Sir Simon Keenlyside (born 3 August 1959) is a British baritone who has performed in operas and concerts since the mid-1980s.

Biography

Early life and education Keenlyside was born in London, the son of Raymond and Ann Keenlyside. Raymond played second violin in the Aeolian Quartet, and Ann's father was the violinist Leonard Hirsch. When he was eight, he was enrolled in St John's College School, a boarding school for the boy choristers of the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge and spent much of his childhood touring and recording with the choir under the direction of choirmaster George Guest.Kellow, Brian (December 2002)."The Poetry of Risk". Opera News, Vol. 67, No. 6

He later attended Reed's School in Cobham, before studying zoology at the University of Cambridge. He returned to St John's as a choral scholar, before studying singing at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. After graduation, he won a Peter Moores Foundation scholarship (1985) and joined the Royal Northern College of Music to study voice with the baritone John Cameron where he developed a love for lieder and German poetry.

Singing career Keenlyside made his first appearance in a major operatic role in 1987 as Lescaut in Manon Lescaut at the Royal Northern College of Music. Opera magazine remarked on it being an "astonishingly mature" performance, and that he "used his warm and clear baritone with notable musicianship".Allison, John (2002). Baritones in Opera: Profiles of Fifteen Great Baritones, p. 81. Opera Magazine Ltd. The Richard Tauber prize, which he won in 1986, allowed him to go to Salzburg for further study. His money ran out before he could finish his four-month term there, but Rudolf Knoll, a teacher at the Salzburg Mozarteum, gave him private lessons for free. Knoll encouraged him to work on the Italian repertoire while he was still young, and introduced him to the Hilbert agency which got him singing jobs in Germany. His professional debut as a baritone came in 1988, at the Hamburg State Opera as Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro.

In 1989, Keenlyside joined the roster of Scottish Opera, where he stayed until 1994, performing as, among other roles, Marcello (La bohème), Danilo (The Merry Widow), Harlequin (Ariadne auf Naxos), Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Figaro (Barber of Seville), Billy Budd (Billy Budd), Papageno (Zauberflöte) and Belcore (L'elisir d'amore).

During this period, he made debut performances at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, (1989 singing Silvio), English National Opera (Guglielmo), Welsh National Opera, San Francisco Opera, Geneva, Paris, and Sydney. He sang for Glyndebourne for the first time in 1993 and made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1996. Keenlyside has performed at virtually all the major opera houses in the world, including the Paris Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.

Keenlyside sang in the world premieres of two 21st-century operas, creating the roles of Prospero in Thomas Adès' The Tempest in 2004, and Winston Smith in Lorin Maazel's 1984 in 2005.Duchen, Jessica (12 March 2007). "Simon Keenlyside: The sound and the fury". The Independent He later participated in the EMI Classics world premiere recording of The Tempest.James Inverne, "EMI to release Adés’s The Tempest". Gramophone, 20 March 2007.

In 2010 Keenlyside sang the role of Rodrigo in a new production of Don Carlo at the Metropolitan Opera opposite Roberto Alagna to critical acclaim.

Keenlyside added the role of Golaud in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande to his repertoire in a new production which premiered at Wiener Staatsoper on 18 June 2017 (he previously sang the role of Pelléas for many years). The following afternoon, he was awarded the title of Kammersänger by the Austrian government in a ceremony in the Teesalon of the opera house. He sang his first Falstaff in Verdi's opera in September 2025 at La Monnaie in Brussels "with effortless brilliance, his resonant, rounded voice and natural authority giving the character both warmth and depth".De Schrijver, Victoria. Report from Brussels. Opera, December 2025, Vol.76 No.12, p.1844.

His recordings include several issues for Hyperion Records, including music of Benjamin Britten, Emmanuel Chabrier, Maurice Duruflé and Henry Purcell. He is also a featured singer on five volumes of the Hyperion Franz Schubert Edition and on the second volume of the Hyperion Robert Schumann Edition. In 2007 Sony Music released a recital disc of arias entitled Tales of Opera.Gramophone (2007).Awards Special Issue, p. 61.

Personal life Keenlyside is married to the Royal Ballet former principal dancer Zenaida Yanowsky. Simon and Zenaida had their first child, a son called Owen, on 12 October 2008. Their second child, a daughter called Iona, was born on 7 March 2010.

