Douglas Williams
“The gifted young bass-baritone Douglas Williams” (The New York Times) combines a “formidable stage presence” (Seattle Times) with “a bass voice of splendid solidity” (Music Web International), making him one of the most appealing singing actors of his generation. He has collaborated with leading conductors including Nicholas McGegan, Helmut Rilling, Sir Neville Marriner, John Nelson, and Christoph Rousset, in such prestigious venues as Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Stuttgart’s Mozart-Saal, and the Frankfurt Alte Oper.
Douglas was highly acclaimed as “Polyphemus” in the world premiere Mark Morris Dance Group production of Handel’s Acis and Galatea, and he performs the role this fall with Boston Early Music Festival. A recording with the group will be released in 2015. Other recent appearances include “Laurence” in Grétry’s Le Magnifique with Opera Lafayette (recorded for Naxos) and “Aeneas” in Dido and Aeneas with the Boston Early Music Festival. His recording of Charpentier’s La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers with BEMF won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording.
Mr. Williams’ “superb sense of drama” (The New York Times) is as apparent on the concert stage as it is in opera. Concert highlights include a performance at Carnegie Hall with James Levine and the MET Chamber Ensemble of Charles Wuorinen’s It Happens Like This; Handel’s Messiah with the Detroit and Houston Symphony Orchestras; Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Cathedral Choral Society; Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with New Haven Symphony, and Bach’s St. John Passion with Les Talens Lyriques.
His 2015-2016 season features performances and a new recording of Scarlatti’s La Gloria di primavera with conductor Nicholas McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and a reprisal of his role of “Caronte” in Monteverdi’s Orfeo with the dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests in Berlin, Bergen, and Baden-Baden and Opera Lille in France.
Douglas was highly acclaimed as “Polyphemus” in the world premiere Mark Morris Dance Group production of Handel’s Acis and Galatea, and he performs the role this fall with Boston Early Music Festival. A recording with the group will be released in 2015. Other recent appearances include “Laurence” in Grétry’s Le Magnifique with Opera Lafayette (recorded for Naxos) and “Aeneas” in Dido and Aeneas with the Boston Early Music Festival. His recording of Charpentier’s La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers with BEMF won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording.
Mr. Williams’ “superb sense of drama” (The New York Times) is as apparent on the concert stage as it is in opera. Concert highlights include a performance at Carnegie Hall with James Levine and the MET Chamber Ensemble of Charles Wuorinen’s It Happens Like This; Handel’s Messiah with the Detroit and Houston Symphony Orchestras; Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Cathedral Choral Society; Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with New Haven Symphony, and Bach’s St. John Passion with Les Talens Lyriques.
His 2015-2016 season features performances and a new recording of Scarlatti’s La Gloria di primavera with conductor Nicholas McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and a reprisal of his role of “Caronte” in Monteverdi’s Orfeo with the dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests in Berlin, Bergen, and Baden-Baden and Opera Lille in France.
