British / Irish bass Barnaby Rea "boasts a commanding stage presence and a rich bass voice" (Financial Times). A former Harewood Artist at English National Opera (2013-16) he was a member of the Oper Frankfurt solo ensemble from 2016 - 21.
Recent seasons have see Barnaby perform at houses including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro Real Madrid, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opéra de Lyon, Oper Frankfurt, Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées Paris and Opernhaus Zurich in roles such a Bottom A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sparafucile Rigoletto, Baron Zeta Die Lustige Witwe, Truffaldin Ariadne auf Naxos, Hobson Peter Grimes and Colline La Boheme.
“If there was a standout performance in this flawlessly matched cast, it would have to be Barnaby Rea as a definitive Nick Bottom. I have seen many very fine performers in this role, but none has infused Bottom with a vigorous, responsive bass of such charismatic presence, wedded to an unimaginably varied comic sensibility. When he was onstage, it was hard to look away from his magnetic presence, when he was offstage, we missed him. His posturing as Pyramus dominated that scene with an innate star presence. Mr. Rea contributed a masterful achievement.”
2024-25 SEASON
Barnaby begins the 2024 / 25 season with a return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where he will role debut Dottore Grenvil in the 30th Anniversary of Richard Eyre's much beloved production of La Traviata. He will then join the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra for a third time in Bucharest, Romania, on this occasion as Don Iñigo Gomez in Ravel's L'heure espagnole under the baton of Maxime Pascale. Following that Barnaby travels again to Switzerland to make his debut at Opéra de Lausanne as Quince in Laurent Pelly's staging of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Next Barnaby makes another house and role debut at Opera Nice Côte d'Azur as Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte. Followed by a return to English National Opera as David Riccio in Theresa Musgrave's Mary Queen of Scots and then a revival of From the House of the Dead at Oper Frankfurt as Prison Governor a role Barnaby originally performed in the 2018 premiere staging. His penultimate performance of the year is in concert at the Barbican Centre as First Soldier in Salome with the London Symphony Orchestra led by Sir Antonio Pappano. Barnaby closes out the current season with another portrayal of Quince this time at the Matsumoto Festival in Japan.
“Rea’s ‘Vecchia zimarra’ was doleful and laconic – the aria can sometimes come over as oddly pantomimic or silly – but carefully-nurtured legato lines and the oaky colors of Rea’s instrument gave it an understated gravitas.”
2023-24 SEASON
Barnaby begins his 2023-24 season with a return to the Enescu Festival in Bucharest in Romania this time he shall perform the role of Bosun in Britten’s Billy Budd under the baton of Hannu Lintu. Next he will make his return to Opéra national du Capitole Toulouse as Mityukha in Olivier Py’s new staging of Boris Godunov. The production will then transfer to Paris and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées early in 2024. Following that Barnaby will once again perform at Madrid’s Teatro Real on this occasion as Konrad Nachtigall in Laurent Pelly’s new production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
“The other [great performance] comes from Barnaby Rea’s Sparafucile: lean, mean, handsomely sung and lethally creepy.”
2022-23 SEASON
Barnaby commences the 2022-23 season at Oper Frankfurt performing the role of Konrad Nachtigall in Johannes Erath's new staging of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg under the baton of Sebastian Weigle. Next he makes his debut at Opéra de Rouen Normandie as Peter Quince in Robert Carson's famous staging of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Barnaby then once again returns to Oper Frankfurt this time taking the part of Hananja in a new production of Britten's The Burning Fiery Furnace. Following this Barnaby will make his debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in Deborah Warner's new vision of Wozzeck as Erste Handwerksburche under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano. He will finally close out the season with a return to Opera Holland Park in London as Colline in La Boheme.
“Bass Barnaby Rea plays Doctor Grenvil, effecting his role with a treacle-rich, cultured voice of some quality. His final act presence and performance proving integral to the overall emotional roller-coaster.” ”
2021-22 SEASON
2021 / 22 marked Barnaby's first season as a full time guest artist after five years as a member of the ensemble at Oper Frankfurt. He commenced the season with two house debuts back to back, firstly, at Deutsche Oper Berlin as Snug in the first revival of Ted Huffman's A Midsummer Night's Dream and then at Opernhaus Zürich where he created the role of Poseidon in the world premiere of Leonard Evers' Die Odyssee. Next Barnaby returned to Oper Frankfurt firstly to revisit Baron Mirko Zeta which he originally performed in Klaus Guth's 2018 premiere of Die Lustige Witwe [and which is available on Oehms Classics] and secondly as Nick Bottom in a new Brigitte Fassbender staging of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream. In the spring, sandwiched between the aforementioned Oper Frankfurt productions, he made his Opéra National de Lyon debut as Ratzekahl in Schreker’s Irrelohe directed by David Bösch. Barnaby then closed out 2021-22 with his North American debut in Des Moines Metro Opera’s 50th anniversary season and another critically acclaimed portrayal of Bottom.
