Adrian Thompson
London-born Adrian Thompson is an artist of extraordinary versatility with a wide-ranging opera, concert and recital repertoire. He trained at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he is now a professor of vocal studies.
His opera appearances have included the title role of Peter Grimes, Skuratov From the House Of The Dead for Oper Frankfurt; Snout A Midsummer Night’s Dream for La Scala, Milan; Mao Nixon in China and 1st Jew Salome for Canadian Opera Company; Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte, 1st Jew in Salome, Arv in Nielsen’s Maskarade and Valzacchi Der Rosenkavalier at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Scribe Khovanshchina and Lilaque Pere Boulevard Solitude for Welsh National Opera, Esslinger Die Meistersinger and School Teacher The Cunning Little Vixen at Glyndebourne, Michael Jarrell’s Galilée and Rev. Adams Peter Grimes (Runnicles) for Grand Théâtre de Genève; Mime Das Rheingold and Siegfried for Nederlandse Reisopera; the title role of Janacek’s The Diary of One who Disappearedboth in Brussels and the Aix-en-Provence Festival; Vitek The Makropulos Case for Angers/Nantes Opera; Zivny in Janacek’s Osud and Midas in Die Liebe Der Danae for Garsington Opera, concert performances of Grigory Boris Godunov at The Brighton Festival and Big Prisoner From the House of the Dead for Opéra National du Rhin Strasbourg. He has also performed with Badisches Staatstheater, Karlsruhe, Oper der Stadt Köln, Staatstheater Stuttgart, at the Bregenz Festival, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, New Israeli Opera, and The Netherlands Opera. Further engagements include Albert Herring with BBC Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte for Lichfield Festival, Noctambulist Louise for Buxton Festival, Shabby Peasant Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk for ENO, further performances as Eisslinger Die Meistersinger for Glyndebourne Festival, Shapkin From the House of the Dead at the Savonlinna Festival and at the Brno Festival (for WNO), Hermit in Hartmann’s Simplicius Simplicissimus for Independent Opera and Mr Upfold Albert Herring for The Grange Festival.
Adrian Thompson has performed with all the major British orchestras and ensembles and his overseas engagements have taken him all over the world. During his career he has worked with many distinguished conductors: Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Trevor Pinnock, Harry Christophers, Sir Andrew Davis, Richard Hickox, Sir Colin Davis and Philippe Herreweghe. In the contemporary field he has performed Lutoslawski’s Paroles Tisées with Oliver Knussen and The London Sinfonietta, recorded Judith Weir’s A Night at the Chinese Opera and has given many first performances of works by British and European composers. His recent concert highlights include Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass with the Hallé Orchestra/Mark Elder, Dream of Gerontius with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Christopher Seaman and at the Royal Festival Hall and War Requiem at the Barbican Centre, London. He is particularly associated with the works of Britten and Elgar and his repertoire also includes Beethoven 9th Symphony, Verdi Requiem and Mahler Das Lied von der Erde as well as the Evangelists of Bach’s St John and St Matthew Passions.
A very experienced recitalist, Adrian Thompson has made many appearances at the Wigmore Hall and at festivals in the UK and Europe with pianists Graham Johnson, Iain Burnside and Roger Vignoles and harpist Osian Ellis, also appearing in recital recently with Roger Braun at the Concertgebouw. He has recorded discs of works by Vaughan Williams and Gurney, a volume in the acclaimed Complete Schubert Edition and Janácek’s The Eternal Gospel with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for Hyperion, Warlock’s The Curlew for Collins Classics and Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin for Pickwick. He appears on Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Virgin Classics, Vaughan Williams’ The Pilgrim’s Progress, Sir John in Love for Chandos and in Handel’s Rodelinda for Virgin Classics. His discography also includes Britten’s Serenade, Les Illuminations and Nocturne, and Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang for Naxos.
Recent engagements include Judith Weir’s In the Land of Uz at the BBC Proms, Scribe Khovanshchina and Shapkin From the House of the Dead for WNO, Mime Das Rheingold at the Royal Festival Hall (LPO/Jurowski), Don Basilio Le Nozze di Figaro with Irish National Opera and Monostatos Die Zauberflöte and Bardolfo Falstaff for Garsington Opera as well as Monostatos for Scottish Opera.