Gianni Schicchi – Opera 5
“Gianni Schicchi has its own luxury casting in the person of well-known baritone Gregory Dahl in the title role. Dahl plays Schicchi as the mischievous joker he is said to be with wonks, nods and jutting chin as he toys with the Buoso’s greedy relatives. It is good he gets a chance to show off his strong, resonant baritone in “Prima un avvertimento” before he has to adopt the pinched tone of the dying Buoso.”
– Christopher Hoile, Stage Door, 06/26
“But of course, our Schicchi. Gregory Dahl was made for this role thanks to his presence on the stage in any role he plays. Gianni has to command this room full of socialites as well as the singer commands the hall — I’m not sure there’s anyone better. His comedy was Monty Python-level, and his mellifluous baritone was a perfect fit for this lush Puccini score.”
– Greg Finney, Schmopera, 05/26
“Once again though, it was the veteran artists who bumped proceedings to another level. Gregory Dahl is one of Canada’s most experienced singers. We usually see him in villain, or highly dramatic roles like Scarpia in Tosca or the title role in Rigoletto. I was not prepared for the schtick side of Dahl. He completely threw himself into the title role of the master manipulator who manages to trick this awful family of grifters out of the best parts of their inheritance. Dahl preened, squawked, twerked and roared his way through the evening, and served notice of his impressive vocal state in some thrilling musical climaxes.”
– Gianmarco Senato, La Scena Musicale, 06/26
“Comedy doesn’t work without a fine cast and Opera 5 has provided a superb one. Gregory Dahl is an exuberant Gianni Schicchi, dominating nearly every scene.”
– Ludwig Van, The Classical FM, 06/26
“Gianni Schicchi himself was performed by the incomparable baritone Gregory Dahl, who possesses an instinctive understanding of comic timing and extracted every laugh Puccini intended.”
– Paula Citron, PaulaCitron.com, 06/26
“As the title character, Gregory Dahl was a powerfully voiced scoundrel whose onstage energy was magnetic. Whether plotting with the family, stripping down to jump into a bed as a corpse, dancing around the stage, or looking on as a loving father, Dahl was an enthralling actor who gave us a multi-dimensional peek into Schicchi’s motives.”
– Dawn Martens, Opera Canada, 06/26
La Bohème – Vancouver Opera
“Marcello, delivered with confidence and great good humour by baritone Gregory Dahl;”
– David Gordon Duke, Vancouver Sun, 07/26
“Other highlights include the emotional Act 4 duet between Rioux and powerhouse baritone Dahl—the latter funny, passionate, and mercurial (utterly transformed from previous roles such as his sinister Dutchman—a credit to his acting versatility).”
– Janet Smith, Stir, April 27, 2026
“Gregory Dahl, as Marcello, is convincing and compelling. He delivers the laughs, especially when playing off the delightful Musetta sung by Lara Ciekiewicz (of her, more later). Dahl’s is a big voice capable of filling the theatre, but his singing with Musetta remained touching, powerful and focussed. As with White, Dahl is a fine soloist but equally a team player, as evidenced in the quartet, “Addio dolce svegliare alla mattina!”
– Dr. Suzanne M. Steele, Opera Canada, April 27,2026
Tosca – Manitoba Opera
“The Winnipeg-born Dahl chilled to the bone with every appearance as the villainous Scarpia, including booming through Act Two’s “Ha più forte sapore,” and “Già, mi dicon venal.” His compelling acting was fascinating as a study in character motivation – trying everything under the sun to get his prey to break under his evil ways – that added further dimension to his character.”
– Holly Harris, Opera Canada/The Winnipeg Free Press, 11/25
Don Pasquale – Vancouver Opera
“Dahl, better known here for sinister turns like last fall’s Flying Dutchman, has fun playing the frustrated fool—shaking his fists and raising his bushy grey eyebrows at his wife’s shopping sprees—but grounding it in a man who’s raging against age.”
– Janet Smith, Stir, 02/24
“Dahl, as Don Pasquale, was the perfect buffoon, constantly funny and full of bluster. Aided by clever makeup, the perfect comb-over wig, and a wedding suit that was at least three sizes too small, he was the ideal foil for Norina’s cunning. Dahl’s dark baritone was perfect for the character, bringing maturity and depth to the vocal lines without compromising at all on the comedy.”
