Stuart Skelton - NOSPR

Stuart Skelton is one of the finest heldentenors on the stage today, critically acclaimed for his outstanding musicianship, tonal beauty, and intensely dramatic portrayals.

Performances of the 2024-25 season include the title role of Tristan und Isolde with Marek Janowski and the Dresdner Philharmonie and in a Philadelphia Orchestra debut under the baton of Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the title role of Parsifal and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with Marek Janowski leading the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Die Walküre with the Sydney Symphony under the baton of Simone Young, and the First Act of Die Walküre at Teatro Comunale Bologna with Oksana Lyniv on the podium. Additional highlights of the season include the Second Act of Tristan und Isolde with Sir Simon Rattle and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Fabio Luisi and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Kent Nagano and the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, with Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider and the Orchestre National de Lyon, and with Marin Alsop and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.

During the last season Stuart Skelton made his debuts in the title role of Tristan und Isolde at both Teatro de la Maestranza led by Henrik Ná ná si and at Glyndebourne in performances conducted by Robin Ticciati. Concert appearances included the First Act of Die Walküre with Jaap van Zweden and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Tristan und Isolde in concert performances with Marek Janowski and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and an extensive tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra offering his native country the Schoenberg arrangement of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.

Recent operatic highlights include a debut at Teatro San Carlo in a new production of Tristan und Isolde under the baton of Constantin Trinks as well as performances as the tortured nobleman at the Bayerische Staatsoper in two distinct series of performances led by Juraj Valčuha and by Lothar Koenigs. A varied international concert schedule included Act Two of Tristan und Isolde with Susanna Mä lkki leading the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Act One of Die Walküre with Jaap van Zweden and the Concertbegouworkest, and the title role in concert performances of Parsifal with Edward Gardner leading the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

Recent seasons have encompassed multiple engagements at the Bayerische Staatsoper including Parsifal in a production by Pierre Audi led by Marek Janowski and Peter Grimes directed by Stefan Herheim and conducted by Edward Gardner.

With the Wiener Staatsoper, Stuart Skelton joined Philippe Jordan for a Wagner Gala under the auspices of the Musikverein fü r Steiermark, Graz and bowed on the main stage as Siegmund in Die Walküre conducted by Axel Kober. He has sung the title role of Tristan und Isolde at the Festival d’Aix en Provence and Laca Klemen in a new production of Jenůfa at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, both conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.

Stuart Skelton has sung Florestan in Beethoven’s Fidelio at Teatro alla Scala conducted by Myung-Whun Chung in a production directed by Deborah Warner, the title role of Otello at the Metropolitan Opera conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden in a new production by Robert Wilson with Zubin Mehta conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker, Lohengrin at the Opéra national de Paris led by Philippe Jordan, Die Walküre at the Deutsche Oper Berlin under the baton of Donald Runnicles and at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden with Valery Gergiev leading the Mariinsky Orchestra, Jenůfa with the Bayerische Staatsoper conducted by Tomáš Hanus, Parsifal at the Opernhaus Zü rich conducted by Daniele Gatti, Samson et Dalila at the Ó pera National de Bordeaux, and Wozzeck for a Metropolitan Opera debut conducted by James Levine. Internationally renowned for his performances of Peter Grimes, he has sung the title role at English National Opera, Opera Australia, Opera de Oviedo, Tokyo’s New National Theatre, and in concert with the London Philharmonic under Vladimir Jurowski, with David Robertson and the Sydney Symphony, with the San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas, and with Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic at the BBC Proms and Edinburgh Festival.

The tenor made a much-anticipated debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Siegmund under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano, and additional staged performances of Die Walküre were given at the Metropolitan Opera conducted by Philippe Jordan, in Budapest conducted by Á dá m Fischer, and in Madrid conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado. Concert performances of Act One of Die Walküre have featured the tenor with Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Karina Canellakis, with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra led by Jaap van Zweden, San Francisco Symphony conducted by Simone Young, London Philharmonic Orchestra with Vladimir Jurowski, and with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, among many others.

Stuart Skelton had the honor of opening the 2016-17 Metropolitan Opera season in the company’s new production of Tristan und Isolde conducted by Sir Simon Rattle; he first reached the zenith of the tenor repertoire – as Tristan – at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden in a new production by Mariusz Treliń ski, and he later assayed English language performances in a new production designed by Sir Anish Kapoor at the English National Opera directed by Daniel Kramer and conducted by Edward Gardner.

Stuart Skelton’s robust concert calendar has included performances of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Sir Andrew Davis and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen and The MET Orchestra, and with Sir Simon Rattle and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the London Symphony Orchestra; Liszt’s “Faust Symphony” with Vladimir Jurowski and the Rundfunk-the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra as well as with David Robertson and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; and his Ninth Symphony with Sir Antonio Pappano and Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia as well as with Franz Welser-Mö st and the Cleveland Orchestra. He has performed Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with Sir Andrew Davis and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and with Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Stuart Skelton’s first solo album, Shining Knight, presents a program of Wagner, Griffes, and Barber accompanied by Asher Fisch and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and seamlessly showcases both heroic vocalism and musical sensitivity.

His expansive recording catalogue also includes Tristan und Isolde with Asher Fisch and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Britten’s Peter Grimes, Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder and a Grammy Award-nominated Janáček Glagolitic Mass with Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, a Gramophone Magazine award-winning recording of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with Sir Andrew Davis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Die Walküre with Sir Simon Rattle and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex with Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, with Sir Simon Rattle and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, with Á dá m Fischer and the Dü sseldorfer Symphoniker, and with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he has contributed to four recordings of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen: with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra led by Jaap van Zweden, with the Philharmoniker Hamburg and Simone Young, and with Seattle Opera and the State Opera of South Australia both under the baton of Asher Fisch.

Named Male Singer of the Year at the 2014 International Opera Awards, Mr. Skelton has been twice honored with the Sir Robert Helpmann Award: once for his performances of Siegmund in the State Opera of South Australia’s 2004 production of the Ring Cycle, and again in 2010 for Best Male Performer in a Lead Role for his portrayal of Peter Grimes for Opera Australia. He received a 2010 Green Room Award for A Streetcar Named Desire and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for his performances of Peter Grimes with the English National Opera.