Born in Toronto, to deaf parents, Colin was introduced to classical music in late high school but quickly fell in love with the art form and began studies at the University of Western Ontario and University of Toronto in the Opera School under Dr. Darryl Edwards. Since then, he has been engaged around the world with such opera companies as the Royal Opera House, Greek National Opera, Vancouver Opera, Edmonton Opera, Opera Atelier, the Edinburgh Festival, Opera Hamilton, Opera Français de New York, Pacific Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Calgary Opera, and such orchestras as the Vancouver Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony, and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. He has also been featured on seven CD recordings, one live opera DVD and been twice nominated for a Dora Award and a Juno.
For the 2009/10 season, he returns to Pacific Opera Victoria in the role of Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky’s THE RAKE’S PROGRESS, Laurie in Adamo’s LITTLE WOMEN in his debut with Calgary Opera, Arturo in Bellini’s I PURITANI with Opera in Concert, and Cassio in Verdi’s OTELLO with Edmonton Opera. He also makes his debut at the Göttingen International Handel Festival and records a CD with Nicolas McGegan, followed by CARMINA BURANA conducted by Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony and at the Elora Festival. He performs recitals in Toronto, Victoria, Vancouver and DIE SCHÖNE MÜLLERIN at York University.
Praised for his “ability to move seamlessly between different areas of the repertoire”, Mr. Ainsworth is eagerly sought out for his interpretations of operas ranging from the early operas of Monteverdi to the contemporary operas of Britten and his busy 2008/09 season was no exception. He made his debut with Lake George Opera as Rinuccio in GIANNI SCHICCHI and Frederic in PIRATES OF PENZANCE, his debut with Philharmonia Baroque of San Francisco (Nicholas McGegan conducting) in the title role of Rameau’s PYGMALION followed immediately by the title role in ROBERTO DEVEREUX for Opera in Concert and Tamino in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for Opera Hamilton, a role he reprised for Pacific Opera Victoria. He made two role debuts as Nadir in LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES and Tonio in LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT with Edmonton Opera. He also appeared at the Westben and Bayfield Festivals, sang DIE SCHÖNE MÜLLERIN at the Elora Festival and the Silberman Series, Pennsylvania, sang Handel’s MESSIAH with the Elmer Iseler Singers, Sir David Willcocks conducting, Fanshawe Chorus London and the Edmonton Symphony and joined Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra singing the Mozart REQUIEM and Haydn’s ST. CECILIA MASS.
No stranger to new opera, he debuted with Manitoba Opera in the world premiere of Victor Davies’ opera, THE TRANSIT OF VENUS as Desmarais and made his critically acclaimed debuts with the Royal Opera House and the Edinburgh International Festival in the world première of Stuart MacRae’s opera THE ASSASSIN TREE as Youth. He performed with the Greek National Opera to sold-out houses singing Orphée in Gluck’s rarely seen Paris version of ORPHÉE ET EURIDICE, a role he reprised with Opera Atelier under the baton of Andrew Parrott, Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. PINAFORE and Fenton in Verdi’s FALSTAFF, both with Edmonton Opera, and Jaquino in Beethoven’s FIDELIO with Vancouver Opera. He also made his debut with L’Opéra Français de New York as Castor in CASTOR ET POLLUX, conducted by Yves Abel, joined the Montreal Baroque Festival in Monteverdi’s L’ORFEO and was lauded by the Toronto Star as being “every inch the prince, and his lyric voice a golden treasure” for his role as Tamino in the MAGIC FLUTE with Opera Atelier.
In past seasons, he was seen as Jean in a new production of Massenet’s LE PORTRAIT DE MANON with Glimmerglass Opera, as Renaud in Lully’s ARMIDE, Don Ottavio in DON GIOVANNI, Apollo in Monteverdi’s L’ORFEO, and Pylades in Gluck’s IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE, all conducted by Andrew Parrott with Opera Atelier. He also performed Damon in ACIS AND GALATEA for Toronto Masque Theatre, Ottone in Vivaldi’s LA GRISELDA for Opera in Concert, the title role in Britten’s ALBERT HERRING and Lysander in MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Ernesto in Donizetti’s DON PASQUALE, Almaviva in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and Belmonte in with Toronto Philharmonia, L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA for Cleveland Opera, Mercure in Lully’s PERSÉE and Charpentier’s MEDÉE, both conducted by Hervé Niquet, and the title role in Charpentier’s LA DESCENTE D’ORPHÉE AUX ENFERS for Toronto Masque Theatre.
Equally in high demand for his soloist work on the concert stage, he performed this season as the Evangelist in Bach’s WEIHNACHTSORATORIUM with the Winnipeg Symphony, Handel’s MESSIAH with the Vancouver Bach Choir, the Voice of God in Fazal’s ORATORIO TEREZIN and Mozart’s REQUIEM with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. He also made recital appearances with the Aldeburgh Connection. In previous seasons, he was engaged by the Bach Elgar Choir, Orchestra London, Aldeburgh Connection, Elora Festival Singers in Bach’s ST. MATTHEW PASSION, Talisker Players, and the Vancouver Symphony in Beethoven’s SYMPHONY NO. 9 with Bramwell Tovey conducting. Other notable concerts include MESSIAH with the Edmonton Symphony, the Elora Singers and the Elmer Iseler Singers, DIE SCHÖPFUNG for Orchestra London, Mozart’s KRÖNUNGSMESSE and DAVIDDE PENITENTE for Choeur St. Laurent, Haydn’s HARMONIEMESSE with Festival Vancouver and Charpentier’s MESSE DE MINUIT conducted by Hervé Niquet, CARMINA BURANA with the Elora Festival, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and the Vancouver Symphony, Beethoven’s MISSA SOLEMNIS with Orchestre Métropolitain, Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting, Bach’s MASS IN B MINOR with the Amadeus Choir and Menno Singers, the Evangelist in Bach’s WEIHNACHTSORATORIUM with the Bach Consort, Nicolas McGegan conducting and the ST. JOHN PASSION with the Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Choir, Howard Dyck conducting.
His discography includes Rameau’s CASTOR ET POLLUX as Castor, Kevin Mallon conducting, Charpentier’s MESSE DE MINUIT, the collected Masses of Vanhal and a live DVD recording of Lully’s PERSÉE and this year, he added four new CD’s to his discography: the role of Ottone in Vivaldi’s LA GRISELDA, a disc of Schubert’s music with Gerald Finley and Gillian Keith, a Bach/Mondonville/Vivaldi recording with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Choir, and the première recording of Derek Holman’s cycle “The Heart Mislaid” with the Aldeburgh Connection.