Simon O'Neill

Simon O'Neill was a grand finalist in the 2002 Metropolitan Opera National Auditions and joined the Met roster with Siegmund in Wagner's 'Die Walkure'. As well as Siegmund, O'Neill's repertoire also includes Wagner's Parsifal and Lohengrin, Canio in 'Pagliacci', title role in 'Idomeneo', Florestan in 'Fidelio', Sam in 'Susannah', Jenik in 'The Bartered Bride' and Don Jose in 'Carmen' to name a few.

This season, Simon O'Neill's role debut as Siegmund (in the new Ring Cycle at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden with Antonio Pappano) was received to wide critical acclaim. He was described as "the star"..."an exemplary Siegmund, terrific of voice"..." the finest I've heard"..."a towering presence" and "a turbo-charged tenor". He is next due to perform Siegmund in the new David McVicar production at Opera du Rhin in Strasbourg and then at the Metropolitan Opera with Donald Runnicles as well as the title role of Parsifal in Rome at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia with Daniele Gatti. On the concert stage he is to perform Rachmaninoff's The Bells with Edo de Waart and the Hong Kong Philharmonic and returns to New Zealand later in the season for concerts with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Jonathan Lemalu. Future seasons see him in the title role of Lohengrin at Houston Grand Opera and Covent Garden, Siegmund in Die Walkure at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, La Coruna Festival and Hamburg State Opera, Parsifal at Barcelona's Teatro Liceu and in his Opera Australia debut as Sergei in Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk