David Butt Philip

This 2024-25 season Butt Philip returns to the Metropolitan Opera as Florestan Fidelio, a role he also sings at Semperoper Dresden, in his company debut. He also reprises the Title Role of Lohengrin at the Wiener Staatsoper under the baton of Christian Thielemann and the title role in Der Zwerg at Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he also stars as Kaiser in a new production of Die frau ohne Schatten. On the concert platform he performs the Glagolitic Mass and Mahler Symphony no. 8 with the Czech Philharmonic; the title role of Candide in concert performances at Semperoper Dresden; and Dream of Gerontius for Huddersfield Choral Society and the Opera North Orchestra under conductor Martyn Brabbins.

Last season Butt Philip made three appearances at Wiener Staatsoper: his role debut as Apollo in Richard Strauss Daphne, a new production of Lohengrin and a return as Stolzing Die Meistersinger in the production he premiered the previous season. Other highlights included his debut at the Staatsoper Berlin as Apollo; Don José Carmen and Lohengrin at the Deutsche Oper Berlin; Florestan Fidelio at the Bayerische Staatsoper and a role debut as Canio Pagliacci at Opera Holland Park. On the concert platform he performed Mahler Symphony No. 8 with Staatskapelle Dresden under the baton of Christian Thielemann and at the Bergen International Festival with Edward Gardner; and made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker with Dvořák Stabat Mater conducted by Jakub Hrůša.

Engagements of the previous season included a triple appearance at the Wiener Staatsoper as Laca Jenůfa, Stolzing in Keith Warner’s new production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Don Jose Carmen. He also made his company and role debut at the San Francisco Opera as Der Kaiser in David Hockney’s production of Die Frau ohne Schatten conducted by Sir David Runnicles and returned to the Royal Ballet and Opera as the Prince in a new contemporary staging of Rusalka by Natalie Abrahami and Ann Yee. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Grigory Boris Godunuv and in the American premiere of Brett Dean’s Hamlet as Laertes; Boris in a new production of Katya Kabanova at the Salzburg Festival and in Glyndebourne; the title role in Brett Dean’s Hamlet, this time in a new production by Matthew Jocelyn in Cologne; his widely acclaimed role debut in the title role of Der Zwerg in a new production by Tobias Kratzer, and as Lohengrin at Deutsche Oper Berlin; Bacchus Ariadne auf Naxos at the Bayerische Staatsoper; the Prince in Christof Loy’s new production of Rusalka, Froh Das Rheingold and Essex in Sir David McVicar’s new production of Gloriana, all at Teatro Real and Erik Der fliegende Holländer at Opéra de Lille; Florestan Fidelio at the National Theatre in Prague and subsequently at the Royal Ballet and Opera in Tobias Kratzer’s coveted production, replacing an ailing Jonas Kaufmann. The performance starring Butt Philip and Lise Davidsen was subsequently aired on BBC4 and was met with great acclaim. British audiences saw him at the Royal Ballet and Opera as The Prince Rusalka, Grigoriy Boris Godunov; Narraboth Salome and a Christmas concert conducted by Mark Wigglesworth; at English National Opera as Rodolfo in their Drive & Live production of La bohème, Daniel Kramer’s new production of Britten’s War Requiem, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award, Don Jose Carmen and Pinkerton Madama Butterfly; at Opera Holland Park as Count Vaudemont in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and Folco in Mascagni’s Isabeau; at Opera North as Laca Jenůfa and Luigi Il Tabarro; and at Glyndebourne as Laertes in the premiere of Brett Dean’s Hamlet at the Glyndebourne Festival and then as the title role on tour.

His notable concert appearances include Stolzing Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for his debut at the Spring Festival in Tokyo and Schönberg’s Gurre-Lieder with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Edward Gardner.

Born and brought up in Wells in Somerset, Butt Philip was a chorister at Peterborough Cathedral. He is a graduate of Royal Northern College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, and the National Opera Studio and was also a Samling Artist, an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and winner of the prestigious John Christie Award in 2011.