© Eric Richmond

Roland Wood was born in Berkshire and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Patrick McGuigan and Robert Alderson, then at the National Opera Studio with support from the Peter Moores Foundation and English National Opera.

His operatic career began as a bass-baritone and his early roles included Silva ('Ernani') and Colline ('La Bohème') at the RNCM; Cromo ('I Giganti della Montagna') in Batignano; Luka ('The Bear') and Martino ('L'Occasione fa il Ladro') for the Walton Trust in Ischia; Zaretsky ('Onegin') for European Union Opera; Don Basilio ('Barber of Seville') at the Aix en Musique Festival. Having made the transition to baritone, recent roles include Josev Prasov in the world premiere of the award-winning music theatre piece, 'The Bridge' and The Count ('Figaro') at the RNCM and Opera Holland Park.

Roland Wood is to be heard regularly on the concert platform, notable appearances including Faure's Requiem in Budapest; Mozart's Requiem in Paris; L'Enfance du Christ at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, Messiah in Manchester Town Hall and Rossini's Petite Messe Solonelle with the Northern Sinfonia. He appeared at the 1999 Covent Garden Festival in 'Herr Mozart und Doktor Strauss' and in opera galas with the Bayerische Rundfunkorchester and the European Union Youth Orchestra in Baden-Baden.

His broadcast credits include 'live' performances on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4, Channel 4 - the animation 'The Very Models' - and in Jonathan Miller's Opera Works for BBC 2.

Roland was the winner of the 1998 Webster Booth Prize and the 1999 Frederick Cox Award, and runner-up at the 1997 Clonter Opera Prize and the Blond Award for Dramatic Singing. He was also awarded Second Prize in the 2000 Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Awards and is supported by the Peter Moores Foundation.

In 2000 Roland covered the roles of Ned Keene ('Peter Grimes') and Nick Shadow (‘Rake's Progress') for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, as well as singing one performance of the latter conducted by Mark Elder. He covered Lescaut' (‘Manon Lescaut') for ENO and gave the world premiere of an orchestral song-cycle, 'Point of Entry' by James Barrett. He appeared on two CDs, Donizetti's 'Belisario' for Opera Rara with David Parry and 'Madam Butterfly' for Chandos, conducted by Yves Abel. In December he appeared in Broomhill Opera's production of Schwerzik's 'The Wondrous Tale of Fanferlizzy Sunnyfeet'.

In 2001 he toured with Essential Scottish Opera and covered the title role in Scottish Opera's production of 'Don Giovanni' then in the autumn sang Marcello in the Scottish Opera-Go Round's production of 'La Bohème'. At ENO he covered Ford in 'Falstaff' and Nick Shadow in 'The Rakes' Progress'. He also sang twice in Poland, in Rossini's 'Petite Messe Solonelle' and Britten's 'War Requiem'. In 2002 he made his full début at ENO as The Baron in 'La Traviata'. He also appeared with the LPO at the Royal Festival Hall in a concert performance – having earlier taken part in the CD recording – of Myerbeer’s ‘Margherita d’Anjou’. In 2003 he recorded Silvano/‘Un Ballo in Maschera’ for Chandos Records.

Between 2002 and 2004 Roland Wood was a Company Principal at Scottish Opera, roles including Dr Falke/'Die Fledermaus' and Marullo/'Rigoletto'. In 2003 and 2004 he sang Papageno/'Die Zauberflöte'. In 2003 Roland was chosen as the English entrant for BBC Singer of the World in Cardiff, where he was a semi-final winner and in the following year gave recitals at St John’s Smith Square and the Bath International Festival and appeared in the 2004 City Showcase in London.

In 2006 he recorded three further CD’s for Opera Rara, and appeared with the London Philharmonic in an associated concert of Donizetti’s ‘Il Diluvio Universale’. He returned to ENO, Scottish Opera on Tour singing Peter in ‘Hansel & Gretel’ and sang Escamillo for Castleward Opera. In concert he appeared with the Hallé; at the Barbican with Classical Opera; operatic concerts with Scottish Opera and at Cadogan Hall in London singing ‘L’enfance du Christ’ with the English Chamber Orchestra.

2006 highlights included Kissinger/’Nixon in China’ and Ajax II/’La Belle Helene’ at ENO and Tippett’s ‘Child of our Time’ with the Hallé. Last year he sang the title role in ‘Eugene Onegin’ for ETO and Count Almaviva/'Le Nozze di Figaro' for Opera Theatre Company as well as returning to Scottish Opera for concerts. This year he sang the title role in 'Don Giovanni' for ETO and this month opens as Papageno at Opera Holland Park. He reurns to ENO this autumn for Silvio/'I Pagliacci' and in 2009 for Marcello. He also makes his debut at De Nationale Reisopera in the Netherlands as Don Fernando/Fidelio, then Renata/'Un ballo in maschera'.

June 2008