Baritone Tyler Duncan and pianist Erika Switzer met over 25 years ago in the halls of the University of British Columbia School of Music and ever since have been strong figures in the world of art song, delivering recitals around the world in places such as Germany, England, France, Holland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, and across North America. Tyler and Erika share a deep connection to songs of the Romantic period, while also celebrating the works of living composers: they have premiered dozens of new compositions, including by Jocelyn Morlock, Jeffrey Ryan and Andrew Staniland, who have written new works for the duo. Both being born in BC, Erika and Tyler are ambassadors of Canadian Art Song.
As young artists, Tyler and Erika were encouraged to collaborate by legendary soprano Elly Ameling. The pair honed their craft by studying with renowned Lieder performers including Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, Hans Hotter, Rudolf Jansen, Helmut Deutsch, and Brigitte Fassbaender. Erika and Tyler are both accomplished artists on their own; Erika has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Bard Music Festival, and the Spoleto Festival (Charleston, SC), among many other venues; while Tyler has appeared regularly at the Metropolitan Opera, London’s Wigmore Hall, as well as at the Spoleto Festival and in Bizet’s Carmen under Seiji Ozawa. Both have won numerous prizes and awards, and are prolific teachers: Tyler is on the faculty of Boston’s Longy School of Music, while Erika is on the music faculty at Bard College and the Bard Conservatory of Music.
Erika and Tyler’s first duo album: English Songs à la française will soon be released by Bridge Records, and another album of Canadian Songs evoking the West Coast is on the horizon. The two live with their son in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley, and are now fortunate dual citizens of Canada and the United States. They are currently halfway through season 3 of Schitt’s Creek, so no spoilers, please!