"David Leigh is Sarastro from the moment he opens his mouth, and it's a struggle to decide what is more impressive: his telluric low notes or his impeccably elegant vocal line"
- Première Loge
Represented by
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Kent Nagano, Conductor
Claus Guth, Stage Director
Kent Nagano, Conductor
Claus Guth, Stage Director
Kent Nagano, Conductor
Claus Guth, Stage Director
Semyon Bychkov , Conductor
Semyon Bychkov , Conductor
Robert Spano, Conductor
Francesca Zambello, Stage Director
Rocco Fidelio with the Washington National Opera, debut with Opéra national de Paris as Virgilio Il Viaggio, Dante, Hagen Götterdämmerung at Opernhaus Zürich, Commendatore Don Giovanni with Canadian Opera Company, Sarastro Die Zauberflöte with Ravinia Festival, appearances at Opéra de Lyon, Staatsoper Hamburg, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Recent career highlights include debuts with the Bayerische Staatsoper as Colline La bohème and Commendatore Don Giovanni at the Hyōgo Performing Arts Center, return to Opernhaus Zürich as Fafner in a new production of Wagner’s Siegfried, König Marke Tristan und Isolde Santa Fe Opera as, Opernhaus Zürich and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence as Commendatore Don Giovanni, Bolshoi Theatre as Colline La bohème, Filippo II Don Carlos* Dallas Opera.
At the Metropolitan Opera, as a member of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, he performed the Surintendant des Plaisirs in Laurent Pelly’s production of Massenet’s Cendrillon under the baton of Bertrand de Billy, and was presented in a joint recital at the Park Avenue Armory with mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo.
Other engagements included Commendatore at Florentine Opera and the Festival d’Opéra Baroque de Beaune, Fafner Siegfried at Cincinnati’s Queen City Opera, the role of the Snow Queen in the French premiere of Hans Abrahamsen’s The Snow Queen at Opéra national du Rhin, Sarastro Die Zauberflöte at Opéra national de Lorraine and Canadian Opera Company, Prince Gremin Eugene Onegin at Seattle Opera, Zuniga Carmen while covering the role of Vodnik Rusalka at San Francisco Opera, King Hjarne in Poul Ruder’s The Thirteenth Child at Santa Fe Opera, the leading role of Turbo in the world-premiere of Rufus Wainwright’s Hadrian and Gurnemanz Parsifal * with Canadian Opera Company, Sparafucile Rigoletto with Kentucky Opera, Puccini’s Manon Lescaut Dallas Opera (* cancelled due to Covid 19).
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Duisburg Philharmonic and the Nashville Opera, Mozart’s Requiem with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra with Fabio Luisi, Verdi’s Requiem with the Choral Society of Northeast Pennsylvania debut with Jacaranda Music in Los Angeles for the world premiere of Peter Knell and Stephanie Fleischman’s Arkhipov, Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass with the Czech Philharmonic.
Poor Wayfarin' Stranger
Poor Wayfarin' Stranger
Ella giammai m'amò - Filippo's Aria from Don Carlos
Ella giammai m'amò - Filippo's Aria from Don Carlos
David Leigh thrills as the treacherous Turbo. His massive tone and incredible range were on full display
It is at this point that we will finally see Fafner (David Leigh) appear, whose dazzling bass voice we had until now only heard through a reverberated sound system.
David Leigh lends the Fafner sonorous, grumpy, organ-like bass tones, first from off-, then, after leaving the still breathing body of the wounded giant dragon, physically on-stage
With a sonorous bass voice, one experiences David Leigh as the defeated giant dragon, revealing himself as Fafner and revealing to Siegfried Mime's murderous plan
Am stärksten in Erinnerung bleibt – neben Shushakov – sicherlich DAVID LEIGH als Komtur, was für ein schöner, voluminöser und wohlklingender Bass!
As the Commendatore, David Leigh's massive, dark-hued sound commanded attention, and for his final appearance he stalked and skulked in a dramatic follow-spot, smoking menacingly.
David Leigh was a very fine Sarastro, his imposing appearance and strong, utterly solid, bass impressive. No wonder he has become something of a house favourite.
We've heard Leigh before in Turandot and Hadrian and his voice has become even more majestic. It is a basso profundo that is almost devoid of vibrato, so pure and stately is the sound. He can also go right down to the bottom of his toes for the low notes. I need a Sarastro with a compelling and commanding sound, and Leigh fits the bill.
David Leigh est Sarastro dès qu'il ouvra la bouche et l'on serait bien en peine de dire ce qui impressionne le plus de ses graves telluriques ou de sa ligne de chant impeccablement élégante.
