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The Australian bass, Richard Anderson, commenced musical training in voice and organ at St. Andrew’s Cathedral School and studied organ at the Sydney Conservatorium before moving to Canberra to further his voice studies at the Canberra School of Music. He joined the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artists’ Development Program at Opera Australia in 2003 and has since become a principal bass with the Company.
Richard Anderson's Opera Australia repertoire include Zuniga in Georges Bizet's Carmen, Zweiter Geharnischter Mann in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Cascada in The Merry Widow, Count Ceprano in Rigoletto, Diener in Alban Berg's Lulu, Major-Domo in Capriccio, Un Ufficiale in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Imperial Commisioner in Madama Butterfly, Araldo in Otello, Erste Soldat in Salome, Sciarrone, Un Carceriere in Tosca, Vierte Edle in Lohengrin, Messaggero in La Traviata, Achte Diener in Capriccio, An Officer in Madeleine Lee, High Priest in Nabucco, Magic Christian in George Frideric Handel's Rinaldo, Publio in W.A. Mozart's La clemenza di Tito and Curio and Achilla in G.F. Handel's Giulio Cesare. He has also sung Sarastro in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte in concert for Sydney University Musical Society, Renard (Sydney Alpha Ensemble), The Orderly in Hin und Zurück, Piffalah and King of Bambaras in Angelique, The Earl of Dunmow in A Dinner Engagement (Stopera) and Don Alfonso in W.A. Mozart's Così fan tutte (Canberra School of Music).
Richard Anderson is also an experienced concert artist and has many guest appearances in Oratorio include solo engagements in the Puccini's Messa di Gloria, W.A. Mozart's Coronation Mass, Requiem and The Great Mass in C minor; G.F. Handel's Messiah and Dixit Dominus; and J.S. Bach's Johannes-Passion BWV 245 and Mass in B minor BWV 232.
Highlights have included Dottore Grenvil in La Traviata, Schlemil/Herman in The Tales of Hoffmann, Biterolf in Tannhäuser, Ribbing in Un ballo in maschera, Colline in La bohème, Masetto in W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Lieutenant Ratcliffe in Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd and the roles of Apollyon, Mistrust and Envy in Ralph Vaughan Williams' The Pilgrims Progress for Opera Australia, as well as Ashby in La fanciulla del West for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and his Pinchgut Opera debut as Achis in Charpentier’s David et Jonathan.
Recent roles include Don Alfonso in W.A. Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, 5th Jew in Salome Sarastro and Second Armoured Man in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, the Steward and Sentry in Dmitri Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Swallow in B. Britten's Peter Grimes, Bretigny in Manon, Quince in B. Britten's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ashby in La fancuilla del West, Figaro in W.A. Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and Sparafucile in Rigoletto all for Opera Australia; the title role in The Mikado, Zuniga in G. Bizet's Carmen, Major Domo in Capriccio, Colline in La bohème, Doctor in Macbeth, Tereus in The Love of the Nightingale, Dottore Grenvil in La Traviata, Rocco in L.v. Beethoven's Fidelio for Opera Queensland; Ashby in La fanciulla del West for State Opera of South Australia; Ariadeno in Cavalli's L'Ormindo for Pinchgut Opera; Verdi’s Requiem with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
In 2013 Richard Anderson sang Count Ribbing in Un ballo in Maschera, Ferrando in Il Trovatore, The King in Aida, Ormonte in Partenope, Marchese di Calatrava in La forza del destino and Dr Grenvil in La Traviata for opera Australia, and was soloist in Haydn’s Theresienmesse with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. |
