Simon O’Neill has rapidly established himself as one of the finest helden-tenors on the international stage. A native of New Zealand, he is a principal artist with the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, La Scala and both the Bayreuth and Salzburg Festivals, appearing with a number of illustrious conductors including James Levine, Riccardo Muti, Valery Gergiev, Antonio Pappano, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Colin Davis, Daniele Gatti, Edo de Waart, Bertrand de Billy, Donald Runnicles and Pietari Inkinen.

Simon O'Neill's performances as Siegmund (in Die Walküre at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden with Pappano and at the Metropolitan Opera with Runnicles) were performed to wide critical acclaim. He was described in the international press as "the star", "an exemplary Siegmund, terrific of voice", "THE Wagnerian tenor of his generation" and "a turbo-charged tenor".

Notable debuts have included; the Bayreuth Festival in the title role of Lohengrin with Andris Nelsons (2010), The Metropolitan Opera (2008) as the Gran Sacerdote in Idomeneo with James Levine, the Royal Opera House (2005) Jenik in The Bartered Bride with Sir Charles Mackerras, the Salzburg Festival (2005) in Die Zauberflöte with Riccardo Muti and Australian Opera (2009) as Sergei in Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk with Sir Richard Armstrong. A consummate musician, both a pianist and tuba player his operatic highlights include the title role of Lohengrin and Florestan in Fidelio at the Royal Opera House, Metropolitan Opera tour of Japan with Die Walküre, Mao in John Adams Nixon in China with Minnesota Opera, Mitch in Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire at Theater an der Wien and Dmitri in Boris Godunov with New Zealand Opera. He had the honour of touring Europe with Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra performing Act I Die Walküre.

This year he will open La Scala's season as Siegmund in Die Walküre with Barenboim, perform Cavaradossi in Tosca at the Berlin Deutsche Oper, Siegfried in Götterdämmerung in La Coruna, Das lied von der Erde with Levine and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony and at the Deutsche Oper Berlin with Runnicles, Mahler's Eighth Symphony at the Edinburgh Festival, Die Walküre Act One with the Colorado Symphony and the title role in Samson et Delilah at the Concertgebouw. Simon will also appear at the Bayreuth Festival in the title role of Parsifal and at the Berlin Staatsoper as Siegmund.

Last season Simon performed the title role in Lohengrin at Houston Grand Opera, Max in Der Freischütz in the new Stefan Ruzowitszky production at Theater an der Wien, Parsifal Act II in Valencia, Fidelio with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Janacek's Glagolitic Mass in Tokyo and Mahler’s Eighth Symphony in Sydney and Wellington with Ashkenazy and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Simon also performed; Das Lied von der Erde with the Seoul Philharmonic and with Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia with Pappano and a gala concert of his new Wagner CD with the NZSO.

His diary of future engagements include: Siegmund at the Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera and the Vienna, Berlin, Bayerische and Hamburg Staatsoper, Parsifal at the Bayreuth Festival, The Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden and Vienna Staatsoper and Walter in Die Meistersinger at Covent Garden. Simon will also perform Tosca in Hamburg and Tokyo, Nixon in China in San Francisco, Der Freischütz with the London Symphony Orchestra and Otello, Fidelio and Götterdämmerung in Houston.

Simon has appeared in many of the world’s leading concert halls including Florestan in Fidelio at both the Salzburg Festival and BBC Proms with Barenboim, Caesar in Barber's Antony and Cleopatra at Carnegie Hall, the Glagolitic Mass with Boulez in the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Beethovenhalle with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and for the reopening of London’s Royal Festival Hall. Simon also performed the title role of Parsifal with Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at the Michael Fowler Centre for the 2005 New Zealand International Festival.

At extremely short notice Simon made his debut in the title role of Verdi’s Otello in concert at the Barbican with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Colin Davis (2009). His performance was widely acclaimed by critics, who described his musical and dramatic portrayal of the infamous protagonist as “thrilling”, “a triumph”, “an immense performance” “a tremendous debut in the title-role, giving notice that he is the best heroic tenor to emerge over the last decade.”

Simon’s, discography includes his debut solo award winning album; Father and Son, Wagner Scenes and Arias (Lohengrin, Parsifal, Siegmund and Siegfried) with Pietari Inkinen and the NZSO for EMI, the title role of Otello with Sir Colin Davis with the LSO, Die Zauberflöte for the Salzburg Festival Mozart 25 DVD with Riccardo Muti, Mahler’s Eighth Symphony with Vladimir Ashkenanzy and the Sydney Symphony and Chauson’s Le Roi Arthus with Leon Botstein and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Simon O’Neill is an alumnus of the University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard Opera Center. He is a Fulbright Scholar, was awarded the 2005 Arts Laureate of New Zealand and was a grand finalist in the 2002 Metropolitan Opera National Auditions returning as guest artist in 2007. He also appears on the 1998 New Zealand one-dollar performing arts postage stamp.

Source: Simon O'Neill

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