James Young

Three performances of Der Rosenkavalier still to go in Heidelberg! Looking forward to returning as Faninal on 9 May, 31 May and 20 July in the Marguerre-Saal.

Sa 25.4. | 19:00 | Peterskirche Heidelberg Bachchor-Konzert: Schönberg / Brahms Ich freue mich sehr, als Bariton-Solist in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem mitzuwirken. Mit Bachchor Heidelberg & Philharmonischem Orchester Heidelberg Leitung: Alice Meregaglia (Ausverkauft – Restkarten ggf. an der Abendkasse) - EN Sat 25 April | 7:00 PM | Peterskirche Heidelberg Bach Choir Concert: Schönberg / Brahms I’m very pleased to be singing the baritone solo in Brahms’ A German Requiem. With Bachchor Heidelberg & the Philharmonisches Orchester Heidelberg Conductor: Alice Meregaglia (Sold out – limited tickets may be available at the door) 📷 @vellumstudios_steve

TONIGHT: After months of work, the day has finally arrived - our beautiful, funny and deeply moving production of Der Rosenkavalier will have its premiere at @theater_und_orchester_hd This is such a special Inzenierung from @andreaschwalbach and genius @minomarani am Pult - it's just too exciting and I am filled with gratitude to join a simply perfect cast for Strauss' masterpiece. TOI, TOI, TOI! Regie @andreaschwalbach Musikalische Leitung @minomarani Bühne @anne_neuser Kostüme @britta.leonhardt Lichtdesign Ralf Kabrhel Dramaturgie Ulrike Schumann Musikalische Vorbereitung @hanna_klose_p @nanami.yamane Manon Parmentier Die Feldmarschallin Fürstin Werdenberg @signeheiberg_soprano Der Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau Ks. Wilfried Staber Octavian @amberfasquelle Herr von Faninal @jamesyoungopera Sophie, seine Tochter @theresaimmerz Marianne Leitmetzerin @indre.pelakauskaite Haushofmeister @gergely_nemeti Valzacchi @santiagoburgi Annina @zlata_khershberg_reith Sänger @jaesung.__.kim @joaoterleira.tenor Ein Polizeikommissar / Ein Notar @thando_baritone 🥀

„In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours.“ - Thomas Hardy  20th September 2025, The Old Museum Building, Brisbane Australia 💖

Ein ernster Tag, ein großer Tag, ein heiliger Tag! Delighted to share my first role for 2026 is Faninal in Richard Strauss' masterpiece: Der Rosenkavalier at Theater Heidelberg! Regie @andreaschwalbach Musikalische Leitung @minomarani Bühne Anne Neuser Kostüme Britta Leonhardt Lichtdesign Ralf Kabrhel Dramaturgie Ulrike Schumann Musikalische Vorbereitung @hanna_klose_p @nanami.yamane Manon Parmentier - Die Feldmarschallin Fürstin Werdenberg @signeheiberg_soprano Der Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau Ks. Wilfried Staber Octavian @amberfasquelle Herr von Faninal James Young Sophie, seine Tochter @theresaimmerz Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin / Eine Modistin @indre.pelakauskaite Valzacchi Santiago Bürgi Annina Zlata Khershberg-Reith Sänger @jaesung.__.kim @joaoterleira.tenor Ein Polizeikommissar / Ein Notar @thando_baritone

Still taking this in - I’ve been awarded the International Opera Award's Emerging Bass Prize at the 2025 Concorso Lirico Internazionale di Portofino. 🇮🇹 Portofino was one of the most beautiful (and surreal) places I’ve ever sung, and a competition I've been dreaming of for many years now. Thank you to the esteemed jury for the recognition, to the sponsors and to everyone who’s been pushing me forward behind the scenes - teachers, colleagues, mentors and friends. @concorsoliricoportofino #PortofinoOpera #EmergingBass #BassBaritone #OperaSinger #ClassicalMusic #OperaJourney #Bühne #ArtistLife