“Barnaby Rea’s Bonze was something incredible and distinctly memorable for such a small appearance; this is a singer whose career must be watched for his booming voice and clarion tone!”
OTHER RECENT OPERATIC HIGHLIGHTS
Other recent operatic highlights include Hobson Peter Grimes (Teatro Real), Sparafucile Rigoletto, Adam Ochsenschwanz Schwergewicht, Lord Tristan Mickleford Martha [Oehms Classics] Truffaldino Ariadne auf Naxos, Soljony Tri Sestri [Oehms Classics], Pistola Falstaff, Zaretsky Eugene Onegin, Johann Werther, Commandant From the House of the Dead, Fabrizio Vingradito La Gazza Ladra, Hobson Peter Grimes, Sciarrone Tosca, Bosun Billy Budd (Oper Frankfurt), Sparafucile Rigoletto, Basilio The Barber of Seville, Colline La Bohème, Lodovico Otello, Nourabad The Pearl Fishers, Private Willis Iolanthe, Ben Benny Paul Bunyan, Ceprano Rigoletto, Second Priest / Second Armed Man The Magic Flute (English National Opera), Colline La Bohème (Opera North, Opera de Guatemala), Masetto Don Giovanni, Mother The Seven Deadly Sins (Scottish Opera), Alcade / Chirurgo La forza del destino, Der pfleger des Orest Elektra (Théâtre du Capitole), Alidoro La Cenerentola, Bertrand Iolanta, Zaresky/Captain Eugene Onegin, Bonze Madam Butterfly, Rocco I Gioielli della Madonna (Opera Holland Park), Osmin Die Entführung aus dem Serail (West Green Opera), Banquo Macbeth (Iford Opera).
“Barnaby Rea’s Nourabad deserves a special mention – it’s not a role with a huge amount to do, but he was close to stealing the show when he got a chance. ”
CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS
Recent and future highlights on the concert platform include, a return to the Edinburgh International Festival to perform Truffaldino in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under the baton of Lothar Koenigs, his Enescu Festival debut as Hobson in the Romanian premiere of Peter Grimes under the baton of Paul Daniel, his BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall performing the roles of Judge Pitkin / First Workman / Radio Announcer in On the Town live on BBC4 and Radio 3 with John Wilson and the London Symphony Orchestra, Verdi’s Requiem live on BBC Radio 3 and Mozart’s Requiem at London’s Royal Festival Hall, his debuts at St Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre in the Russian premiere of George Benjamin's Lessons in Love and Violence as Madman / Witness 3 and for Chelsea Opera Group at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall as Prince Gudal in Rubinstein's The Demon. A regular collaborator with the Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester, Barnaby returned twice to sing with the BFO in 19 /20 first to once again perform and this time record Hobson with Edward Gardner having previously performed the role at the Bergen International Festival and the Edinburgh International Festival and secondly to perform Beethoven's Prüfung des Küssens and Tremate, Empi Tremate with Jan Willem de Vriend. A keen interpreter of Kurt Weill Barnaby has sung Vom Tod im Wald and the Mahagonny Songspiel at Kings Place concert hall in London with the Continuum Ensemble and Mother The Seven Deadly Sins at the National Concert Hall in Dublin with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Barnaby also recorded the part of Bob Beckett HMS Pinafore live at the Edinburgh International Festival under the baton of Richard Egarr.
“A crack ensemble cast brought Broadway to the Royal Albert Hall … a scene-stealing turn from Barnaby Rea as Judge Pitkin.”
TRAINING
Barnaby trained at the National Opera Studio where he was supported by Scottish Opera and a Sybil Tutton Award administered by the Musicians Benevolent, having graduated from the highly acclaimed opera course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with the generous support of the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, the Musicians Benevolent Fund, the Wingate Foundation, the Hope Chest, Serena Fenwick, Towergate and the Worshipful Company of Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers. He continues to study under the guidance of John Evans. Operatic roles at GSMD included Bottom/Theseus in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Barbican Theatre, Falstaff in Nicolai's Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, Dr. Gibbs in the European premiere of Ned Rorem’s Our Town (GSMD) and Collatinus The Rape of Lucretia (British Youth Opera).
“... while all the supporting roles were cast from strength – especially Barnaby Rea’s sepulchrally-voiced First Apprentice who made an auspicious house debut.”