Representation: General Management
Photo: Brian Tarr
Born in Chirk, North Wales, David Kempster studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
David joined English National Opera as a Principal Baritone in 1998, where his many roles included Marcello La Bohème, Lescaut Manon Lescaut, Conte di Luna Il Trovatore, Poacher Cunning Little Vixen and Teddy Foran in the world premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage’s opera The Silver Tassie. David has since returned for a number of projects including Escamillo Carmen, Sharpless Madama Butterfly, Agamemnon La Belle Hélène and most recently Belcore Elixir of Love. A long and productive relationship with Welsh National Opera has seen David as Thaos Iphigenie en Tauride, Marcello La Bohème and most recently his hugely successful debut as Iago Otello, encouraging one critic to comment that he had ‘blossomed into a true Verdi baritone’.
Also in the UK David has appeared at Glyndebourne: Escamillo Carmen and Falke Die Fledermaus, Opera North: Cecil Maria Stuarda and Buxton Festival: Nottingham in Roberto Devereux and Miller Luisa Miller.
David made his US debut with Dallas Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly and returned there to sing Nottingham in Roberto Devereux. He also appeared as Lescaut Manon Lescaut for Florida Grand Opera.
Appearances on the concert platform include Fauré’s Requiem with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Carmina Burana with the London Concert Orchestra at the Barbican, with the Hallé, with the Jersey Symphony Orchestra and at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, Opera Galas for Raymond Gubbay at the Barbican, The Bridgewater Hall and Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, The Dream of Gerontius with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Welsh Proms in St David’s Hall Cardiff, Judas Maccabeus with the London Mozart Players and concert performances of Eugene Onegin with the Hallé and Mark Elder and Leonore at the Schlossfestspiele in Ludwigsburg. David released his debut solo disc on Sain in August 2008.
Recent engagements include Peter The Apostles with the Hallé Orchestra and at the BBC Proms, Sharpless Madama Butterfly for Royal Danish Opera, From the House of the Dead for Opera North, Di Luna Il Trovatore and title role Don Giovanni both for WNO, Amonasro Aida at the Royal Albert Hall and Marcello in a new production of La Boheme for Welsh National Opera. Future engagements include new productions of Manon Lescaut and Roberto Devereux for Welsh National Opera and Iago Otello at Opera North.
Promoters please note: if you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact Hazard Chase to ensure that you receive the most up to date version.
Email: Lucie Davienne
