Artists on Stage
Danika Lorèn hasn’t always called Toronto home. Originally from Saskatchewan, she wasn’t raised in a busy city—it was quite the opposite, actually. “I grew up on a farm, and one of the few things we could do was take piano lessons in a nearby town. So I started with piano and then my teacher said to my mom—when she realized I was not very good at piano—that I should probably try singing,” she smiled. “So I went to the Saskatchewan Children’s Choir and was with them for about ten years, and it sort of snowballed from there.”
Lorèn’s transition to opera had never been a guarantee—until one specific production convinced her to follow through and make a career of it. After graduating from high school, she spent two years in the drama program at the University of Saskatchewan. During her studies, Lorèn appeared in productions with Saskatoon Opera, where one performance helped to make up her mind. “It was La bohème with Marianne Fiset as Mimì. I was in the chorus sitting backstage watching the last act, and was just so overcome with feelings,” Lorèn said. “That was the moment when I knew. I think I went home that night and started my research on [music] schools.”
She ended up choosing the University of Toronto, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and
