Roderick Williams is an artist who “lends distinction to all he undertakes and is now in the front rank of British baritones” (Michael Kennedy in Opera magazine). His distinctively rich, warm, flexible voice and keen musical intelligence have made him a familiar and commanding presence on the operatic stage, while he is equally in demand for recitals and oratorio. He has recently performed Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (Opéra National de Paris, with William Christie) and forthcoming highlights include Papageno for English National Opera. Roderick makes his Royal Opera House debut in 2008 singing Schaunard in Puccini’s La Bohème.

Important professional relationships were established right at the start of Roderick’s career. For Opera North he has sung most of the great baritone roles in Mozart – Guglielmo in a new production of Così fan tutte, the title role in Don Giovanni, the Count in The Marriage of Figaro and most recently Papageno in The Magic Flute. For Scottish Opera he has sung Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème and Lord Byron in the world premiere of Sally Beamish’s Monster. Future concert plans include Billy Budd with the London Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Harding, and Pilgrim in Vaughan Williams’s The Pilgrim’s Progress with the Philharmonia.

He is also an accomplished recital artist who can be heard at Wigmore Hall, at many festivals, and on Radio 3, where he has appeared on Iain Burnside’s Voices programme. His numerous recordings include Vaughan Williams, Berkeley and Britten operas for Chandos, Verdi’s Don Carlos (conducted by Bernard Haitink) for Philips, and two discs of English song with pianist Iain Burnside for Naxos. Roderick Williams is also a composer and has had works premiered at the Wigmore and Barbican Halls, the Purcell Room and live on national radio.