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Bahar Harandi is an Iranian Canadian soprano coloratura with a repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary music. She started her musical journey at the age of seven with playing violin, since singing is forbidden for women in Iran. After finishing her bachelor's degree as a violinist, Bahar took a leap of faith and moved to Canada to follow her path as a singer. She has since completed a master’s degree in voice from the University of Victoria under supervision of Benjamin Butterfield and a master’s degree “with distinction” from the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal in Donna Brown’s studio. In 2024, she finished her Postgraduate Diploma in Die Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst of Vienna, Austria, in Angelika Kirchschlager's studio.
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Despite not being able to audition for Canadian young artist programs and awards before obtaining the Canadian permanent residancy, she received the bursaries available for non-Canadians such as the Bourse d'Excellence, the Bourse Gabrielle-Lavigne, as well as the Adjudicator’s and Operatic Awards of Greater Victoria Performing Art Festival. In December 2023, she got selected as one of the semi-finalists of Ningbo International Vocal Competition in China.
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Bahar has been always so keen on using any opportunities to meet opera singers all around Canada and Europe. Besides having Donna Brown, Angelika Kirchschlager, Benjamin Butterfield, Dieter Paier, and Olivier Godin as her main professors and coachs, she also worked with other leading singers and piano coaches such as Aline Kutan, Dominique Labelle, Wolfgang Holzmair, Jean-François Lapointe, Lena Hellstrom Farnlof, Richard Turp, Marie-Ange Todorovitch, François Le Roux, , Nancy Argenta, Ingrid Attrot, Pierre McLean, Martin Dubé, Liz Upchurch, and Michael McMahon in private lessons and in the Opera NUOVA, Domaine Forget, and Lachine program.
Bahar’s experience as a singer in Canada includes many performances with renowned conductors such as Jacques Lacombe, Alain Trudel, Rosemary Thomson, Peter Butterfield, and Timothy Vernon. She appeared as the first solo soprano with Massawippi Vocal Ensemble in Beethoven à l'Abbaye concert, The Great Mass in C Minor and Vesperae solennes de confessore with Victoria Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir, La fée (Cendrillon) and Dr. Blind (Die Fledermaus) in Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal, Despina (Così fan tutte) with Long Reach Opera, Cricket and Frantík (The Cunning Little Vixen) with Opera NUOVA, and Belinda (Dido and Aeneas) with Opera Studio of Victoria Conservatory as well as other recitals and concerts. She will sing a recital in the Bourgie Hall of Montreal in April 2024.