Christopher Ventris - Tenor

Biography

Since his debuts at the Glyndebourne Festival, Opera North and the English National Opera, the British tenor Christopher Ventris has become one of the most successful in his field. Especially last season he distinguished himself with his Wagner interpretations. After his role debut as Parsifal at the Vlaamse Opera Antwerp, he also sang this part at the Viennese State Opera, in San Francisco, Seattle, Santiago de Chile, Barcelona, Torino, the Hamburg State Opera, at Covent Garden London and at the Paris Opéra Bastille, as well as in Stefan Herheim’s Bayreuth production in 2008, which was selected production of the year by the critics’ poll of the magazine “Opernwelt” in 2009. Another central role in his repertoire is Siegmund (“Valkyrie”), which he played in Cologne, at the Viennese State Opera, Teatro San Carlo in Naples and Teatro La Fenice in Venice. He sang his first Lohengrin in Bologna, after which he was also engaged in this role for the Geneva Grand Théâtre and the Dallas Opera, where he received the Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award for his interpretation. Christopher Ventris sang Erik (“The Flying Dutchman”) in Antwerp and San Francisco.

Some of his other parts are Max in “Freischütz”, which he sang in Berlin, Cologne and at his debut at the Milan Scala, Sergej in “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District” (in Geneva, Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Amsterdam, and Buenos Aires), Stewa in “Jenufa” (Metropolitan Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Antwerp), Florestan in “Fidelio” (Washington), Peter Grimes (Liceu Barcelona, Zurich Opera House), Manolios in Martinůs’ “Greek Passion” (Bregenz Festival, Covent Garden), Lenski in “Eugen Onegin” (Antwerpen), Dimitri in “Boris Godunov” (Amsterdam), Jenik in “The Bartered Bride” (Covent Garden), Jack in Tippett’s “The Midsummer Marriage” (at Covent Garden London and at his debut at the Bavarian State Opera Munich), Clemente in Henze’s “Venus und Adonis” (Santa Fe Festival), the Officer in Hindemith’s “Cardillac” (Opéra Bastille) and Pfitzner’s Palestrina (Bavarian State Opera Munich).

Wagner parts also constitute a focal point in his future engagements: Parsifal in Amsterdam and Munich, Siegmund at the Viennese State Opera and Amsterdam, Lohengrin in Madrid as well as the role debut as Tannhäuser in Paris. In addition, he will sing Jim Mahoney in Vienna, Peter Grimes in Berlin as well as Stewa and Peter Grimes in Zurich.

Last updated: 07.09.2011

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