal Swedish Opera. In 2024, Spencer will assist as a répétiteur and vocal coach in a collaborative workshop of Indians on Vacation by Ian Cusson and Royce Vavrek (a collaboration with Against the Grain Theatre and Edmonton Opera) and UofT Opera's spring production of Massenet's Cendrillon.
Spencer has participated in a number of prestigious training programs in Canada and Europe including the Opera in the 21st Century program at the Banff Centre, St. Andrew's Opera Workshop, Berlin Opera Academy, and Opera NUOVA.
Spencer completed his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance (Distinction) at the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta and a Diploma in Operatic Performance (Répétiteur) at the University of Toronto.
Complete CV available upon request
