Simon O'Neill | |
|---|---|
 O'Neill in 2018 | |
| Born | 1971 (age 54–55) Ashburton, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Operatic tenor |
| Website | www |
Simon O'NeillONZM (born 1971) is a New Zealand operatic tenor internationally recognised for his performances of the majorHeldentenor roles in the operas ofRichard Wagner.
Simon O'Neill has performed with many of the world’s leading opera companies, including theMetropolitan Opera,Royal Opera House,Teatro alla Scala,Vienna State Opera, and theBayreuth Festival. In 1998, his image appeared on the New Zealand one-dollar performing arts postage stamp.[1]
O'Neill was born inAshburton, New Zealand. He began studying piano at the age of seven with Mrs. Perkins demonstrating a strong aptitude for music from an early age. At eight, he joined the Ashburton Silver Band as second baritone, gaining early experience in brass performance and conducting. In 1992, he achieved success as the second E♭ bass player with the St Kilda Brass Band, contributing to their victory as New Zealand A Grade Champion Band.[2] He began singing as bass in theNew Zealand Secondary Students' Choir in 1989 and then theNew Zealand Youth Choir 1990.[3] His operatic debut was in 1995, performing the role of Turiddu inCavalleria Rusticana at theRoyal Whanganui Opera House.
He studied at theUniversity of Otago (1993) andVictoria University of Wellington, graduating with a bachelors and an honours degree in music (1994). He later received scholarships, including aFulbright Award to theManhattan School of Music, where he earned a Master of Music degree in 2000, and to theJuilliard School’s Opera Center. In 2016, he was awarded a Doctor of Musichonoris causa by Victoria University of Wellington.[4]
While at the Juilliard Opera Center, O'Neill performed leading roles such as the title role inIdomeneo, Sam Polk inSusannah, and Chevalier de la Force inDialogues des Carmélites under the baton of Julius Rudel. He later joined theSan Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program and performed as Rodolfo inLa bohème.[5] and the title role inLa clemenza di Tito with Wolf Trap Opera.[6]
In 2004, O'Neill was featured in a TVNZ/BBC documentary,The Understudy,[7] which followed his experience covering the role of Siegmund forPlácido Domingo in theMetropolitan Opera’s production ofDie Walküre.[8]
This prestigious cover contract lead to his Metropolitan Opera debut (2006) as the Gran Sacerdote inIdomeneo, conducted byJames Levine, and his debut at theRoyal Opera House as Jenik inThe Bartered Bride[9] underSir Charles Mackerras. Subsequent debuts included Florestan inFidelio withAntonio Pappano,Die Zauberflöte at theSalzburg Festival withRiccardo Muti, and the title role inParsifal at theVienna State Opera withChristian Thielemann.
O'Neill has become especially associated with Wagnerian repertoire. He has performed Siegmund inDie Walküre at Covent Garden with SirAntonio Pappano[10]Teatro alla Scala,Berlin State Opera withDaniel Barenboim,Vienna Staatsoper withFranz Welser-Möst,Bavarian State Opera withKent Nagano,Hamburgische Staatsoper withSimone Young,Deutsche Oper Berlin,[11] and the Metropolitan Opera withDonald Runnicles and in the 2013Otto Schenk Ring production and in theRobert Lepage production withFabio Luisi.[12]
In 2009, O’Neill sang the title role inVerdi’sOtello[13] with SirColin Davis and theLondon Symphony Orchestra. He made hisBayreuth Festival debut in 2010 asLohengrin[14] returning in the title role ofParsifal in 2011. The same year, O'Neill made his role debut as Walter von Stolzing inDie Meistersinger von Nürnberg at Covent Garden.
Other major engagements have included: the title roles ofParsifal,[15]Lohengrin at the Royal Opera House with SirAntonio Pappano,Otello,Fidelio,Götterdämmerung andLohengrin atHouston Grand Opera, the title role in Verdi'sOtello and Sergei in hisOpera Australia debut inLady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Florestan withDaniel Barenboim at theBBC Proms[16] with theWest-Eastern Divan Orchestra,Gurrelieder with SirSimon Rattle in Munich andAlan Gilbert at theElbphilharmonie, and made hisCarnegie Hall debut as Caesar inSamuel Barber'sAntony and Cleopatra forNew York City Opera, returning with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra andJames Levine for Mahler'sDas Lied von der Erde and in Beethoven'sMissa solemnis with theBoston Symphony.
He has achieved the rare distinction of performing every principal Wagnerian Heldentenor role in the standard repertoire. These include:
This milestone places O’Neill among a select group of tenors capable of meeting the vocal and dramatic demands of Wagner's most challenging roles and reflects his sustained international career across major opera houses and festivals.
O'Neill appears as tenor soloist and Dr Marianus to the Deutsche Grammophon recording of Mahler's "Symphony No.8" with theLos Angeles Philharmonic conducted byGustavo Dudamel. The recording received two nominations for the 2022 Grammy Awards forBest Choral Performance andBest Engineered Album in Classical.[28][29] It won the Best Choral Performance Award.[30] The album received two nominations at the2022 Grammy Awards (Best Choral Performance and Best Engineered Album, Classical) and won the award for Best Choral Performance.
He serves as patron of the New Zealand Association of Teachers of Singing (Newzats),[31] The New Zealand Opera School, the New Zealand Singing School,[32] New Zealand Circle 100, the New Zealand Brass Foundation,[33] St Kilda Brass, the Auckland Boys' Choir, Harbour Voices, the Ashburton MSA Choir and the UK Singingworks.[34] He appears on the 1998 New Zealand one-dollar performing artspostage stamp.
In the2017 Queen's Birthday Honours, O'Neill was appointed anOfficer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to opera.[35]
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