Kyle Briscoe is ready to expand his portfolio and experience as a musician
From a young age Kyle has known that music would always be part of his life. Through opportunities offered by the Desautels Faculty of Music he could understand the spectrum of what his career in music would look like in the future. His time as a fellow with the Association for Opera in Canada and his studies at the University of Manitoba has empowered him to pursue his passion wholeheartedly.
From Kelly Clarkson’s Since You’ve Been Gone at age seven, to Orff’s Carmina Burana as his first concert with the Desautels Faculty of Music, Kyle is proud of his diverse career’s portfolio, “I’ve had the privilege of working as a performer, creator/producer, teacher, teaching assistant, administrator, researcher, and facilitator”, Kyle explains.
In the faculty
As a Bachelor of Music in the Performance concentration student, Kyle was able to explore a variety of music both new and classic. During his time at the Desautels Faculty of Music he performed with the Musical Theatre ensemble and Opera Theatre ensemble. His roles of Dickon from the Secret Garden, Slim from Paul Bunyan, Orpheus from Orpheus in the Underworld (English title), and most recently, Chevalier de la Force from Dialogue of the Carmelites (English title) are among his highlights of the time spent at the University of Manitoba.
As a DFOM student Kyle received the Andrew Kuryk Memorial Scholarship and the Emerging Leader Award for his leaderships within the University of Manitoba Singers Ensemble. During his third year, was awarded second prize in the Zita Bernstein competition for excellence in German Lieder, “participating in this competition was a memory I will never forget.
The mentorship, coaching, and comradery I gained alongside some of my most beloved colleagues is something I’ll surely treasure forever”, Kyle explains.
Faculty of Mentors
During his time at the Desautels Faculty of Music he has encounter a faculty full of cheerleaders along the way. Working closely with many of our faculty members has allowed Kyle to grow in a supportive environment where he was able to learn from peers and instructors.
Kyle has special acknowledgements to pass on to Dr. Simpson-Litke, “she taught me everything I know about getting involved in music theory scholarship and got me genuinely excited about the field” and his teacher Mel Braun, “he taught me beyond what was on the page and became an inspiring figure for me in terms of how I want to live my life. He was someone I could trust and look up to too. Mel was the best voice teacher I could have asked for.”
The same way he has had a faculty of mentors around him, he has become a mentor for his peers and theory students as he explains, “being able to see growth, courage, and triumph amongst them has made and still makes me so proud.”
Future Plans
Kyle’s plans are simple, “I want to live my life, slow down, and have as much fun as I can”, he is ready to lean into the aspects of his career that he enjoys the most and become inspired by himself. His long-term goals include maintaining a private studio and operatic training, finding works in arts administration; and working towards releasing his first EP as a recording artist.
His next steps will be applying for McGill’s Master of Music in Sound Recording program and building new roots in Montreal next fall.
You can learn more about Kyle Briscoe through his Instagram account @kyle_briscoe_tenor
Carve your own path
“I like to remind my mentees that being a music student never mind having a career in the field is so so hard. It will teach you so much about who you are and will make you into a better person. What your career looks like in comparison doesn’t matter – what matters is that you love the skin that you’re in and that you’re happy with the way you’re living your life because it goes by way too fast for you to care about anything else. Carve your own path!”