James Creswell

Upon graduating from the Yale University School of Music in 1999, James Creswell debuted with Opera Theatre of St. Louis as Lodovico in Otello and toured the U.S. with Western Opera Theater's production of Don Giovanni.  In 2001 he became a Resident Artist with Los Angeles Opera where he performed such roles as Achilla in Giulio Cesare, Angelotti in Tosca, der Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte, Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Ferrando in Il Trovatore.

Since becoming an ensemble member of the Komische Oper Berlin in the 2004/05 season, young American Bass James Creswell has performed numerous roles with the company including Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Prince Gremin in a new production of Eugene Onegin directed by Andreas Homoki and conducted by Kirill Petrenko.  In the same season, he made his Berlin concert debut with the Deutsche Symphonie Orchester as Jesus and Bass Soloist in performances of Bach's St. John Passion conducted by Kent Nagano.

In the 2005/06 season, he made his debut with Berlin Staatsoper in performances of Salome, in addition to new productions of Handel's Oreste, and Rimsky-Korsakov's Le Coq d'or with the Komische Oper and returned to the Los Angeles Opera as Titurel in the Robert Wilson production of Wagner's Parsifal where he shared the stage with Matti Salminen and Placido Domingo and also covered the role of Gurnemanz and also sang the Monk in Don Carlos.

In the 2006/7 season he sang Sarastro, Gremin and the Hermit in Der Freischütz at the Komische, Berlin.

In 2007/8 he will sing the Mayor in Jenufa and Masetto in Don Giovanni for the Los Angeles Opera and Gremin, Sarastro and the Hermit for the Komische Opera Berlin.  Subsequent engagements include Rocco in a new production of Fidelio at the Frankfurt Opera.  He will also sing the Brahms Requiem in Lisbon and Masetto in the Ravinia Festival conducted by James Conlon.


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: Lucy Goddard