Tremendously grateful to share the news that I received the honour of becoming the 101st winner of the Royal South Street Society Herald Sun Aria competition! Thank you to conductor Raymond M Lawrence and the Melbourne Opera orchestra for your extraordinary conducting and playing. Thank you to Dr Mark and Dr Alla Medownick for their generousity in sponsoring this amazing prize! People don't realise the hardships in pursuing an operatic career and a prize like this is truly life-changing. Congratulations to my colleagues on their stunning singing and performance(s) Livia Brash, Breanna Stuart, Molly Ryan, Jake Bigwood and Bailey Montgomerie. It was an honour to share this great experience and stage with you. Thanks to Mairi Nicolson for your beautiful presenting on the night and for giving the audience an insight into our backgrounds and the arias. Thank you especially to the judges Simon Meadows, Greg Hocking and Margaret Haggart for bestowing this enormous honour on me. Thanks Robbie McPhee and Suzanne Chaundy for all of your organising and support throughout the whole competition, including in Ballarat during the heats and semi-finals and to all the volunteers, your work made all of this possible and the entire process enjoyable. Thank you to all of my teachers and people who have supported and guided my journey so far, without whom none of this would have been possible. And thank you finally to my family, my beautiful wife Ellie, my parents Louise and Jeff, and Ellie’s parents Didy and John. It is not lost on me just what an honour it is to have been awarded this prize. In 2017, I was a semifinalist and sung after the eventual winner Max Riebl and watching him from the wings, I was inspired to see how with enough effort and dedication what impact an operatic performance can have on people's lives. And for my name to be added alongside many of the greatest Australian and New Zealand singers, including the likes of Dame Joan Sutherland and many others both from the past and contemporary years, is truly humbling.

For one-night-only I am delighted to share this concert with you at the Magdalen Laundry at Abbotsford Convent alongside three dear friends and colleagues @asher.tenor and @teresaingrilli , with @julian_wade on piano, this Thursday the 16th of October! In association with Australian Music Events and @operascholarsaustralia 🎟️ Tickets are limited and available online through Humanitix – link in my bio! I look forward to seeing you there, featuring works from Puccini, Wagner, Bizet and Rodgers & Hammerstein, alongside selections from beloved opera and musical theatre classics.

Grateful beyond words to be marrying the love of my life @ellieharrisonviolist this weekend in Brisbane. We have been on an extraordinary journey since first meeting and performing Aida in China seven years ago, with Ellie leading the violas and myself singing Amonasro - we have seen and done and achieved some extraordinary things together and I can't wait to celebrate and spend the rest of our lives as husband and wife and for the many adventures still to come. 📷: @johannapatton

Thank you Warwick Fyfe (one of my operatic heroes) and Quadrant Magazine for this tremendously generous article. @belcantoaward #operasingersofinstagram #opera

I’m honoured to have been awarded the 2025 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award. In a final alongside five extraordinary colleagues, I performed Donizetti, Mozart, Bizet and Wagner, and was awarded both the First Prize and the Audience Choice Award. My heartfelt thanks to the jury - Bernadette Cullen (mezzo-soprano), Cyrus Meher-Homji OAM (Universal Music), Glenn Winslade (tenor) and Fiona Janes (JSRB Foundation & mezzo-soprano) - to Kate Johnson for her exquisite playing, and to the Foundation and its supporters, especially Maestro Richard Bonynge and the late Dame Joan Sutherland: the greatest singer of them all, and forever my deepest vocal inspiration. I’m grateful to my teachers, coaches, colleagues, friends and family for their guidance and belief that brought me to this moment. @belcantoaward

REVIEW – L’ELISIR D’AMORE – THEATER TRIER Volksfreund „[Einer der] Stars des Abends ist Bass-Bariton James Young als großartiger Dulcamara. Mit eindrucksvoller Präsenz, wunderbar weicher, geschmeidiger Stimme, Stilsicherheit und einem umwerfenden komödiantischen Talent legt er die Zwielichtigkeit seiner Figur offen. Einmal mehr zeigt sein Auftritt, dass es dem Theater auch weiterhin finanziell möglich bleiben muss, Gäste zu engagieren.“ #ElisirDAmore #Dulcamara #JamesYoung #TheaterTrier #OperTrier #Sommeroper #Opernrezension #Bassbariton #Opernszene #Volksfreund --- REVIEW – L’ELISIR D’AMORE – THEATER TRIER Volksfreund “[One of] the stars of the evening is bass-baritone James Young as a magnificent Dulcamara. With commanding presence, a wonderfully velvety and supple voice, stylistic assurance, and overwhelming comedic talent, he reveals the ambiguity of his character. Once again, his performance demonstrates why it must remain financially possible for the theatre to continue engaging guest artists.” #ElixirOfLove #OperaReview #JamesYoungBaritone #Dulcamara #TrierOpera #SummerOpera #BelCanto #OperaLife #BassBaritone #TheatrePress