David Butt Philip

One of the most exciting tenors Britain has to offer today, David Butt Philip is quickly becoming a firm favorite on the major international stages, having made resounding debuts at the Salzburg Festival, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Metropolitan Opera and Teatro Real, Madrid.

This season, Butt Philip makes his debut at the Wiener Staatsoper with a triple appearance: first as Laca Jenůfa, then as Stolzing in Keith Warner’s new production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and finally as Don Jose Carmen in Calixto Bieito’s legendary production. Butt Philip also debuts at the San Francisco Opera as Der Kaiser Die Frau ohne Schatten conducted by Sir David Runnicles and returns to the Royal Opera House as the Prince in a new contemporary staging of Rusalka by Natalie Abrahami and Ann Yee. On the concert platform, Butt Philip debuts at the Spring Festival in Tokyo as Stolzing Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and joins the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Edward Gardner for Schönberg’s Gurre-Lieder.

Last season, Butt Philip made debuts at the Metropolitan Opera as both Grigory Boris Godunuv and in the American premiere of Brett Dean’s Hamlet as Laertes; at Washington National Opera for a series of celebratory concerts conducted by Evan Rogister and at the Salzburg Festival as Boris Katya Kabanova. Further appearances included his role debut in the title role of Lohengrin at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Bacchus Ariadne auf Naxos at the Bayerische Staatsoper. On the concert platform, Butt Philip joined the Noord Nederlands Orkest and the Hungarian State Opera for Mahler Das Lied von der Erde; Orchestre de l’Opéra de Rouen Normandie for Beethoven Missa Solemnis and a gala evening at Opera Holland Park.

Recent engagements include Boris in a new production of Katya Kabanova at 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 at Deutsche Oper Berlin; 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 Opera House 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 Opera House as Grigoriy Boris Godunov and Narraboth Salome and at 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 War Requiem, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award, Don Jose Carmen and Pinkerton Madama Butterfly; at Opera Holland Park Count Vaudemont in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and Folco in Mascagni 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.

On the concert platform, Butt Philip has performed Bacchus Ariadne auf Naxos at the Edinburgh International Festival; Laca Jenůfa with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Karina Canellakis at the Concergebouw in Amsterdam; Elgar Dream of Gerontius with the Hallé Orchestra and the Tonnkünstler Orchestra at Musikverein Vienna; Verdi Requiem with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales; Britten War Requiem with Opera Orchestra National Montpellier and Orquestra Sinfonica Portuguesa; Brett Dean From Melodius Lay with Vladimir Jurowski and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin; Prokofiev Seven, they are seven with the Philharmonia under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy and at the BBC Proms; a streamed performance from Royal Opera House of Das Lied von der Erde with Sir Antonio Pappano and Dame Sarah Connoly; Faust La damnation de Faust in a concert performance with the Orchestra of Opera North and with the Hallé Orchestra; Froh Das Rheingold with the Hallé Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Festival; Beethoven Symphony No.9 with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo, the Hallé Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder at Bridgewater Hall and the Barbican, Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin and the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall; Beethoven Missa Solemnis with Rundfunkchor Berlin and Kammerakademie Potsdam; A Child of our Time in Lisbon; Handel Messiah with the Mozart Festival Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall; Mahler Das Klagende Lied with Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra; Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle at the Barbican; and Haydn Nelson Mass with the Hallé under Sir Mark Elder.

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