Thomas Atkins
A 2018 graduate of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House, New Zealand tenor Thomas Atkins is fast becoming a much sought-after artist on the international scene. Praised for his “tenorial heroism” (Opera Magazine) and a consummate actor and musician, he is already enjoying a thriving career with recent successful debuts at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra de Montpellier, Glyndebourne, Opéra National de Paris, Gothenburg Opera, the Barbican (with London Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra) and New Zealand Opera.
In the 2022/23 season, Atkins makes his role and house debut with Teatro de la Maestranza as Steva in Robert Carson’s production of Jenůfa and makes anticipated returns to Gothenburg Opera as Rodolfo La bohème; Glyndebourne as Tom Rakewell The Rake’s Progress for his role debut and The Royal Opera House as Narraboth Salome. On the concert platform, Atkins joins The Hallé and Sir Mark Elder for Verdi Requiem and Elgar The Kingdom and the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève as Tybald Roméo et Juliette conducted by Marc Leroy-Calatayud. In future seasons, Atkins debuts in title roles with Opéra de Rouen Normandie, Hamburg State Opera and The Royal Danish Theatre.
The 2021/22 season included a series of exciting company debuts for Atkins: at Opéra National de Paris as Der Steuermann Der fliegende Holländer, and the Israeli Opera and Opera Holland Park as Lensky Eugene Onegin. On the concert platform, he made his debut with The Hallé under the baton of Sir Mark Elder as Pinkerton Madama Butterfly.
Further appearances include Roderigo in Amélie Niermeyer’s production of Otello at Bayerische Staatsoper; Tamino in a semi-staged production of Die Zauberflöte at Glyndebourne and as Kudrjaš in a new production of Katya Kabanova, directed by Damiano Michieletto for the festival; Rodolfo La bohème with Opera North, Gothenburg Opera and New Zealand Opera; Lysander A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Opéra de Montpellier and Gastone La Traviata at the Royal Opera House.
Highlights on the concert platform include joining Marin Alsop and the London Symphony Orchestra in performances of Bernstein’s Candide; appearing in the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation Gala at Wigmore Hall; and his debut with Opera Rara as Empsaele Il Paria at the Barbican with the Britten Sinfonia under the baton of Sir Mark Elder. Further engagements include Beethoven Missa Solemnis with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Richard Farnes at the Barbican; performances at the Yakushiji Otobutai in Japan with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa; excerpts from Der Rosenkavalier with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder; Tippett A Child of Our Time; Mozart Requiem; Dubois Seven Last Words of Christ; Vaughan Williams Mass in G Minor; Handel Messiah; Verdi Requiem; Mozart Requiem in Switzerland; Rossini Stabat Mater, and opera galas in Budapest.
At the Royal Opera House, Atkins was seen as Gastone La Traviata, Roderigo Otello, Pilade Oreste, Faninal’s Major Domo Der Rosenkavalier, Poisson Adriana Lecouvreur, Enrique The Exterminating Angel, First Armed Man Die Zauberflöte, Don José La Tragédie de Carmen (Wilton’s Music Hall), Teacher Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and 2nd Brabant Noble Lohengrin.
Atkins is a graduate of the New Zealand School of Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, during which he was supported by the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation and the New Zealand Arts Foundation Patronage. He was a finalist in the Guildhall School ‘Gold Medal’ in 2015 and is the recipient of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama award, the Sheila Prior Prize, the Phoebe Patrick Award and the Vianden International Summer School Award – all from the 2012 IFAC Australian Singing Competition.