Canadian soprano Emily Dorn (previously Emily Duncan-Brown) is thrilling audiences with her “warm, rich middle, a shimmering, flexible top, excellent control… and her exquisitely beautiful delivery." (Opera News Online). 

In the 2023/24 season Emily continues to be featured at the Landestheater Detmold where she has been an ensemble member since 2018. She will perform the roles of Antonia (Les Conte d’Hoffmann), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Iduna (Das Feuerwerk) and Sister Helen Prejean (Dead Man Walking), as well the Soprano soloist for the Neujahrskonzert 2024.

Last season Emily was thrilled to debut as Tatjana (Eugen Onegin), Der Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos) and Frau Luna (Frau Luna) with her home theater, as well as returning to L'opera de Montreal to perform the role of Margarita Xirgu in their production of Ainadamar.

  In the 2022/23 Season Emily debuted the roles of  Contessa Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), Hanna Glawari (Die Lustige Witwe), The Governess (The Turn of the Screw) and Isabella/Mama in Detlef Heusinger’s new opera Die Zeitreisemaschine, which was performed in cooperation with the Bregenzer Festspiele. In the severely impacted Corona season of 2020-21, Emily was thrilled to be able to share her debut as Lisa in Das Land des Lächelns.

In the 2019-20 season, Emily sang Violetta (La Traviata) with Vancouver Opera. She also performed as the Soprano Soloist in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Teatro Massimo di  Palermo. She made her debut in Great Britain with the BBC Philharmonic singing the Soprano Soloist in Beethoven' s Mass in C.  She also sang Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Baronin Freimann (Der Wildschütz), Frau Hudetz (Der Jüngste Tag), and  Julia de Weert (Der Vetter aus Dingsda), with the Landestheater Detmold.

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In season 2018-19, Emily performed Margarethe (Faust),  Julia de Weert (Der Vetter aus Dingsda), Fiordiligi (Cosi fan Tutti), and the title role in Von Flotow's Martha with the Landestheater Detmold. She also returned to the United States to perform the role of Micaela in "Carmen" with Seattle Opera and made her Italian debut as the Soprano Soloist in Mozart's Mass in C Minor with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale Rai.

In 2017-2018, Emily returned to many beloved roles such as Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Musetta (La Boheme)​, Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Bubikopf (Kaiser von Atlantis) as a member of the Ensemble of the Semperoper Dresden. While in the 2016-17 season Emily returned to Canada to make her debut with Opéra de Montréal singing Donna Anna in Mozart's "Don Giovanni". She also debuted in Switzerland, singing Mimi (La Boheme) with Opéra de Lausanne. With the Semperoper, Emily made her role debut as Pamina in "Die Zauberflöte", and revisited roles including Susanna, Micaela, Baronin Freimann, Musetta and Adele. Emily also performed the role of Katja in Mieczysław Weinberg's opera "Die Passegierin" in a new production with the Semperoper Dresden, conducted by Christoph Gedschold and directed by  Anselm Weber.
The 2015-2016 season saw Emily sing the role of Baronin Freimann in the Semperoper Dresden's new production of Der Wildschütz. She also performed the role of Regina in their new production of Mathis der Maler, under the baton of Simone Young. She sang Strauss's Vier Letze Lieder with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Robert Frost Song Cycle for Soprano, written specifically for her voice by the composer and conductor Frederic Chaslin. She portrayed the roles of Adele, Musetta and Susanna with the Semperoper. In 2014-15  Emily debuted the role of Susanna in the Semperoper Dresden's new production of Le Nozze di Figaro, conducted by Omer Meir Wellber and directed by Johannes Erath. This production was then featured at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in collaboration with the Semperoper Dresden to critical acclaim. She also sang Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Micaela, Musetta and Adele with the Semperoper, and made her role debut as Mimi with Opera Southwest.

The 2013-14 season, gave Emily the opportunity to perform her first European Violetta (La Traviata) with the Semperoper. She also received great acclaim for her portrayal of Micaela in their new production of Carmen. She was delighted to reprise the role with the Savonlinna Opera Festival in her Scandinavian debut under the baton of Maestro Frederick Chaslin.
In 2012-13 Emily joined the Semperoper Dresden, where she performed the roles of Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel) and Adele (Die Fledermaus) while also returning to the US for her debut with Opera Theatre of St. Louis in Smetna's opera The Kiss. In the same season she also sang Violetta in Opera in Williamsburg's production of La Traviata and Juliette (Roméo et Juliette, Gounod) with Lyric Opera Virginia.

Her 2011-12 engagements included her debut as Gounod’s Juliette with Palm Beach Opera, Violetta with Lyric Opera of Virginia, the Messenger of Peace in Rienzi with Opera Orchestra of New York, Norina (Don Pasquale) with Green Mountain Opera Festival and Lucy in The Telephone with Opera in Williamsburg.

Other previous credits include the role of Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos at Tanglewood Music Center, under the baton of Maestro Christoph von Dohnanyi; as well as Violetta, Blanche de la Force (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Alice Ford (Falstaff) and Despina (Così fan tutte) with the Mannes Opera. Her portrayal of Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites was warmly praised by the New York Times, stating, "she sang with radiant tone and superb diction." Moreover, she has performed Violetta, Adina (L'elisir d'amore) and Micaela with the International Vocal Arts Institute. With Opera Orchestra of New York, Emily covered the role of Ines in L'Africaine; and with Canadian companies Opera in Concert and Toronto Operetta Theater, she sang the role of Clarissa in Die Drei Pintos, and the title role in The Merry Widow. She has also been featured in concert at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Emily has been the recipient of numerous honors, winning first place in the New England Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She has also won Second Place Awards from the Gerda Lissner and Guilio Gari International Voice Competitions. She is a 3rd place Winner from the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, and an Encouragement Grant winner from the George London Foundation.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Music degree from McGill University, a Masters degree and Professional Studies Diploma from Mannes College.