"Taras Kulish as Giovanni's buffoonish servant Leporello was excellent, possessing a strong rich voice
and an entertaining personality" Ottawa Sun

"Montrealer Taras Kulish, in the role of Sparafucile, gave an excellent dramatic interpretation. He sang and acted with appropriate conviction, and his well-rounded, powerful bass must have rung out to the
far reaches of the balcony." Opera Canada

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Born in Montreal of Ukrainian heritage, Taras is a bass who possesses a large vocal and dramatic range. For over 13 years he has performed with opera companies and orchestras across Canada, the United States and Europe.

Taras is the founding Artistic Director of the Green Mountain Opera Festival, Vermont's professional opera festival.

Most recently, Taras sang with the Opéra de Montréal the role of Simone in Gianni Schicchi and the role of the King in a world premier fairy tale opera by Gilles Tremblay with Chants Libres. 2008/2009 performances included returning to Opera Lyra Ottawa singing Leporello in Don Giovanni and The Ghost in Hamlet, Pistola in Falstaff with Edmonton Opera, Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos with Calgary Opera and Erster Soldat in Salome with Vancouver Opera. Last season Taras also sang Shostakovich's 14th Symphony with the Atlantic Classical Orchestra under the baton of Stewart Robertson.

2006/2007 performances included Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos with Vancouver Opera, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola and Zuniga in Carmen with Calgary Opera, and a debut with Opera Ontario as Abimélech in Samson & Dalilah. Taras sang two Mozart Galas, one in Guatemala City under maestro Francis Graffeo and one with the Orford Arts Centre under Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Also in 2006, Taras returned to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra as Bass Soloist in Nielsen’s 3rd Symphony and in 2007 he sang a concert version of Eugene Onegin again with the Montreal Symphony under maestro Nagano at the Lanaudière Festival.

In 2005, Taras sang with Manitoba Opera as Colline in La Bohème and with Opera Lyra Ottawa as Luther, Crespel and Shlemil in The Tales of Hoffman. At Manitoba Opera Taras has also sung the roles of Sparafucile and Monterone in Rigoletto and in 2003 he sang Leporello in Don Giovanni where critics said he “stole the show”.

Taras made his European debut in 2002 touring the castles of France and Belgium singing the title role in Don Giovanni under the stage direction of Gérard Corbiau, well known film director (Farinelli). This production was subsequently broadcast worldwide on TV5 every year. Returning to Europe in 2005, Taras sang the role of Gremin in Eugene Onegin in the Czech Republic.

Other successful roles include: the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro for Saskatchewan and Vancouver Operas; Colline in La Bohème for Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa Operas; The King in Aida with Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Vancouver Operas; Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola with Opera Saskatchewan; Leporello in Don Giovanni with Winnipeg, Vancouver, Victoria and Aspen operas; Ferrando in Il Trovatore with Calgary and Ottawa Operas and Lanaudière Festival; and Basilio in The Barber of Seville with Opera Saskatchewan.

Taras completed musical studies at McGill and University of Toronto. As a young artist, he received professional training at l’Opéra de Montréal and Vancouver Opera.  He was a finalist at the Belvedere International Opera Competition in Vienna and has been a recipient of grants from the Canada Council, the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation, and the Martha Lou Henley Foundation. In the summer of 2006, Taras was a proud recipient of a career development grant from the Quebec Arts Council.

American Festival performances include Ravinia’s Steans Institute, Aspen Music Festival, and Tanglewood where he sang in the anniversary production of Peter Grimes under Seiji Ozawa. Canadian summer festival performances include a concert version Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio; Fernand in Le Trouvère and Ibn-Hakia in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta both at the Lanaudière Festival.

Upcoming engagements include Leporello in Don Giovanni with Orchestre Métropolitain under the baton of renown conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin. In the fall, Taras returns to the Opéra de Montréal as Gualtiero in Roberto Devereux. In the new year, he returns once again to the Opéra de Montréal as Erster Soldat in Salome.