Photo: Brian Tarr
David Kempster
Representation: General Management
Born in Chirk, North Wales, David Kempster studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He won the Young Welsh Singer Competition in 1998, and in 1999 represented Wales in the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.
David joined English National Opera as a Principal Baritone in 1998. Roles have included Teddy Foran in the world premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage’s opera The Silver Tassie, Marcello and Schaunard in La Bohème, Lescaut in Manon Lescaut, Chou En-Lai in Nixon in China, Conte de Luna in Il Trovatore, Anckarstroem in Un Ballo in Maschera, Pilate in St John Passion, Poacher in The Cunning Little Vixen and Montano in Otello. David has also sung Escamillo in Carmen for Glyndebourne on Tour and Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Peter in Hänsel und Gretel, Thaos in Iphigénie en Tauride and Marcello La Bohème (in Hong Kong) for Welsh National Opera, Escamillo in Carmen, Marcello, Agamemnon La Belle Hélène and Sharpless Madama Butterfly for English National Opera, Germont in La Traviata and Marcello in La Bohème for Glyndebourne on Tour, the title role in Rigoletto in South Africa, his US debut as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly for Dallas Opera and Dr Falke Die Fledermaus for Glyndebourne on Tour. Recent engagements include Lescaut in Manon Lescaut for Florida Grand Opera and Nottingham Roberto Devereux for Buxton Festival.
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 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.
This season’s plans include Escamillo in the new production of Carmen for ENO, Messiah at the Royal Festival Hall and Opera Galas in Glasgow and Manchester. Subsequent engagements include Iago Otello for WNO and Nottingham in the new production of Roberto Devereux for The Dallas Opera.
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: Rosie Goddard
