Leigh Melrose: Baritone

Leigh Melrose, “the emergent specialist of 20th-century opera” (The Financial Times), has carved out a formidable reputation for the performance of new works and dramatic 20th century repertoire.

Currently for ENO: Alberich The Rhinegold

Previously for ENO: Wozzeck, Escamillo, Sonora, Ned Keene, Tadeusz The Passenger, Papageno, Bormenthal A Dog’s Heart, Count The Marriage of Figaro, Rodolfo Leoncavallo’s La bohème, premiere of Ryan Wigglesworth’s The Winter’s Tale, Junius The Rape of Lucretia.

Career Highlights

Recent opera engagements: Wozzeck (Opernhaus Zürich); Enescu’s Oedipe (Komische Oper Berlin); Ruprecht The Fiery Angel (Zürich, Teatro Real Madrid, Teatro dell’opera di Roma); Golaud Pelléas et Mélisande (Ruhr Triennale Festival, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Vlaamse Opera); Alberich Das Rheingold (Ruhr Triennale); Clov in premiere of Kurtág’s Fin de Partie (La Scala, Opéra National de Paris, Dutch National Opera); Stolzius Die Soldaten (Oper Köln); premiere of Neuwirth’s Orlando (Wiener Staatsoper); Nekrotzar Le Grand Macabre (Zürich) title role in premiere of Whiteley (Opera Australia); Cecil Gloriana (Teatro Real)

He is one of the most sought-after interpreters of contemporary music, and has given many world premieres, including works by Fujikura, Kalitzke, Carter and MacMillan, as well as performing music by Adams, Birtwistle, Davies, Dove and Rihm, among others. In the 2022/23 Season, he makes a series of role debuts: Prospero The Tempest (La Scala); Richard Nixon Nixon in China (Teatro Real); Siskov From the House of the Dead (Fondazione Teatro dell’opera di Roma) and the premiere of Parra’s Orgia (Bilbao).

Last updated: 15th February 2023