Malcolm Donnelly

BIOGRAPHY

Malcolm started his vocal studies with Marianne Mathy at the Sydney Conservatorium and later in London with Vida Harford.

He joined the Elizabethan Trust Opera in 1966, for two seasons, and was also a regular recitalist for the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

In 1969, Malcolm won the Sydney Sun Aria competition and was also a finalist in the Pan-Pacific New York Opera Competition in Honolulu. He was also awarded a special scholarship from the Australian Opera Auditions Committee enabling him to travel to London for further study at the London Opera Centre in 1970.

After finishing at the Opera Centre, he joined the Young Artists for Scottish Opera in 1971 and went on to become an Associate Artist. During his time with the Company he performed numerous roles including Figaro (Barber of Seville), Count (Marriage of Figaro), Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Marcello (La Boheme), Scarpia ( Tosca), Leporello (Don Giovanni), Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor) and the title roles of Macbeth, Rigoletto and Simon Boccanegra.

European tours with Scottish Opera included, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Wiesbaden, Lausanne, Zurich and Lodz, Warsaw (Poland).

In 1977 and 1978, he sang the roles of Herode in Massenet’s ‘Herodiade’ and Sebastiano in D’Alberts ‘Tiefland’ at the Wexford Festival in Eire. For Glyndebourne he sang the roles of Pizarro (Fidelio) and Simon Boccanegra.

He joined the ensemble of English National Opera in 1981 to 1985, performing many leading roles including Germont (Traviata), di Luna ( Il Trovatore), Rigoletto, and the title role in Tchaikovsky’s ‘Mazeppa’.

During this time, Malcolm was also a guest artist at Opera North and subsequently sang the title roles of the Dutchman (Die Fliegende Hollander) and Prince Igor ( Borodin). Later roles with this company included Jack Rance (Fancuilla Del West) and Balstrode (Peter Grimes).

In 1984, English National Opera toured to the USA performing in Austin, San Antonio, New Orleans and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. From there, Malcolm flew directly to Melbourne for the opening of the new Victorian State Opera as a guest artist to sing Rodrigo in ‘Don Carlos’. Other roles with the VSO include the Dutchman, Di Luna (Trovatore).

In 1985, Malcolm became a freelance artist, and started a long period and association of guesting with The Australian Opera, and State Companies and the English National Opera. One of the highlights of this time with The Australian Opera was performing Enrico in ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ with Dame Joan Sutherland. Roles with the Company have included Macbeth, Michelle ( Il Tabarro), Scarpia (Tosca),Ankestroem (Un Ballo in Maschera), Simon Boccanegra, Kurwenal (Tristan and Isolde), Nabucco, ‘Hansel and Gretel’.

With Opera South Australia, title roles of the Dutchman, Falstaff, and as Iago in ‘Otello’, and Alberich in the 1998 ‘Ring Cycle’ by Wagner.

Roles with Lyric Opera Queensland have included Amonasro (Aida), Scarpia (Tosca ), Germont (Traviata).

Guest appearances with English National Opera have included Tonio (Pagliacci), Scarpia (Tosca), Simon Boccanegra, Ford (Falstaff), Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), Creon (Oedipus Rex), Telramund (Lohengrin), Macbeth- which was also one of the operas in the Company’s successful tour to Russia singing at the Bolshoi and Kirov Theatres.

Malcolm has also sung Sharpless (Madama Butterfly) for the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

Roles with Welsh National Opera have included Scarpia, Shishkov (House of the Dead), Don Carlos (Emani), Thoas (Iphegenie en Tauride).

He has also performed with the Netherlands Opera and Opera Nancy (France).

Malcolm has appeared with many of the leading orchestras in Britain, and has recorded several recitals and participated in a number of recorded Operas for the BBC. He has taken part in two Arena Operas at both the Royal Albert Hall and Earls Court London.

Opera concert performances in Spain include ‘Les Noces’ (Stravinsky) and in Paris he sang the Mahler’s ‘Songs of the Wayfarer’ with the Orchester inter Contemporan. Other concert work have been ‘The Bells’ (Rachmaninov) with the Scottish National Orchestra, Rossini ‘Petite Messe Sollenelle’ in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, ‘Belshazzer’s Feast’ (Walton) with English Northern Philharmonia , ‘Verdi Requiem’ with the Halle Orchestra in Manchester and also in Guildford Cathedral.

Malcolm can be seen on video recordings of ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ with Dame Joan Sutherland, ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and ‘Un Ballo in Maschera’.

He received the Order of Australia in 2005 for his services to Opera and for the mentoring and education of young singers.

Malcolm has continued his interest in young people with adjudicating, masterclasses and giving advice where and whenever possible.