SIMON WILDING

SIMON WILDING

bass

 

English bass Simon Wilding maintains an active performing career throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.  A frequent artist with London's Royal Opera House Covent Garden, he made his ROH debut in 1997 as a Brabantian Noble LOHENGRIN under Valery Gergiev, followed immediately by appearances as the Cappadocian SALOME under Christoph von Dohnányi and Foltz DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG under Bernard Haitink.  During his ongoing relationship with Covent Garden, he has been engaged by the company for roles such as Lane/Merriman THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (Gerald Barry), Sciarrone TOSCA, Lackey ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, Pinellino GIANNI SCHICCHI, and Gessler in Damiano Michieletto's controversial production of GUILLAUME TELL and Oroe in SEMIRAMIDE under Pappano. Other Recent roles include Sagrestano TOSCA for Grange Park Opera. Recent engagements include Russell THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL for the Royal Danish Opera and Angestellter/1. Polizist/4. Herr/1. Bekannter Kowaljows/Diener THE NOSE at Komische Oper, Berlin/London/Madrid, directed by Barrie Kosky, Fafner in the new Ring Cycle with Longbourough Opera.

Mr. Wilding has appeared regularly with English National Opera more recently in the Mask Of Orpheus by Birtwistle, Opera Holland Park, and Mid Wales Opera, in a diverse repertoire embracing Purcell, Rossini, Wagner, and Britten.  With the Opera Group he has made his mark in contemporary operas, most notably originating the role of the Athlete in Olga Neuwirth's AMERICAN LULU, a production which toured to the Young Vic (London), Glasgow, the Edinburgh Festival, and the Bregenz Festival. He also appeared in the inaugural Tower of London Music Festival in an on-site production of ANNA BOLENA.

As a winner of the Wagner Bursary Award, Mr. Wilding has sung Fasolt DAS RHEINGOLD and Hagen GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG under the baton of Anthony Legge. 

Mr. Wilding's international career began during the 1989 Bayreuth Festival, during which he made his professional operatic debut as the youngest adult performer in the Festival's history.  Further international engagements have included Jove LA CALISTO, Pluto, Caronte, and the Colonel IL POMO D'ORO for the Batignano Festival (Italy), Billy Jackrabbit LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST, Provazolezec in Hass’  ŠARLATÁN and Wemburgo in Zandonai’s II CAVALIERI DI EKEBÙ for the Wexford Festival, Zaccaria NABUCCO for the Macedonian National Opera, Hobson PETER GRIMES at the Beijing Music Festival, and Jonathan Dove's THE ENCHANTED PIG at the New Victory Theatre in New York.  He returned to New York in June 2016 for the US stage premiere of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Sciarrone Tosca  tour  Nederlandse Reisoper.

As a concert artist, Mr. Wilding has performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Ulster Orchestra, and at the Royal Albert Hall.  His recorded work includes Royal Opera House official live recordings of SALOME and DIE MEISTERSINGER, Lt Ratcliffe BILLY BUDD with the Halle Orchestra for the Erato label, Dick Deadeye H.M.S. PINAFORE for the D’Oyly Carte, and the Policeman in Dame Ethel Smyth’s THE BOATSWAIN’S MATE with the Lontano Ensemble conducted by Odaline de la Martinez.

Other Recent productions include The Doctor and Clerk in The Nose Royal Danish Opera,Cophenhagen, 2nd Soldier Salome Royal Opera House, Fafner Stimme Siegfried Longbourough opera, Fafner/ Hagen Der Ring des Nibelungen Hackney Empire, La Nariz Teatro Real, Sparafucile Rigoletto Opera Holland Park, Judge Turpin Sweeney Todd West Green House.