Richard Walshe

Richard is currently a soloist with Staatsoper Hannover. Recent roles include Shaunard (La Bohème), Melisso (Alcina), Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro), Bottom (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and All Characters (Der Mordfall Halit Yozgat). Previous roles include Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Leporello (Don Giovanni) and Sprecher (Die Zauberflöte).

Richard was a 2018/19 member of the Zürich International Opera Studio where he appeared as Bartolo in the young artist production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia at Theater Winterthur. In the same year, he played Angelotti in a semi-staged concert production of Tosca at the Emirates Palace Auditorium as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival. He spent the 2018 Summer season as a member of the Glyndebourne chorus and the previous Summer as an artist with the Salzburg Festival Young Singers Project, appearing as Eiler in the Salzburg Festival Kinderoper Der Schauspieldirektor. In June 2016, he debuted for Opera Holland Park, performing the role of Colline in La Bohème as part of the Christine Collins’ Young Artist Programme, a role he reprised in a concert performance with Northern Ireland Opera.

Richard completed his formal training with Royal Academy Opera, under the tutelage of Mark Wildman and Iain Ledingham. For RAO, Richard performed the roles of Minskman (Flight), Leporello (Don Giovanni), Brown (Die Dreigroschenoper), Melisso (Alcina), Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Amantio di Nicolao (Gianni Schicchi). Richard was also a member of Royal Academy Song Circle, appearing with them in a concert of Venetian Songs at the Wigmore Hall.

Richard was winner of the prestigious Richard Lewis/Jean Shanks Award in 2016. He was also awarded the Audrey Strange Memorial Prize at the Royal Overseas League Annual Music Competition, and the second and audience prizes at the National Mozart Competition in 2017. As an Oratorio soloist, performances include Mendelssohn’s Elijah; Brahms’ Requiem; Mozart’s Requiem; Handel’s Messiah; Bach’s Cantata BWV 203 Amore Traditore; Pilate and Christus in Bach’s St Johns Passion; Zebul in Handel’s Jephtha; and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.