Simon O'Neill

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Simon O'Neill (born 1971) is a New Zealand-born operatic tenor.

[edit] Biography

O'Neill was born in Ashburton, New Zealand and received his musical training at the University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, graduating with an honours degree in music, before receiving scholarships to the Manhattan School of Music, and the Juilliard Opera Center.

While studying at the Juilliard Opera Center, he sang the title role in Idomeneo, Sam in Susannah, and Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues of the Carmelites under the baton of Julius Rudel. Subsequently at San Francisco's Merola Opera Program, he performed Rodolfo in La Bohème as well as the title role in La Clemenza di Tito with Wolf Trap Opera.

He made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Gran Sacerdote in Mozart's (Idomeneo with James Levine), his Covent Garden debut as Jenik in Smetana’s (The Bartered Bride with Sir Charles Mackerras) followed by Florestan (Fidelio with Antonio Pappano) and Salzburg Festival in Die Zauberflöte with Riccardo Muti. Simon toured Japan with the Metropolitan Opera covering Plácido Domingo in the role of Siegmund. Other roles include Mitch in Previn's (A Streetcar Named Desire) at Theater an der Wien, Rodolfo (La Boheme) in the New Orleans, Grand Rapids and San Francisco, Don Jose (Carmen) and Tito (La clemenza di Tito) at Wolftrap, Chairman Mao in John Adam’s (Nixon in China) with Minnesota Opera, Dimitri (Boris Godunov) with New Zealand Opera, Skuratov in Janacek’s (From the House of the Dead) in New York, Canio (Pagliacci) in concert with the Auckland Philharmonia, Sam in Floyd’s (Susannah) at the Wexford Festival, Chevalier de la Force (Dialogues of the Carmelites) at Juilliard and recorded the role of Lancelot in Chausson’s (Le Roi Arthus) with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Most recently (2008) he performed he title role of Parsifal at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome conducted by Daniele Gatti and made debuts as Siegmund in Die Walküre at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden with Antonio Pappano and at the Metropolitan Opera with Donald Runnicles.

O'Neill also appears on the 1997 New Zealand one-dollar performing arts postage stamp.