Donald Stephenson studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and the National Opera Studio, London. After a successful career as a Heldentenor, Donald is now performing opera and oratorio from the Baritone repertoire.
He made his debut with Welsh National Opera as Parsifal, and then sang the roles of RadamesAida, Don José Carmen, Siegmund Die Walküre, Max Der Freischütz. He has sung for Scottish Opera as Florestan Fidelio, Jove Orion, and Red Whiskers Billy Budd; for Glyndebourne and BBC TV in L'incoronatione di Poppea; for Opera North, Zorn in Die Meistersinger and Mark The Midsummer Marriage. For English National Opera his roles have been in Salome and as Bob Boles Peter Grimes.
At the Edinburgh Festival he sang Herod in Salome, and with the Fires of London in Rome and New York; Samson for Northern Opera; for Chelsea Opera Group Schützer Friedenstag, Der Kaiser Die Frau ohne Schatten, Sergei in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Jira in Brandenburgers in Bohemia; at the Camden Festival Luigi Il Tabarro, Bishop of Budoja in Pfitzner's Palestrina, Caesar in Barber's Anthony and Cleopatra; Cavaradossi Tosca for Opera Box and English Heritage; and Monostatos and First Armed Man The Magic Flute for Birmingham Touring Opera.
In Germany he has sung Alwa Lulu, Tichon Katya Kabanova, and Erik Der Fliegender Holländer at Freiburg, Mark The Midsummer Marriage at Wiesbaden, Florestan Fidelio in Regensburg and Kaiserslautern, and the title role Hoffman in Stockholm. At the Batignano Festival he was Florestan in Leonora, and Filaura in Il Pomo d'Oro.Donald has been a regular visitor to the Aldeburgh Festival where he worked with Peter Pears on Britten roles, and performed in the three Church Parables, Paul Bunyan (also in Florence), and in Death in Venice at Covent Garden.
His concert work has taken him to Spain and France for St. John Passion, Portugal Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Italy Rossini Stabat Mater and Petite Messe Solonelle, Switzerland for Verdi's Requiem and Dream of Gerontius, and he has made frequent appearances in London at the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican in L'enfance du Christ televised on ITV, and at the Royal Albert Hall in Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.Donald has broadcast on BBC, German, Portuguese, French, and Spanish Radios, and was a guest artist on Among Your Souvenirs and Melodies for You.
"Donald Stephenson plays the central role with great dignity" - Guardian
"His voice revealed a noble impressive quality" - Financial Times
"... won all hearts" - The Times
" ... his role comes across with great vividness" - Financial Times
He made his debut with Welsh National Opera as Parsifal, and then sang the roles of RadamesAida, Don José Carmen, Siegmund Die Walküre, Max Der Freischütz. He has sung for Scottish Opera as Florestan Fidelio, Jove Orion, and Red Whiskers Billy Budd; for Glyndebourne and BBC TV in L'incoronatione di Poppea; for Opera North, Zorn in Die Meistersinger and Mark The Midsummer Marriage. For English National Opera his roles have been in Salome and as Bob Boles Peter Grimes.
At the Edinburgh Festival he sang Herod in Salome, and with the Fires of London in Rome and New York; Samson for Northern Opera; for Chelsea Opera Group Schützer Friedenstag, Der Kaiser Die Frau ohne Schatten, Sergei in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Jira in Brandenburgers in Bohemia; at the Camden Festival Luigi Il Tabarro, Bishop of Budoja in Pfitzner's Palestrina, Caesar in Barber's Anthony and Cleopatra; Cavaradossi Tosca for Opera Box and English Heritage; and Monostatos and First Armed Man The Magic Flute for Birmingham Touring Opera.
In Germany he has sung Alwa Lulu, Tichon Katya Kabanova, and Erik Der Fliegender Holländer at Freiburg, Mark The Midsummer Marriage at Wiesbaden, Florestan Fidelio in Regensburg and Kaiserslautern, and the title role Hoffman in Stockholm. At the Batignano Festival he was Florestan in Leonora, and Filaura in Il Pomo d'Oro.Donald has been a regular visitor to the Aldeburgh Festival where he worked with Peter Pears on Britten roles, and performed in the three Church Parables, Paul Bunyan (also in Florence), and in Death in Venice at Covent Garden.
His concert work has taken him to Spain and France for St. John Passion, Portugal Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Italy Rossini Stabat Mater and Petite Messe Solonelle, Switzerland for Verdi's Requiem and Dream of Gerontius, and he has made frequent appearances in London at the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican in L'enfance du Christ televised on ITV, and at the Royal Albert Hall in Beethoven's Missa Solemnis.Donald has broadcast on BBC, German, Portuguese, French, and Spanish Radios, and was a guest artist on Among Your Souvenirs and Melodies for You.
"Donald Stephenson plays the central role with great dignity" - Guardian
"His voice revealed a noble impressive quality" - Financial Times
"... won all hearts" - The Times
" ... his role comes across with great vividness" - Financial Times