Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野

Nikkei Canadian settler Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野 (they/them) is a queer/trans non-binary opera singer and theatre creator based in Tkarón:to (Toronto). Recently featured in the CBC short-doc OPERA TRANS*FORMED, Teiya is a graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio and the 2022 recipient of the Joseph S. Stauffer Prize in Music (Canada Council for the Arts). Heralded as “a force of nature” (Toronto Star), a “commanding presence” (Theatre Reviewer), and “an artist with extraordinary things to say” (The Globe and Mail), Teiya has nearly 20 years of experience singing both traditional and contemporary operatic roles across North America and Europe. Highlights include engagements with the Canadian Opera Company, Edmonton Opera, Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Wi