Biography
Described by Pierre Boulez as ‘un musicien formidable’ and ‘unflaggingly robust’ by Opera Magazine, tenor Brian Smith Walters began his musical career as a French horn player before turning to singing. In his career, Brian has performed over 75 roles, including such roles as Tristan Tristan und Isolde, Siegfried, Parsifal, Siegmund Die Walküre, Paul Die tote Stadt, Samson Samson et Dalila, Captain Vere Billy Budd and Peter Grimes. He has worked with conductors Valery Gergiev, Sir Mark Elder, and Christoph Eschenbach in the Lucerne, Schleswig-Holstein, Longborough, Buxton, Grange Park, and Aldeburgh festivals with additional work at the Barbican, Polish National Opera, English National Opera and Royal Opera, Covent Garden.
In contemporary music, he has premiered various works by Nicola LeFanu, Michael Torke, Domenic Muldowney, and Ailis Ni Riain and has collaborated with Harrison Birtwistle, Oliver Knussen, and Pierre Boulez on performances of their works. As a student, Brian was the UK’s sole representative to the first Lucerne Festival academy for contemporary music.
Brian has performed on BBC Radios 3 and 4; SWR Radio (Switzerland); NDR Radio and Television (Germany); and African Television.
Recent career highlights have included performing the role of Mark in Ethel Smyth’s The Wreckers as part of the centenary of women’s suffrage; singing Andrei in the English premiere of Tchaikovsky’s The Oprichnik; singing Menalas in the UK premiere of Strauss’s Die ägyptische Helena (Wiener Fassung); and making his New York debut, singing Siegmund in Carnegie Hall for Manhattan Opera working with staff from the Metropolitan Opera.
Please contact for a full CV.