Shadi Torbey

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Shadi Torbey
Birth nameShadi Torbey
Born1976 (age 48–49)
Siegburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
OriginBelgium
GenresOpera
Occupation(s)Opera singer, game designer
InstrumentVoice (bass)

Shadi Torbey (born 1976) is a Belgian bass opera singer and game designer.[1] Born in Siegburg, Germany, to a Lebanese family, he studied Romance literature and trained in opera at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel.[2] He has performed widely in Belgium and abroad, appearing in operas by composers such as Verdi, Mozart, Puccini and Rossini, and was a prizewinner at international competitions including the Queen Elisabeth Competition.[3]

Since 2010, Torbey has also designed and published board games, most notably the Oniverse series, beginning with Onirim (2010). His games have been released internationally, translated into several languages, and published by companies including Z-Man Games. In 2022, he founded his own publishing house, inPatience, which continues to release both his works and those of other designers.[4]

Early life and education

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Shadi Torbey was born in Siegburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany in 1976. He is of Lebanese descent.[1] He studied at the Athénée royal d'Uccle in secondary school. He notably took French classes with Paul Pettiaux.[5]

Career

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As an opera singer

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A graduate in Romance literature and cultural management, Torbey obtained his professional singing diplomas (concert and opera) at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in the class of Ludovic de San. He also perfected his skills at the Opera-Studio of Royal Theatre of La Monnaie and with José van Dam at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel.[2]

Winner of the 1999 Vocation Prize at the Verviers International Singing Competition,[6] he won a Golden Voice (melody category) at the 39th Tournament in 2001 in France. In 2004, he won third prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition.[6][3][7]

He has given recitals on numerous stages, notably in Belgium and France. In opera, he has played roles including Sparafucile (Rigoletto), Collatinus (The Rape of Lucretia), Masetto and Leporello (Don Giovanni), Abner (Athalia), Caronte (L'Orfeo), Eremit (Der Freischütz), Colline (La Bohème) and Lord Sidney/Don Prudenzio (Il viaggio a Reims).

He has worked under internationally renowned conductors and directors including William Christie, Patrick Davin, Eduardo López Banzo, Paul McCreesh, Philip Pickett, Marcello Viotti, Stéphane Braunschweig, Robert Carsen, Gérard Corbiau, Antonio Latella [it].[2]

Torbey appeares in a student production, after which in 2000 he got his first role in a professional production: La Traviata.[6]

A 2006 article from Fanfare was critical of a recording by Torbey, saying that he was not singing on pitch, and that the very low notes were out of his range.[8]

Torbey was noted in 2013 for performing with pianist Kristina Raczynska, where his displayed mastery of Italian, German, and French.[9]

Torney also worked as a singing teacher by 2018 between performing, and was fluent in French, English, Italian, German, and Arabic.[10]

As a game designer

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Since 2010, Torbey has published tabletop games for solo or cooperative play.[1] His first game was Onirim (2010), originally published by Z-Man Games, part of the "Oniverse" series. Eight entries have been released, latest being Cyberion (2023). All games were illustrated by French artist Élise Plessis.[11]

In 2022, he launched the publisher inPatience, focused on solo games, publishing his Oniverse games and others such as R.A.V.E.L. by Daniel McKinley or Feigard by Reiner Knizia.[4]

In 2024, inPatience Games republished his game Urbion.[12][13]

Personal life

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Torbey lives in Brussels, Belgium, with his wife and two daughters.[4]

Repertoire

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Role Opera Composer
Sparafucile Rigoletto Giuseppe Verdi
Collatinus The Rape of Lucretia Benjamin Britten
Masetto and Leporello Don Giovanni Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Abner Athalia George Frideric Handel
Caronte L'Orfeo Claudio Monteverdi
Eremit Der Freischütz Carl Maria von Weber
Colline La Bohème Giacomo Puccini
Lord Sidney and Don Prudenzio Il viaggio a Reims Gioachino Rossini
Nick Shadow The Rake's Progress Igor Stravinsky

Ludography

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Oniverse series

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  • Onirim (2010, 2nd edition 2014)[14]
  • Urbion (2012, 2nd edition 2024)
  • Castellion (2015)
  • Sylvion (2015)
  • Nautillion (2016)
  • Aerion (2019)
  • Stellarion (2022)
  • Cyberion (2023)
  • Ultimion (TBA)

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Le double jeu de Shadi Torbey" [Shadi Torbey's Double Game]. Le Soir (in French). Archived from the original on 2025-08-17. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  2. ^ a b c Oron, Aryeh (May 2021). "Shadi Torbey (Bass-Baritone)". Bach Cantatas. Archived from the original on 17 August 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Shadi Torbey (Bass-Baritone)". Queen Elisabeth Competition. Archived from the original on 17 August 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Shadi Torbey". inPatience. Archived from the original on 3 July 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  5. ^ Capel, Pierre (20 January 2021). "Pour l'anniversaire de 82 ans de Paul Pettiaux ce 20 janvier 2021" [For Paul Pettiaux's 82nd birthday this January 20, 2021]. EduCode (in French). Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Prince, Jean-Georges (2011-08-19). "Shady Torbey, enchanteur d'opéra" [Shady Torbey, opera enchanter]. L'Orient–Le Jour (in French). ProQuest 884349495. Archived from the original on 2025-09-28. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  7. ^ Beard, Nicholas (2004-05-17). "Polish Soprano Wins Queen Elisabeth". Musical America. Archived from the original on 2025-09-28. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  8. ^ Dubins, Jerry (September 2006). "Collections: Vocal - Séverac; Meyerbeer; Saint-Saens; Poulenc; Ibert". Fanfare. Vol. 30, no. 1. pp. 286–287. ProQuest 1265937.
  9. ^ Davidian, Edgar (2013-12-03). "Shadi Torbey, le garçon à la « voix d'or »..." [Shadi Torbey, the boy with the "golden voice"...]. L'Orient–Le Jour (in French). ProQuest 1464791255. Archived from the original on 2025-09-28. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  10. ^ Davidian, Edgar (2018-04-03). "Shadi Torbey, chez lui partout" [Shadi Torbey, at home everywhere]. L'Orient–Le Jour (in French). ProQuest 2021233139. Archived from the original on 2025-06-13. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  11. ^ Plessis, Élise. "I am Elise". eliseplessis. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  12. ^ Dohm-Sanchez, Jeffrey (2024-10-08). "inPatience Games Unveils 'Urbion'". ICv2. Archived from the original on 2025-09-28. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  13. ^ Doert, Diana (2025-07-03). "Eines geht noch, eines geht noch rein" [One more goes, one more goes in]. Der Spiegel (in German). Archived from the original on 2025-09-28. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  14. ^ Engelstein, Geoffrey; Shalev, Isaac (2022). Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design. An Encyclopedia of Mechanisms (2nd ed.). CRC Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-003-17918-4.
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