Bass

James Creswell

The Flying Dutchman

Biography

American bass James Creswell has established himself as one of the leading basses of his generation. This is his first appearance with Irish National Opera. He graduated from Yale University and his early career included apprenticeships with Los Angeles Opera and San Francisco Opera until moving to Germany as a soloist with the Komische Oper Berlin.

In the 2024/25 season, James performs the roles of Comte des Grieux in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia; Sergeant of the Police in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance with English National Opera; and Jacopo Fiesco in Grange Park Opera’s production of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra.

James has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Dutch National Opera, Teatro Real Madrid, Bilbao Opera, Teatro dell’ Opera di Roma, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Staatsoper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, Theater an der Wien, Opéra de Bordeaux, Welsh National Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera, Edinburgh International Festival, Nederlandse Reisopera, Ravinia Festival and Bergen International Festival. He is also very much in demand on the concert stage. His previous performances include staged performances of Mozart’s Requiem at the Komische Oper Berlin, King Mark in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde with the Bremer Philharmoniker, Mahler Symphony No. 8, Dvořák St. Ludmilla and Schoenberg Gurrelieder for the Hallé Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder, Gurrelieder with the Bergen Philharmonic with Edward Gardner and Tippet's A Child of our Time and Rocco in Beethoven’s Fidelio for the BBC Proms.

March 2025