– Melissa Ratcliff, Schmopera, 02/24
“This Don Pasquale takes an ensemble approach, with a cast made up of three Canadians in the earlier stages of their careers, plus VO favourite Gregory Dahl in the title role of the miserly grump Don Pasquale.
From the outset, Dahl’s comfortable presence and confidence is always apparent; we know at once that he will hold the stage and our interest even though the character he portrays lacks charm.”
– David Gordon Duke, Vancouver Sun, 02/24
The Flying Dutchman – Vancouver Opera
“There’s nothing miscast about the two principals. The role of the doomed, damned sea captain has become a favourite vehicle for baritone Gregory Dahl, and it’s easy to see why: he delivers a memorable performance with vocal and dramatic aplomb.”
– David Gordon Duke, Vancouver Sun, 05/23
“The arresting title character, sung with brooding intensity by Gregory Dahl, ……Dahl makes your blood run cold when he arrives onstage—bemoaning his “dread sentence of damnation”—but makes you feel enormous empathy for him by the end. Looking like a hulking punk vampire, he’s very much a misunderstood outsider used to people cringing away from him. He only begins to soften his hard front around the warm and empathetic Senta. This is an epic sing, and the baritone Dahl commands the stage.”
– Janet Smith, createastir.ca, 05/23
“As the titular character in the Vancouver Opera’s production, baritone Gregory Dahl is fearsome and seductive in slightly terrifying fashion. Dahl plays the Dutchman like a biker of the sea — bald, tattooed, pierced and wearing a giant black frock coat that he hurls off at climactic moments to reveal his bare, tattooed chest. He makes for a pretty enticing figure, to be honest.”
– Dorothy Woodend, thetyee.ca, 05/23
“Dahl was terrifying as the Dutchman. In a swirling black coat, his bare chest and skull wildly tattooed, his was a mesmerizing performance torn between hope and despair.”
– Elizabeth Paterson, reviewvancouver.org, 05/23
“The title role of the tortured sailor, was played by baritone Gregory Dahl, who appears bare-chested and covered in tattoos to plead the case for a wife. Dahl’s portrayal is filled to the brim with tension and menace. He never truly believes that he will be free from his curse, and his torment is relentless, which helps carry the tension of the entire show. Vocally, Dahl for formidable and dark, bringing a vocal power that lent authority to his character’s plight.”
– Melissa Ratcliff, schmopera.ca, 05/23
Manitoba Opera 50th Anniversary Gala Concert
“Winnipeg-born, now Toronto-based baritone Gregory Dahl brought his booming vocals to the stage as Count di Luna in Verdi’s Tutto e deserto/Il balen del suo sorriso, later serving as solid ballast to Japanese soprano Hiromi Omura during their duet Mira, di acerbe lagrime from Il Trovatore, as well as closing the show with Puccini’s Te deum.“
– Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press, 02/23
Cavalleria Rusticana – Vancouver Opera
“Baritone Gregory Dahl played the cuckolded cart driver Alfio, a more substantial part that he made the very most of.”
– David Gordon Duke, Vancouver Sun, 02/22
“Baritone Gregory Dahl’s Alfio entered full of swagger and, later, near exploded with rage.”
– Janet Smith, createastir.ca, 02/22
“The concert format probably helps baritone Gregory Dahl avoid making Alfio into a caricature. The naive teamster seems blissfully ignorant of his wife Lola’s infidelity in his optimistic delivery of Il cavallo scalpita.”
– John Jane, reviewvancouver.org, 02/22
Rigoletto – Calgary Opera
“Winnipeg’s Gregory Dahl, last heard in Calgary as Scarpia in a much-enjoyed production Tosca, was the production’s Rigoletto. This is a demanding role for a baritone, needing very good top notes and a voice of considerable amplitude — all vocal qualities he possesses in substantial measure. In purely vocal terms, he was particularly impressive in his second and third act arias, both of which require powerful, yet expressive singing. Some baritones struggle with the top notes in this role, but not Dahl, who managed without evident vocal strain. Dramatically, he was also convincing, especially in the scenes with Gilda, where the father/daughter relationship was made vivid and real.”
– Kenneth DeLong, Calgary Herald, 04/19
Tosca – Calgary Opera
“Baritone Gregory Dahl, who has appeared in Calgary several times as Iago in Otello and also as Charlie in Filumena, was heard at his best on this occasion. His voice type is just right for the role. Virile and weighty, his singing soared over the orchestra in the Te Deum at the end of the first act, and he was grittily sinister in the monologue that opens the second act.”
