David Butt Philip

One of today’s most exciting British tenors, David Butt Philip appears at major international stages. An alumnus of the Jette Parker Yong Artists Programme of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, his recent debuts in roles such the title role in Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg, directed by Tobias Kratzer at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Florestan (Fidelio) at the Prague National Theatre and later in Kratzer’s new production for Covent Garden, and Bacchus (Ariadne auf Naxos) at the Edinburgh International Festival have earned him critical and public acclaim. In the 2021/22 season, prior to his Salzburg Festival debut in Kát’a Kabanová, he appeared as Grigory (Boris Godunov) and Laertes in Brett Dean’s Hamlet for his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, and sang for the first time at Washington National Opera in gala concerts under Evan Rogister. He also returned to the Deutsche Oper Berlin for Der Zwerg and made his role debut with the same company as Lohengrin.

Engagements in earlier seasons have included the Prince in Christof Loy’s new production of Rusalka, Froh (Das Rheingold) and Essex in David McVicar’s new production of Gloriana at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Rodolfo (La bohème) at the English National Opera, Boris (Kát’a Kabanová) at the Glyndebourne Festival, Laca in a concert performance of Jenůfa with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic under Karina Canellakis at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the title role in Dean’s Hamlet in Cologne and Erik (Der fliegende Holländer) at the Opéra de Lille. In the UK he has sung Grigory and Narraboth (Salome) at Covent Garden, the tenor part in Daniel Kramer’s production of Britten’s War Requiem (for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award), Don José (Carmen), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and Rodolfo for the ENO, Vaudémont (Iolanta) and Folco in Mascagni’s Isabeau for Opera Holland Park, Laca and Luigi (Il tabarro) for Opera North, Laertes in the world premiere of Dean’s Hamlet at the Glyndebourne Festival and the title role in the same opera for Glyndebourne on Tour.

On the concert platform David Butt Philips has appeared with orchestras including the Hallé Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tonkünstler Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, in works such as Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde and Das klagende Lied, Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, Verdi’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Missa solemnis, and the title role in Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust. He has collaborated with conductors including Mark Elder, Vladimir Jurowski, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Antonio Pappano.