Remember the name David Leigh. The young bass, who is still in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera, sang the Commendatore role with a big, arresting, constantly focused sound, delivering both vocals and the theatrical elements of his role with a calm, magnetic command.
Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
A recent graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, bass David Leigh has drawn acclaim throughout the United States and abroad for his visceral voice and intelligent singing.
In the 2019-2020 season, Mr. Leigh makes a house and role debut with Seattle Opera as Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin, returns to Canadian Opera Company as Timur in Robert Wilson’s production or Turandot, sings the same role in a return to Austin Opera, and returns to Dallas Opera as Il Frate while covering King Filippo in Verdi’s Don Carlo, under the baton of Music Director Emmanuel Villaume. The summer of 2020 marks an important role debut as King Marke in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde in a return to Santa Fe Opera.
The 2018-19 season included a number of prestigious debuts, including his San Francisco Opera debut as Zuniga in Carmen while covering the role of Vodnik in Rusalka, his Santa Fe Opera debut as King Hjarne in Poul Ruder’s The Thirteenth Child, and his Canadian Opera Company debut in the leading role of Turbo in the world-premiere of Rufus Wainwright’s Hadrian, opposite Karita Mattila, Thomas Hampson and Ben Heppner. He also returned to the Bolshoi Theatre as Colline in La bohème, made his role debut as Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Kentucky Opera, and joined Dallas Opera in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut.
Recent career highlights include a company and role debut with the Bolshoi Theatre as Colline in a new production of La bohéme, and company debuts with Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Opéra National de Lorraine, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg as the Commendatore in Don Giovanni. At the Metropolitan Opera, he performed the Surintendant des Plaisirs in Laurent Pelley’s production of Massenet’s Cendrillon under the baton of Bertrand de Billy, and was presented in a joint recital at the Park Avenue Armory with mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo. Other engagements include the Commendatore with Florentine Opera and the Festival d’Opéra Baroque de Beaune, Fafner in Wagner’s Siegfried with Cincinnati’s Queen City Opera, and the Verdi Requiem with the Choral Society of Northeast Pennsylvania. He has participated in the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, as well as the recent New York City Opera Gala in honor of Julius Rudel with Frederica von Stade, Christine Goerke, and Plácido Domingo.
From a family of artists, David’s father was a Tony Award-winning composer, his mother is a painter, and his sister is a multiple award-winning playwright. He studied music composition at Yale University and holds master’s degrees in Voice and Opera (respectively) from Mannes College and Yale School of Music, from which he received the Harriet Gibbs Fox Prize. He has received awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the McCammon Competition at Fort Worth Opera, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and a 2017 top prize from the Wagner Society of New York.
Performance
Venue
The Dallas Opera
Location
Dallas, TX
Date
March 27 & 31, April 3, 2021
Performance
Venue
St. Louis Symphony
Location
St. Louis, MO
Date
May 6 & 8, 2021
30 Jul 2020
The Canadian Opera Company is streaming Hadrian on Monday, August 10, 2020 at 6:30 PM ET, a one-night-only event, which {...}
22 Dec 2019
On his first performances of 2020, David Leigh makes his Seattle Opera debut as Prince Gremin in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin {...}
02 Sep 2019
David Leigh's thrilling 2019-20 season adds four new roles to his repertoire, starting with Timur in Turandot at the Canadian {...}
Traditional Spiritual, Arranged by David Leigh
Performed in Recital with the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, March 2017
Live recording from Queen City Opera's performance of Wagner's Siegfried.
Fafner: David Leigh, Bass
Siegfried: Stephen Carroll, Tenor
Acclaim
American David Leigh sang Antinous’s nemesis, Turbo, with a bass of unusual agility, depth and darkness.
Acclaim
"David Leigh, deuxième nom qui était déjà présent à Aix, est un Commandeur à la voix puissante et intense sortant de profondeurs abyssales, apportant présence et prestance à ce rôle."
Acclaim
"David Leigh incarne comme à Aix avec intensité le rôle du Commandeur d’une voix puissante et tonnante à souhait."
Acclaim
"David Leigh, Commandeur puissant et autoritaire"
Acclaim
"Il faut saluer l’impressionnant Commandeur de David Leigh. Il a, à la fois, la voix et le physique de l’emploi."
Acclaim
"The Commendatore was given a human dimension, and his flesh-and-blood presence in the finale gave the character, thunderously sung by bass David Leigh, an interesting father-like presence."
America
Matthew Horner, General Manager
+1 212 994 3514
[email protected]
Sam Snook, Artist Management
+1 212 994 3544
[email protected]
IMG Artists
Pleiades House
7 West 54th Street
New York, NY 10019
USA
Europe
Claire Feazey, Artist Management
0033 (0)1 44 31 44 38
0033 (0)6 75 37 65 08
[email protected]
IMG Artists
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75004 Paris
France
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