Simon Bailey
Simon Bailey was born in Lincoln and read music at Clare College, Cambridge University. He later studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Neil Howlett, where he was awarded scholarships by J.W. Lees Breweries, the Wall Trust and the Peter Moores Foundation, to whom he is grateful for their support. Simon subsequently began a two-year contract at the La Scala Academy, Milan. Simon 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 been fortunate to appear 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 (Rouen, 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 during the centenary Verdi, 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 in October 2002 was invited by Luigi Alva to Lima, Peru to debut Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor.
As a company principal at Opera Frankfurt Simon has appeared as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Dulcamara L’elisir d’amore, Swallow Peter Grimes, Alidoro Cenerentola, Don Alfonso Cosi fan Tutte, Don Basilio Il Barbiere di Siviglia, 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, Ferryman Curlew River and the title role in Don Giovanni. Roles in the current season include Skuratov The Tsar’s Bride, title role Le Nozze di Figaro, Fléville Andrea Chenier, Claudio Agrippina, Tom Un Ballo in Maschera.
Simon’s interests also lie in recital and oratorio. Appearances include Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, Haydn’s Creation in Lima Cathedral, Mozart’s Requiem in Bordeaux, London and Manchester and Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall, and in Oslo. Whilst in Peru in October 2002 Simon appeared in recital at the Teatro Britanico, Lima, and has appeared several times in recital at La Scala. In June 2004 he appeared in a joint recital with his wife, the soprano Anna Ryberg, for the Reims festival.
Recordings include Mozart’s Requiem in France, 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.
Recent and future engagements include Achilla Giulio Cesare for Opéra de Lille, Messiah in Braunschweig, Zuniga Carmen for the Glyndebourne Festival and further performances at Oper Frankfurt.
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
