BIOGRAPHY

David Howes is a bass-baritone from Limerick, where he began his studies with Olive Cowpar. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, and he will be joining the ensemble at Theater Magdeburg in February 2025. David was previously a member of the ensemble of Oper Köln for the 2023/2024 season. David is a graduate of The ABL Aviation Opera Studio with Irish National Opera, The International Opera Studio at Oper Köln, and the inaugural Wexford Factory at Wexford Festival Opera.

 

Oratorio performances include Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shephard (Westdeustcher Rundfunkhausorchester, Köln) Verdi's Requiem and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (Co-Orch Dublin), Requiems by Mozart, Faure, and Brahms, Haydn’s The Creation and Handel's Messiah (Dun Laoghaire Choral Society, and Limerick Choral Union, Ireland).

 

With Oper Köln, David has performed the roles of: William Parkinson in the world premier of Frank Pesci’s The Strangers, Sciarrone in Tosca, Fiorello in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, Premier Soldat Troyen & Un grand Prêtre de Pluton in Berlioz’s Les Troyens, and Roland Angeler in the German Premier of Marius Felix Lange’s Der Gesang Der Zauberinsel,. Other opera roles include: Abbot and Ferryman in Britten’s Curlew River (Theater Aachen), Polizei Kommissar in der Rosenkavalier (Irish National Opera), Esel in Attila Kadri Şendil’s die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, der Kerkermeister in Carl Orff’s die Kluge, Deninskin in York Höller’s Der Meister und Margarita, König & Sprecher in Der Teufel mit den drei Goldenen Haaren by Stefan Johannes Hanke and Gottfried Klepperbein in Eröd’s Pünktchen und Anton (All with Oper Köln), Polizei Kommissar in der Rosenkavalier, Don Fernando in Fidelio, Doganiere in la Boheme and Buff in Der Schauspieldirektor ( All with Irish National Opera), Badger and Parson in Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen (Longborough Festival Opera Emerging Artist Programme), The Colour Green by Robert Coleman (INO’s 20 Shot of Opera), Count Ceprano in Rigoletto (OTC), the title role in Hans Krasa’s Brundibar (Killaloe Chamber Music Festival), Marchese d’Obigny in La Traviata (Lyric Opera), Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro (Zerere Arts Festival, Portugal), Sciarrone in Tosca (Wexford Festival Opera), Father Truelove in The Rake’s Progress and Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

 

Roles for the 24/25 season include: Condor (Envy and Ismeron) in Theater Aachen’s Production of Purcell’s The Indian Queen, Count Ceprano in Rigoletto with Irish National Opera, and Soldier in the world premier of Gerald Barry’s Salome, Dottore Grenvil in la traviata and Sarastro in a children’s verion of die Zauberflöte with Theater Magdeburg.