Biography
Derek Welton, an Australian-born bass-baritone is recognized as one of the leading voices of his generations, with repertoire spanning from Bach and Handel to contemporary music. He is a regular guest at prestigious opera houses such as the Wiener Staatsoper, Bayreuther Festspiele, Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Semperoper Dresden, Staatsoper Hamburg, Opéra national de Paris, Teatro Real Madrid, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Derek Welton’s notable roles include Wotan/Wanderer (Der Ring des Nibelungen), Amfortas and Klingsor (Parsifal), King Marke (Tristan und Isolde), Orest (Elektra), Voland (Der Meister und Margarita), Bluebeard (Bluebeard’s Castle), Pizzaro (Fidelio), and Mozart’s Figaro. Derek has performed with leading orchestras, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, in works such as Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Tippett’s A Child of Our Time. In the 2024/25 season, Welton returns to the Bayreuther Festspiele as Amfortas, with further engagements as Pizarro (Fidelio) at the Washington National Opera, King Marke (Tristan und Isolde), and his debut in the titel role of Der fliegende Holländer at Deutsche Oper Berlin, as well as Wotan/Wanderer in Wagner‘s Siegfried with Kent Nagano. Concert highlights include Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 and Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius in Vienna and Rome. Welton’s discography includes performances as Wotan in Das Rheingold (Naxos), Amfortas in Parsifal (Deutsche Grammophon), and Orest in Elektra (Unite). He has also recorded a solo album of Vaughan Williams songs for Albion Records. Derek Welton holds degrees in Linguistics and German from the University of Melbourne and in Music from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Updated 3/2025
Photo: Eduardus Lee