Sir Thomas Allen C.B.E.

Patron of The Samling Foundation

Thomas Allen is an established star of the great opera houses of the world. At the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, where in 2001 he celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of his debut with the company, he has sung over forty roles. Last year, he also celebrated his twentieth anniversary of his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.

He has been particularly acclaimed for his Billy Budd, Pelleas, Eugene Onegin, Count Almaviva, Sixtus Beckmesser and, of course, Don Giovanni, roles he has made his own all over the world. Equally renowned on the concert platform, he appears in recital in the United Kingdom, throughout Europe, in Australia and America, and has appeared with the world's great orchestras and conductors. The greatest part of his repertoire has been extensively recorded.

Photo by Sussie Ahlberg

Thomas Allen's first book, Foreign Parts - A Singer's Journal was published in 1993. His many honours and awards include Honorary Membership of the Royal Academy of Music, Prince Consort Professor of the Royal College of Music, the Hambro Visiting Professorship of Opera Studies at Oxford University, Fellowship of the Royal College of Music, Fellowship of the University of Sunderland, D.Mus. from Durham University, M.A. from Newcastle University, Fellow of Jesus College Oxford, Privilegiate of St Hilda's College Oxford and Kammersanger of the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, a title given for services to opera in Bavaria. In the New Year's Honours of 1989 he was created a Commander of the British Empire and in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours he was made a Knight Bachelor.