– Kenneth DeLong, Calgary Herald, 05/18
Filumena – Calgary Opera
“She was matched with a capable supporting cast, most notably Gregory Dahl as Emilio Picariello, the Italian strong man. Played less menacingly than in the previous production, Dahl brought to the role of Picariello a likability and sympathy that increased the pathos of the giant mistake that ultimately cost him his life. Vocally powerful and expressive, he commanded the stage as his character is written. He was very much the opera’s catalyst character.”
– Kenneth Delong, Calgary Herald, 02/17
Tosca – Opéra de Montréal
“It took an authoritative blend of focused tone and polished phrasing from the Canadian baritone Gregory Dahl, an Opéra de Montréal regular, to convey this nuance in the second act before the Roman chief of police makes his brutal intentions clear.”
– Arthur Kaptainis, Montréal Gazette, 09/17
Rigoletto – L’Opéra de Québec
“Dans le rôle de Rigoletto, Gregory Dahl navigue avec habileté dans la double personnalité de son personnage. Il est frondeur et impertinent dans la peau du bouffon bossu, qui amuse la cour du duc, et il est aimant et sensible, lorsqu’il est près de sa fille.
Le baryton a une partition vocale consistante et il livre la marchandise. Le chanteur originaire de Winnipeg, qui, après Macbeth et Gianni Schicchi, en est à sa troisième production avec l’Opéra de Québec et c’est un plaisir de le voir sur les planches. Et le public a chaleureusement manifesté son plaisir à la fin de la représentation de samedi.”
– Yves LeClerc, Le journal de Québec, 10/17
Otello – Vancouver Opera
“Vancouver Opera audiences are familiar with the work of Canadian baritone Gregory Dahl. His Iago was finely drawn and the aria Credo in un Dio crudel (I believe in a cruel God) was every bit the highlight that Verdi intended.”
– David Gordon Duke, Vancouver Sun, 04/17
Aida – L’Opéra de Montréal
“Best of the singing actors was the veteran Canadian baritone Gregory Dahl as Amonasro, who persuades his reluctant daughter Aida to forgo love for patriotic duty. His climactic accusation that she is nothing but a slave – la schiava! – was perhaps the most chilling of the evening’s many moments of interpersonal melodrama.”
– Arthur Kaptainis, Montreal Gazette, Sep. 19, 2016
Samson et Dalila – L’Opéra de Montréal
“Gregory Dahl combined a focused baritone and grim demeanour as the High Priest”
– Arthur Kaptainis, Montreal Gazette, Jan. 27, 2015
Madama Butterfly – Canadian Opera Company
“Gregory Dahl’s Sharpless completed the draining away of dramatic tension in this Butterfly – the moral probity of Dwayne Croft was replaced by a hearty, cynical realism.”
– Robert Harris, The Globe and Mail, Oct. 12, 2014
“The fourth member of this superb quartet was Canadian baritone Gregory Dahl as Sharpless. He sang with warm, sturdy tone and exuded the requisite dignity and empathy as the American Consul.”
– Joseph So, La Scene Musical, Oct. 12, 2014
Pelleas et Melisande – Against the Grain
“Gregory Dahl makes an excellent Golaud as one might expect. Dahl’s Golaud is ultimately a sympathetic figure who repeatedly tries to suppress his jealously toward his half-brother Pelléas even though doing so only increases his anguish. His scene with Pelléas in the grottos is especially fine since Dahl makes us feel within his character the ongoing battle between malice and restraint.”
– Christopher Hoile, Stage Door, June 2015
“Perhaps most impressive is Dahl’s Golaud, needy and increasingly menacing, sometimes in a suave fashion.”
– Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine, June 2015
“Gregory Dahl was also astonishing in his portrayal of the antagonist Prince Golaud, a complex role requiring a deep understanding of the philological trauma of someone who has lost their way.”
– John Terauds, Musical Toronto, June 2015
Macbeth – L’Opéra de Québec
“Quelques instants plus tard, c’est au tour de Gregory Dahl de faire craquer la salle avec un somptueux Pietà, rispetto, amore. On ne peut que succomber au charisme de ce superbe Macbeth, au coffre de cette voix de baryton.”
– Richard Boisvert, Le Soleil, May 2014
“La distribution est de très grande qualité. Le baryton Gregory Dahl joue bien les hésitations de Macbeth, qui se questionne sur le mal qu’il va répandre, pour s’imposer, ensuite, vocalement au troisième et quatrième acte.”
