DOUGLAS MCNICOL
Douglas McNicol was educated in South Australia before undertaking extensive vocal study in Europe. He began his professional singing career at the State Opera of South Australia, making his debut with The Australian Opera, now Opera Australia, in 1991. A Churchill Fellow, Douglas has also won the Australian Singing Competition, and the National Opera Festival Award.
During his career he has worked for all the major opera companies and orchestras in Australia and New Zealand. Regarded as one of Australia’s most versatile and experienced baritones, notable engagements include the world premiere seasons of Richard Mills’ opera, The Love of the Nightingale presented by the Perth International Arts Festival and the West Australian Opera in Perth, with seasons following in Brisbane and Melbourne, La Fanciulla del West (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) and The Barber of Seville (State Opera of South Australia).
Roles which he has performed to high acclaim include Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Don Giovanniand Leporelloin Don Giovanni, Marcello (La bohème), Papageno(Magic Flute), Figaro and Count Almaviva inLe Nozze di Figaro, Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Amonasro (Aida),Don Carlo (La forza del destino), Rigoletto, Ford (Falstaff), Giorgio Germont (La traviata) Dr Falke (Die Fledermaus), Valentine (Faust ), Belcore (L’elisir d’amore), Zurga (The Pearlfishers), Escamillo (Carmen), Ned Keene (Peter Grimes), and Judge Turpin (Sweeney Todd). His performance as Sharpless for Opera Australia, is available on DVD.
His engagement to sing the role of Scarpia in Tosca at Canterbury Opera, New Zealand, which was an outstanding success, represented the beginning of a move towards more dramatic repertoire including the lower Verdi baritone roles, such as Don Carlo which he sang in a new production of La forza del destino, also for Canterbury Opera. He has also gained a reputation for excellence in contemporary opera, performing such roles as the Lieutenant in a new John Haddock opera, Madeline Lee for Opera Australia and Owen Hart in the Australian premiere of Dead Man Walking for State Opera of South Australia.
As a concert artist Douglas has a wide repertoire of oratorio and concert works. He has appeared with Melbourne, Adelaide, Queensland, and West Australian Symphony Orchestras, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra as well as performing concerts in Italy and the UK and as a guest artist at ‘Opera Under The Stars’ in Broome, and with numerous choral societies and chamber music ensembles.
His concert repertoire includes Bach’s Magnificat, Christmas Oratorio, Mass in B Minor and Christus in St John and Matthew Passions; Acis and Galatea; The Tempest and The Childhood of Christ; Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, and the Fauré, Brahms and Mozart Requiems, Handel’s Messiah and The Bells by Rachmaninov.
Douglas’ recent engagements include Giorgio Germont in La Traviata for Opera Queensland, the roles of Amonasro (Aida), Peter (Hansel and Gretel) and the four villains in the Tales of Hoffmann for State Opera of South Australia, Sonora in La Fanciulla del West for both State Opera of South Australia and West Australian Opera, Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 for the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Count in The Marriage of Figaro for the Brisbane Festival.
In 2011 Douglas will again perform the role of Scarpia and make his role debut as Jack Rance in La Fanciulla del West both with Opera Queensland, perform Faure Requiem with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and Captain Gardner (Moby Dick) with SOSA.
Douglas 2012 engagements include Speaker, The Magic Flute for Opera Australia.
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