Richard Morrison

Richard Morrison is a prize-winning graduate of the Royal College Of Music where he studied on the Opera Course under Edward Brooks, James Lockhart and the distinguished Italian soprano and opera producer, Graziella Sciutti. While a student he sang numerous opera roles, working under conductors including Sir Colin Davis and Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

Richard is currently singing Don Giovanni, Peter (Hänsel und Gretel) and Ned Keene (Peter Grimes) at the Staatstheater Mainz, Germany. Later this year he will sing Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) and in 2007 Pelléas (Pelléas et Mélisande) and Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor). Other roles at the Staatstheater Mainz have included Belcore (L’elisir d’amore), Ottokar (Der Freischütz), Germont (La traviata), Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Marullo (Rigoletto) and Marco (Gianni Schicchi). He has also appeared at the Bremer Theater, Bremen singing Ottokar and at Theater Bonn singing Peter. In July 2005 he sang Don Alfonso in Samling Opera’s production of Cosi fan tutte, directed by Sir Thomas Allen and in 2003 he sang Count Robinson in Il Matrimonio Segreto at Opera North, England .

In concert and recital Richard has an extensive repertoire and has appeared at principal venues and festivals with leading orchestras and conductors throughout the UK and abroad. With his father, the Scottish baritone Peter Morrison, he has sung in concerts the length and breadth of Scotland . He has broadcast on Classic FM and BBC TV and Radio, and he appears regularly with the BBC Concert Orchestra on BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night Is Music Night. On CD he has recorded the role of The Sultan in Sullivan’s Rose Of Persia, a BBC World Premiere recording with the Hanover Band.

Mainzer Rhein Zeitung, Jan 2006: “… arguably you couldn’t hear Don Giovanni’s Serenade more subtly delivered. Richard Morrison is always a convincing seducer.”

Wiesbadener Kurier, Jan 2006: “Richard Morrison’s Don Giovanni sings almost too beautifully to be true. The delicate, seductive tone in the Duet La ci darem suits him very well.”

Darmstädter Echo, Jan 2006: “ … in particular Richard Morrison in the title role who, in his seductive Serenade to Donna Elvira’s maid, delivered a brilliant show of subtle, artistic shading.”

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Jan 2006: “Richard Morrison’s Don Giovanni … sings terrifically, with a wonderful dark velvet baritone voice.”

Frankfurter Rundshau, Mar 2004: “Enter Figaro … It is his world, his opera. He pulls the strings. He directs the fate. And Richard Morrison does this with such a born coolness and elegance that this alone makes it worthwhile to travel to Mainz to see his Barber Of Seville. His baritone flies supply through Rossini’s part, effervescent, but always precise.”

Frankfurter Rundshau, Feb 2004: “Giorgio Germont … with a voice of profound stature: Richard Morrison.”

Wiesbadener Kurier, Feb 2004: “Richard Morrison lent the Father Germont a soothing, noble baritone.”

Mainzer Rhein Zeitung, Feb 2004: “Richard Morrison delivered his part with might, but always with a baritone agile and unstrained in the high register.”

Opera Magazine, Mar 2003: “The exception here, making his company debut, was Richard Morrison’s excellent Count Robinson, homing unerringly in to the wrong girl. Here is a Figaro in the making.”

The Stage, Jan 2003: “Best of all, Richard Morrison presents a poised, subtly under-played Lord Robinson, rooting comedy in character not business.”

(Updated Jan 2006)