–Yves LeClerc, Le journal de Montréal, May 2014
“Gregory Dahl, a vivid and steady baritone, embodied both the heroism and villainy of the title character. He was more incensed by, than afraid of, the visions that haunted him. One positive result was a drama that remained active to the final curtain: This guy might be a match for fate.”
– Arthur Kaptainis, Montreal Gazette, May 2014
Aida – Manitoba Opera
“We didn’t see baritone Gregory Dahl (Amonsaro, King of Ethiopia/Aida’s father) until late in the opera, but his warm, powerful voice and commanding presence were worth the wait.”
– Gwenda Nemerofsky, Winnipeg Free Press, April 5, 2013
La Traviata – Opera Lyra Ottawa
“Gregory Dahl sang the role to chilling perfection.”
– Richard Todd, The Ottawa Citizen, March 22, 2013
“When Gregory Dahl as Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s father, appears on stage early in Act II it is with such a commanding presence, that we sense a physical change in Violetta; we sense her listening acutely to his every word as he explains that he has come to ask her for a sacrifice. In his beautifully resonant baritone, Mr. Dahl gives a finely nuanced performance as the emotionally conflicted Giorgio.”
– Nan Cormier, The Charlebois Post, March 22, 2013
Otello – Calgary Opera
“Baritone Gregory Dahl, could not have captured the role of the duplicitous Iago better, and beguiled his nemesis all night long with his serpentine poison, ingratiating himself with malevolent cunning. Mr. Dahl succeeded in pulling off the greatest villain in the opera repertoire, and his Act II Credo, where he affirms his genesis as evil incarnate, was chilling.
For his venomous portrayal, he was lustily booed with great approval when he came out for his final curtain call.”
– Calgary Herald, November 12, 2012
Macbeth – Pacific Opera Victoria
“Baritone Gregory Dahl, as Macbeth, is a commanding presence from the start, but really starts to come into his own in the banquet scene at the end of Act 2, as his character becomes unhinged, and he is particularly impressive in Acts 3 and 4, giving vent to Macbeth’s mounting psychological fever.”
– Kevin Bazzana, The Victoria Times Colonist, Oct. 6, 2012
Il Trovatore – L’Opéra de Montréal
“Gregory Dahl un interprète sensible, à la voix large et aux aigus faciles, qui compose un personnage davantage habité par sa passion pour Leonora que mû par les instincts barbares que lui dicte son amour contrarié. Faisant lui aussi ses débuts dans ce rôle, le baryton manque peut-être un peu de mordant, mais impressionne par sa superbe musicalité et une forte présence scénique.”
– Louis Bilodeau, Avant-Scène Opéra, Jan 21, 2012
Salome – Manitoba Opera
“Special mention must be made of Winnipeg baritone Gregory Dahl’s chain-shackled Jokanaan, who immediately asserted his booming presence even from the depths of the cistern with his first vocal entry, “After me, will come one.”
The charismatic singer brought both requisite strength and nobility to the role, with his robust voice trembling with fury as he foretold the coming of the Son of Man.”
– Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press, Nov. 20, 2011
Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci – Edmonton Opera
“Gregory Dahl was a gem as the snake Tonio…”
– Elizabeth Withey, October 23, 2011
“Gregory Dahl, who has charisma for days, was a powerfully jealous Alfio.”
“Gregory Dahl transitioned the evening into Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci with some wonderfully timed comedy as Tonio the clown.”
– Mark Wilkinson, October 22, 2011, Sound and Noise.
Pelleas et Melisande – Opera Theatre of St. Louis
“In the hands of the director David Alden, alas, most of the characters were not only unknowable but also unlovable. Golaud, however earnestly enacted and strongly sung by Gregory Dahl, was a squalid brute from the start.”
– Steve Smith, June 19, 2011, New York Times
“Gregory Dahl is terrifically unhinged as Golaud. His grand downward spiral into madness is played to perfection with an authoritative performance. He brings a rough and raw sense of paranoia and delirium to Golaud that propels the tension in the opera. His baritone voice balances perfectly with Winters’ to create a dynamic onstage force. Dahl makes the difficult task of letting Golaud evolve from a lost soul into a sinister and cunning antagonist look easy.”
– Rob Levy, KDHX blog, June 10, 2011
Lucia di Lammermoor – Opera Lyra Ottawa
“Gregory Dahl had the vocal power to make a strong impression as Lucia’s stone-hearted brother, Enrico and he acted the part with chilling poise.”
– Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen, March 28, 2011
Lucia di Lammermoor – Vancouver Opera
“Gregory Dahl (Enrico, Lucia’s brother) instantly projected a character of strength and undisciplined anger.”
– Elizabeth Paterson, Review Vancouver, November 2010
“Dahl’s Enrico, full of harsh swagger and cunning, had a commanding baritone that easily propelled the story forward.”
– Andrea Rabinovitch, The Vancouver Observer, Dec, 6, 2010
Prima Donna – Luminto Festival (Toronto)
“Baritone Gregory Dahl was impressive both vocally and dramatically as the butler Philippe, his outburst in Act Two a real scene-stealer.”
– Joseph So, La Scena Musical, June 15, 2010
Otello – Edmonton Opera
“…while Gregory Dahl is just short of demonic as Iago, attempting to destroy Othello and his wife Desdemona, as he plays out his nature as spiritual brother to Shakespeare’s Richard III. Both are formidable stage presences and excellent singers, though Dahl is more arresting in this instance because of the sheer malevolence of his role.”
– Tom Murray, Edmonton Journal, April 26, 2010
L’Gala – Opera de Montreal
“There were many high points starting with Gregory Dahl’s impressive and moving Rigoletto Act II aria “Cortigiani, vil razza dannata.” Dahl’s baritone had previously impressed in Montreal Opera’s season opener where his double performance as Tonio in Pagliacci and Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi revealed in him Canada’s next great Verdian baritone. Ample tone and impeccable legato are the order for a great Verdian baritone, and Dahl’s performance of the Rigoletto aria and the famous “Te Deum” from Tosca did not disappoint.”
– Wah Keung Chan, La Scena Musicale, Dec. 7, 2009
The Rake’s Progress – Pacific Opera Victora
“As Tom’s diabolical nemesis, Nick Shadow, the baritone Gregory Dahl cuts an imposing figure both vocally and physically, and projects a personality that is charming and subtle but still too powerful to be resisted.”
– Kevin Bazzana, The Times Colonist, Nov. 15th, 2009
Pagliacci/Gianni Schicchi – Opera de Montreal
“The baritone Gregory Dahl was wonderful; his subtle acting and lush voice the more impressive for doing the most work (he sings Tonnio in Pagliacci and Schicchi in Schicchi).”
– Lev Bratishenko, Roverarts.com, September, 30, 2009
“Both were delivered on a near-empty stage by the indefatigable baritone Gregory Dahl.”
“Dahl was the mainstay of the evening, performing Schicchi with canny vitality and summoning the stronger sounds and feelings of the rejected (but not so noticeably hunchbacked) Tonio in Pagliacci.”
– Arthur Kaptainis, Montreal Gazette, September 28,2009
“Dahl fut brillant et amusant dans le rôle-titre de Gianni Schicchi…”
– Claude Gingras, La Presse, Sept. 28, 2009
“Le baryton Gregory Dahl, le seul à faire partie des deux distributions – l’infâme Tonio et l’opportuniste Gianni Schicchi – revêt sans peine le costume de la vengeance et celui de la ruse. C’est son jeu scénique qui prime dans les deux rôles. Notons au passage que Tonio n’est pas difforme. C’est plutôt sa méchanceté, sa hargne qui le rend si poignant. Il serait tentant d’en faire le véritable héros de la soirée.”
– Jacques Hétu, ResMusica.com Oct. 1, 2009
Salome – Opera Theatre St. Louis
“Soprano Kelly Kaduce and Gregory Dahl are given special attention and respect here for their beyond-extraordinary realizations of the roles of Salome and Jokanaan (John the Baptist).”
– Robert W. Duffy, St. Louis Beacon, May 31, 2009
“Her love, and her victim, John the Baptist, was sung by baritone Gregory Dahl, whose voice was the most traditionally matched to the role. He was an uncomfortably believable prophet, vocally authoritative, and at times almost pastoral in his warnings to Salome. He dominated the orchestral texture more than the other singers, which meant he had an unusually large impact on the drama.”
– Philip Kennicott, The Gramaphone, May 31, 2009
Beethoven Ninth Symphony – Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
“Soloists were sound. Dahl has the ideal instrument for this work – commanding, with nice timbre and super diction.”
– Gwenda Nemerofsky, Winnipeg Free Press, April 13, 2009