David Butt Philip

Last season, Butt Philip was seen as the Prince at Teatro Real in Christof Loy’s new production of Rusalka; Rodolfo at the English National Opera in their Drive & Live production of La bohème; Boris in a new production of Katja Kabanova at Glyndebourne; and Laca in a concert version of Janáček’s Jenůfa with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Karina Canellakis at the Concergebouw in Amsterdam. Butt Philip also joined the Edinburgh International Festival as Bacchus Ariadne auf Naxos; and returned to the Royal Opera House for their Christmas Concert conducted by Mark Wigglesworth. Further highlights include Florestan Fidelio, a role he recently debuted at the National Theatre in Prague and subsequently performed at the Royal Opera House in Tobias Kratzer’s coveted production, replacing an ailing Jonas Kaufmann. The performance starring Butt Philip and Lise Davidsen was subsequently aired on BBC4 and was met with great acclaim.

Recent engagements include the title role in Brett Dean’s Hamlet, this time in a new production by Matthew Jocelyn in Cologne; his widely acclaimed role debut in the title role of Der Zwerg in a new production by Tobias Kratzer at Deutsche Oper Berlin; Froh Das Rheingold and Essex in Sir David McVicar’s new production of Gloriana, both at Teatro Real and Erik Der fliegende Holländer at Opéra de Lille. British audiences saw him at the Royal Opera House as Grigoriy Boris Godunov and Narraboth Salome; at English National Opera in Daniel Kramer’s new production of Britten’s War Requiem for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award, Don Jose Carmen, Pinkerton and Rodolfo; at Opera Holland Park Count Vaudemont in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and Folco in Mascagni’s Isabeau; at Opera North as Laca Jenufa and Luigi Il Tabarro; and in Glyndebourne as Laertes in the premiere of Brett Dean’s Hamlet at the Glyndebourne Festival and then the title role with them on tour.

On the concert platform, Butt Philip has performed Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with the Hallé Orchestra and the Tonnkünstler Orchestra at Musikverein Vienna; Verdi’s Requiem with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra; Britten’s War Requiem with Opera Orchestra National Montpellier and Orquestra Sinfonica Portuguesa; Brett Dean’s From Melodius Lay with Vladimir Jurowski and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin; Prokofiev’s Seven, they are seven with the Philharmonia under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy and at the BBC Proms; Faust La damnation de Faust in a concert performance with the Orchestra of Opera North and with the Hallé Orchestra; Froh Das Rheingold with the Hallé Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Festival; Beethoven Symphony No.9 with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin and the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall; Beethoven Missa Solemnis with Rundfunkchor Berlin and Kammerakademie Potsdam; A Child of our Time in Lisbon; Handel’s Messiah with the Mozart Festival Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall; Mahler Das Klagende Lied with Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra; Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle at the Barbican; and Haydn Nelson Mass with the Hallé under Sir Mark Elder.

Born and brought up in Wells in Somerset, Butt Philip was a chorister at Peterborough Cathedral. He is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, the National Opera Studio and is also a Samling Artist, an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and winner of the prestigious John Christie Award in 2011.

2021/22 season / 819 words. Not to be altered without permission.