James Andrew Olds (born 20 February 1986) is an Australian bass. He holds a Masters of Music in Performance (Voice & Opera) from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, and currently performs with Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House.
Biography In 2016, Olds made his debut as a principal artist with Opera Australia performing the role of The Officer in Rossini's The Barber of Seville and in 2018 performed the role of Sergeant in Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour in La bohème.
Olds has been an active member of the Opera Australia chorus since 2009. He has appeared in productions of Anna Bolena, Aida, Verdi Requiem, Parsifal, King Roger, Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci, Carmen, La bohème, The Love for Three Oranges, Simon Boccanegra, The Barber of Seville, La traviata, Lakmé, The Merry Widow, Macbeth, The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, Der Rosenkavalier and Fidelio.
In 2019, Olds will be performing alongside Jonas Kaufmann for the second time in concert performances of Andrea Chénier for Opera Australia and was selected as a Finalist for the Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Foundation's third Sydney International Song Prize. Olds was also crowned the Winner of three sections at the 2019 Sydney Eisteddfod; Male Operatic Voices, Lieder (Open Age) and French and German art song.
In 2016, he was the recipient of both the Sanderson Award and the Hawaiian Performing Arts Festival Prize at Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Foundation's Bel Canto Award Final and was a semi-finalist in the 2015 Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship.
In 2015, Olds performed the role of Count Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro for Rockdale Opera and was the Winner of the 34th National Liederfest, which secured him a scholarship at the Franz Schubert-Institut in Austria where he worked closely with Elly Ameling, Helmut Deutsch, Andreas Schmidt, Robert Holl, Rudolf Jansen and Werner Güra.
In 2013, Olds accepted a scholarship into the Artist Masters Programme at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where he studied under Welsh Soprano Marilyn Rees. That same year, Olds toured the UK and France with Diva Opera again performing the role of The Officer in Rossini's The Barber of Seville and was a finalist in the Australian Music Foundation Awards at Wigmore Hall.
While in London, Olds performed the role of Betto in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi for St. Paul's Opera and the roles of Rocco (Fidelio), Leporello (Don Giovanni), and Dr. Dulcamara (L'elisir d'amore) for Guildhall Postgraduate Opera at the Milton Court Theatre.
Opera Australia
Fidelio – Chorus – 2009 The Pirates of Penzance – Samuel (Cover) / Chorus – 2010 Der Rosenkavalier – Chorus – 2010 La bohème – Chorus – 2011 Macbeth – Chorus – 2011 The Mikado – Chorus – 2011 Lakmé – Chorus – 2011 The Merry Widow – Chorus – 2011 La traviata – Chorus – 2012 The Barber of Seville – Officer – 2016 Carmen – Chorus – 2016 Simon Boccanegra – Chorus – 2016 La bohème – Chorus – 2016 Carmen – Chorus – 2016 The Love for Three Oranges – Chorus – 2016 Pagliacci – Chorus – 2017 Cavalleria rusticana – Chorus – 2017 King Roger – Chorus – 2017 Verdi Requiem – Chorus – 2017 Parsifal – Chorus – 2017 Carmen – Chorus – 2018 La bohème – Sergeant – 2018 Aida – Chorus – 2018 Anna Bolena – Chorus – 2019 Andrea Chénier – Chorus – 2019
Awards, achievements and roles
Institution/CompanyAward/Achievement/RoleYearSydney Conservatorium of MusicMary Patricia Bell Scholarship2004Opera AustraliaChorus2009–2019Pacific OperaYoung Artist Programme2010Sydney UniversityJudge Turpin, Sweeney Todd2010Guildhall School of Music and DramaArtist Masters Programme2013Diva OperaUn Ufficiale, The Barber of Seville2013London Contemporary OperaChorus, The Schmürz2013Australian Music Foundation AwardsFinalist2013St. Paul's OperaBetto, Gianni Schicchi2013Guildhall School of Music and DramaDrum Maker (Cover), The Adventures of Pinocchio – Dove2013Guildhall School of Music and DramaChorus, The Adventures of Pinocchio – Dove2013Guildhall School of Music and DramaRocco, Fidelio (Scenes)2014Guildhall School of Music and DramaLeporello, Don Giovanni (Scenes)2014Guildhall School of Music and DramaDr. Dulcamara, L'elisir d'amore (Scenes)201434th National LiederfestWinner2015Rockdale Opera CompanyCount Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro2015Open Lieder Prize (Wollongong Eisteddfod)Winner2015Open Aria Prize (Wollongong Eisteddfod)Finalist2016Bel Canto Award (JS&RB Foundation Bel Canto Awards)Finalist2016Sanderson Award (JS&RB Foundation Bel Canto Awards)Winner2016Hawaii Performing Arts Awards (JS&RB Foundation Bel Canto Awards)Winner2016Sydney Eisteddfod Opera ScholarshipSemi-finalist2015Opera AustraliaOfficer, The Barber of Seville2016Opera AustraliaSergeant, La bohème2018Sydney International Song Prize (JS&RB Foundation)Finalist2019Sydney Eisteddfod Open Male Operatic Voice PrizeWinner2019Sydney Eisteddfod Open Lieder PrizeWinner2019Sydney Eisteddfod Open French & German Art Song Prize Winner2019
References
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