Christopher Purves

Recent operatic highlights include his return to Teatro dell’Opera di Roma as Tsagro in Saariaho’s Adriana Mater, his role debut as Wotan in Das Rheingold at Opera de Monte-Carlo, the title role in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd for the Komische Oper Berlin, the title role in Verdi's Falstaff with Staatsoper Hamburg and the title role in Barrie Kosky’s production of Saul at Glyndebourne, the Royal Danish Theatre, Opera Koln, Théâtre du Châtelet, Houston Grand Opera and the Adelaide Festival.

Famed for his interpretation of Alberich in the Ring Cycle, recent productions have included the new Ring Cycle directed by Barrie Kosky for the Royal Ballet and Opera, Opernhaus Zurich, Houston Grand Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Canadian Opera Company. Elsewhere he has sung Balstrode in Peter Grimes for the Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro alla Scala and the Teatro Real, Forester in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen for the Canadian Opera Company, Nick Shadow Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress for Teatro Colon; and roles including the title role in Falstaff, Golaud in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, title role in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly and the title role in Mozart's Don Giovanni for houses including Glyndebourne Festival, English National Opera, Opéra National de Lyon, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Opera North, Salzburger Festspiele and Chicago Lyric Opera.

Highlights on the concert platform include the title role in Bartok’s Bluebeard's Castle with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (Anja Bihlmajer), Méphistophélès in Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust with the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (Karina Canellakis) the title role in Saul with Arcangelo (Jonathan Cohen), Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with the CBSO (Kazuki Yamada), HK Gruber’s Frankenstein!! with San Francisco Symphony (Esa-Pekka Salonen), Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (Jan-Willem de Vriend), Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Orchestra of Opéra de Rouen Normandie, Alberich in Das Rheingold with the New York Philharmonic (Alan Gilbert), Balstrode in Peter Grimes at the Enescu Festival, Protector in Written on Skin at La Biennale di Venezia, the world premiere of The Anvil: An Elegy for Peterloo with the BBC Philharmonic, Mozart’s Requiem with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Bach’s St John Passion at the Concertgebouw and with the Academy of Ancient Music alongside a European tour of Handel’s Messiah with Le Concert d’Astree (Emmanuelle Haïm). Purves appears regularly at the BBC proms, most recently for Beethoven 9 with the Aurora Orchestra, Peasant in Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder with the London Symphony Orchestra and Elgar’s The Kingdom with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Purves is particularly affiliated with contemporary repertoire and has created roles in a number of notable premieres, most recently singing Walt Disney in the world premiere of Phillip Glass’ The Perfect American at the Teatro Real, Madrid and the English National Opera & Protector in George Benjamin's Written on Skin at The Royal Ballet and Opera. For composer Sir James Macmillan, Purves has originated roles in The Sacrifice at Welsh National Opera, Ines de Castro at Scottish Opera and Parthenogenesis at the Edinburgh International Festival. Other recent contemporary highlights include two Kaija Saariaho operas, including Father-in-Law in Innocence for the Royal Ballet and Opera and Tsargo in a concert staging of Adriana Mater for the San Francisco Symphony, the recording of which won a Grammy in 2025 for Best Opera Recording.

Purves extensive discography includes solo album My Soul, What Fear You? (King’s College Recordings, 2023) in collaboration with pianist Simon Lepper, the title role in Mozart Le nozze di Figaro for Chandos, Handel Messiah and Saul with Harry Christophers and The Sixteen, Donizetti Maria di Rohan and Ricci La Prigione di Edimburgo for Opera Rara, Written on Skin with George Benjamin and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra; and Mozart Requiem with Stephen Cleobury and the Choir of King’s College Cambridge. In 2018 Purves’ second volume of Handel’s Finest Arias for Base Voice was released on Hyperion with Arcangelo and Jonathan Cohen to great critical acclaim, following the huge success of his debut solo disc in 2012.

He started his musical life as a choral scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, and went on to become a member of experimental rock group Harvey and the Wallbangers.

2026/27 season / 785 words. Not to be altered without permission.