Simon Bailey
Representation: General Management
Simon Bailey was born in Lincoln and read music at Clare College, Cambridge University. He later studied at the RNCM with Neil Howlett, where he was awarded scholarships by J.W. Lees Breweries, the Wall Trust and the Peter Moores Foundation. Simon subsequently studied at the La Scala Academy, Milan and won the Concorso Internazionale dell’Accademia del Teatro alla Scala in 1999, the Concorso Vocale Internazionale di Musica Sacra 2004, and was a semi-finalist in the Placido Domingo Operalia competition 2003. He has appeared in masterclasses with Leyla Gencer, Luigi Alva, Sir John Tomlinson, Bonaldo Giaiotti, Shirley Verrett, Luciana Serra and Leo Nucci. In August 2002 he joined the ensemble of Opera Frankfurt as a company principal.
Simon’s exceptional vocal range has enabled him to perform a rich variety of roles across the bass and baritone repertoire including Figaro Le Nozze di Figaro (La Scala, Rouen and Festival de la Vézere in Limoges), Schaunard La Bohème (La Scala) and Mustafa L’italiana in Algeri (Accademia Rossiniana in Pesaro). Having created the role of Viceprocuratore in Corgi’s Tat’jana at La Scala in 2000, he was also heard there as Alessio in La Sonnambula, Barone di Kelbar in Verdi’s Un Giorno di Regno, 5th Jew Salome, and Nikitiç Boris Godunov under the direction of Valery Gergiev. For the 2002 Athens festival he sang the title role in Handel’s Hercules to critical and public acclaim at the Herodes Atticus Odeon, later repeated in Reims cathedral and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and was invited by Luigi Alva to Lima, Peru to debut Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor. Further guest engagements include Achilla Giulio Cesare for Opéra de Lille, Zuniga Carmen for Glyndebourne Festival and Procolo Le Convenienze ed Inconvenienze teatrali for La Scala, Milan. Recent engagements include Truffaldino Ariadne auf Naxos for Theater an der Wien, the world première of Michael Levinas’ La Métamorphose for Opéra de Lille and Verdi Requiem in Dublin.
As a company principal at Oper Frankfurt Simon has appeared as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Dulcamara L’elisir d’amore, Swallow Peter Grimes, Alidoro/Don Magnifico Cenerentola, Don Alfonso Cosi fan Tutte, Don Basilio Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Cherea Caligula, Lord Sidney Il Viaggio a Reims, Angelotti Tosca, Monsieur de Brétigny and Lescaut in Massenet’s Manon, Claudio in Händel’s Agrippina, Klingsor Parsifal, the Animal Tamer/Acrobat Lulu, Shaklivity Khovanshchina, Gonzalo The Tempest, Mr Redburn Billy Budd, Méphistophélès La Damnation de Faust, Ferryman Curlew River, Skuratov The Tsar’s Bride, Fléville Andrea Chenier, Oreste Elektra, Bischof Ercole Palestrina, 2nd Cavalier/2nd Tempter in Pizzetti’s Assassinio nella Cattedrale, Arcas in Charpentier’s Medée and the title role Don Giovanni.
Simon’s interests also lie in recital and oratorio where appearances include Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, Haydn’s Creation in Lima Cathedral, Missa Solemnis for Tampere Philharmonic, Mozart’s Requiem in Bordeaux, London and Manchester and Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall and in Oslo. Simon has appeared in recital at the Teatro Britanico, Lima, and also several times in recital at La Scala. Recordings include Mozart’s Requiem, Mandarin Turandot for Chandos Opera in English, Doge in Rossini’s Bianca e Falliero for Opera Rara, and Stainer’s Crucifixion for Naxos. He also appears as a soloist on the recital recordings for Opera Rara and Chandos.
Engagements in 2011/2012 include Sulpice La Fille du Régiment and David L'Amico Fritz at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Moscow and Vairochana in the UK premiere of Jonathan Harvey's Wagner Dream with BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican, London. Roles with Frankfurt this season include Alfonso Cosi fan tutte, Chabrier L’Étoile, Leporello Don Giovanni and Nick Shadow The Rake’s Progress. Subsequent engagements include Brander/Méphistophélès Damnation de Faust for De Vlaamse Opera, Antwerp.
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
