Liam James Karai

The bass-baritone Liam James Karai has Scottish, Irish and Indian roots and is currently a member of the International Opera Studio of the Hamburg State Opera. In 2022 he was a participant in the Young Singers Project at the Salzburg Festival.

Following his Salzburg Festival performances as Horatio (Hamlet), in the 2024/25 season his appearances will include Escamillo (Carmen) and Angelotti (Tosca) at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, Schaunard (La bohème) at the Tyrol Festival Erl, First Nazarene (Salome) at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples and the Steward (Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District) for the Leipzig Opera.

During the 2023/24 season at the Hamburg State Opera he sang Angelotti, Steward, Count Ceprano (Rigoletto), Alcindoro (La bohème), Hobson (Peter Grimes), Second Soldier (Salome), Zaretsky (Eugene Onegin) and the Mayor in Jenůfa. He also covered the roles of Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Alidoro (La Cenerentola) and Colline (La bohème). He made his debut at the Frankfurt Opera as Escamillo, and also sang this role in a new production at the Mainz State Theatre.

Liam James Karai is also a keen concert soloist, and appears regularly in opera galas, recitals and concerts worldwide. His recent concert performances include Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra under Kent Nagano in the Great Hall of the Elbphilharmonie, and the bass solos in Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and various other works.

As a participant in the Young Singers Project he made his Salzburg Festival debut in 2022 as Guccio (Gianni Schicchi) in Puccini’s Il trittico and also performed in concerts with the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra.

Liam James Karai studied with Quentin Hayes at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. During his studies he received the Sir John Tomlinson Scholarship and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Scholarship and won the 2021 Frederic Cox Award and the RNCM Silver Medal. He also represented the RNCM in the Joaninha Trust Award Competition (first Prize) and at the Clonter Opera Prize (second prize).