For complete materials, please click
here to visit Shannon's website
An alumnus of San Francisco Opera's prestigious Merola Opera Summer Program, Shannon began her operatic career as a member of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio Program. She has since gone on to perform major roles with the COC (Sesto in Sartorio's Giulio Cesare in Egitto, a Madrigalist in Henze's Venus and Adonis, Xenia in Boris Godounov, Oscar in Un ballo in maschera and Elvira in L'italiana in Algeri), l'Opéra du Québec, Opera Lyra Ottawa (Nanetta in Falstaff, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia special school performance), Opera Ontario, and the Toronto Operetta Theatre. In July 2006 Shannon made her London debut under the auspices of the ROH Covent Garden in The Midnight Court with Toronto's Queen of Puddings Music Theatre.
Shannon's 2006-2007 season features her return to the Canadian Opera Company as Despina in Mozart's Così fan tutte, the opening production of the new Four Seasons Opera House in Toronto. December will see Ms. Mercer make her debuts in both Calgary and Vancouver in performances as the soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Vancouver Cantata Singers and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as well as a return to Montreal for Messiah with le Studio de musique ancienne de Montré éal. In the New Year, Shannon makes her debut in France with Opé era national de Montpellier , in the title role of Marin Marais's French Baroque opera Sémélé, which will also be recorded on the Glossa label for release in late 2007.
Following her performances and recording in France, Shannon returns to Canada for a recital with harpsichordist Luc Beausejour in Joliette, Québec featuring the works of French composer Mondonville from their upcoming release on the Analekta label in March 2007. In Toronto, she appears in a Mozart recital at the Glenn Gould Studio with Russell Braun and Krisztina Szabó and in a programme devoted to Edward Elgar with the Aldeburgh Connection. A frequent collaborator of Maestro Bernard Labadie, Shannon performs Handel's Israel in Egypt with Les Violons du Roy in Montréal and Québec City as well as Bach's St. John Passion in March 2007 with the Arion Baroque Orchestra in Montréal.
Particularly praised for her performances of baroque and contemporary music, Shannon maintains a challenging balance of opera, concert and recital appearances. Recent engagements have included her Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center debut in an all-Mozart recital featuring renowned American soprano Barbara Bonney with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, two performances at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, a Christmas program with Thirteen Strings in Ottawa, a Bach Cantata Program with Ensemble Arion and Les Violons du Roy and Bach's Mass in B Minor with le Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal (SMAM). Shannon has also appeared in solo recital with Music Toronto for The Discovery Series and in a Schubertiade recital with the Aldeburgh Connection at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.