Operatic roles

Winston Smith in 1984For a complete list of Keenlyside's roles see also List of roles at www.simonkeenlyside.info Harlequin in Ariadne auf NaxosKesting, Jürgen (2008). Die grossen Sänger, Vol. 4, p. 2065. Hoffmann und Campe Ubalde in Armide Figaro and Fiorello in The Barber of SevilleWhite, Michael (14 May 2003). "Sweet prince of song". Daily Telegraph Billy Budd and Donald in Billy Budd Marcello and Schaunard in La bohème Catechiste in Briséïs Mercurio in La CalistoGramophone (September 1995). Review: Harmonia Mundi CD HMC90 1515/7 (1996 live recording from Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie), p. 103 Olivier in CapriccioMetropolitan Opera. Archives: Keenlyside, Simon (Baritone) Morales in Carmen Dandini in La CenerentolaListed in the cast for the performances at the Opéra Garnier in September 1998. See L'Événement du jeudi, Issues 718–725, p. 82 Guglielmo in Così fan tutteGlyndebourne Festival Opera. Abayaldos in Dom Sébastien Posa and Flemish Deputy in Don Carlos Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni Belcore in L'elisir d'amoreLa Scala. Archives: Keenlyside Onegin in Eugene OneginJahn, George (7 March 2009). "Splendid music, but the staging – brrr!". Associated Press Ford in Falstaff Valentin and Wagner in Faust Prisoner in FidelioListed in projected cast for the performances at the Royal Opera House in November–December 1990. See Opera, Vol. 41, Issues 7–12, p. 1201 Falke in Die FledermausLoveland, Kenneth (December 1991). Review: Die Fledermaus, Welsh National Opera, New Theatre, Cardiff, Opera, Volume 42, p. 1479 Hamlet in Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet Oreste in Iphigénie en Tauride Macbeth in Macbeth Gendarme/Le directeur in Les Mamelles de TirésiasListed in the cast for the concert performances at Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Queen Elisabeth Hall (March 1995). See Opera, Vol. 45, Issues 7–12, p. 1299 Lescaut in Manon LescautSmith, Mike (25 April 2008). "From Turandot to tree-planting with opera singer Simon Keenlyside". Western Mail Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro Nightwatchman in Die Meistersinger von NürnbergOne of his earliest roles. According to simonkeenlyside.info , he sang this at the Hamburg State Opera in June 1988. Danilo in The Merry WidowTumelty, Michael (20 September 1989). "Review: Theatre Royal, Glasgow, The Merry Widow", p. 14. Glasgow Herald Orfeo in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, favola in musicaSulcas, Roslyn (28 June 1998). "Master of Movement Decides to Tell a Story With an Opera". New York Times Montano in Verdi's OtelloMilnes, Rodney (November 1997) "Simon Keenlyside". Opera, Vol. 53, Issue 1, pp. 80–87 Silvio in PagliacciJampol, Joshua (2010). Living Opera. Oxford University Press. Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande Ned Keene in Peter GrimesBlyth, Alan (June 1996). "Taking off" . Gramophone, p. 23 Prince Yeletski in The Queen of SpadesRadio Canada. Opéra du samedi, Calendrier de diffusion, Saison 1998–1999 Tarquinius in The Rape of LucretiaMonelle, Raymond (23 August 1999). "Edinburgh: This tragic no man's land". The Independent Rigoletto in RigolettoEvans, Eian (27 June 2010). "Review: Rigoletto, Millennium Centre, Cardiff". The Guardian Arthus in Le Roi Arthus Wolfram in TannhäuserWestern European stages, Volume 15 (2003), p. 42. Center for Advanced Study in Theatre Arts Prospero in The Tempest Giorgio Germont in TraviataBayerische Staatsoper (2009) Cast list: La Traviata, 12 June 2009 Steersman in Tristan und Isolde Ping in TurandotRoyal Opera House. Archives: Keenlyside Andrei in Prokofiev's War and PeaceChristiansen, Rupert (1 November 2001). Review: "War and Peace ENO, Coliseum – All-conquering confidence". Daily Telegraph Wozzeck in Wozzeck Papageno in Die Zauberflöte

Honours and awards

1986: Richard Tauber Prize 1987: Winner of the Walther Gruner International Lieder competition 1990: First Prize, Elly Ameling competitionKennedy, Michael (1994). Music Enriches All: The Royal Northern College of Music : The First Twenty-one Years, p. 77. Carcanet. 1994: Singer of the Year Award from the Royal Philharmonic SocietyRoyal Philharmonic Society. Past RPS Music Awards Winners: Singers 2003: Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Birthday Honours for services to MusicBBC News (29 October 2003). "TV chef collects MBE" 2004: Opera Award for the category Best Baritone (Don Giovanni, Théâtre de la Monnaie) from the Italian magazine L'Opera.L'Opera (December 2004) 2004: XII Premios de la Crítica award to Simon Keenlyside and Natalie Dessay in Hamlet for the best male and female singers in a staged opera.Avui (20 October 2004) "Siegfried, millor òpera de la temporada anterior" , p. 46 2005: Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording Marriage of FigaroAssociated Press (13 February 2005). "Pre-telecast Grammy Award winners". USA Today 2006: Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, for his work in the ROH production of 1984 and ENO's Billy Budd in 2005.Laurence Olivier Awards (26 February 2006). "Keenlyside wins opera prize" , www.olivierawards.com He was a nominee for this award in 2004 for The Royal Opera's Hamlet and Die Zauberflote.Associated Press (15 January 2004)"Complete list of nominees for the 2004 Laurence Olivier Awards" 2007: ECHO Klassik Award, Singer of the Year (male)merkur-online.de (22 October 2007). "Echo Klassik für Elina Garanca, Keenlyside und Jansons" 2007: XV Premios de la Crítica award for Best Recital ArtistABC (11 October 2007). "«Boulevard Solitude», de Henze, se impone en los premios de la crítica" 2007: Gramophone Award, Best of Category (Recital) for his debut recital album Tales of Opera 2010: Gramophone Award, Best of Category (Contemporary) for the CD The Tempest, singing ProsperoGramophone (30 September 2010). "Gramophone Awards 2010 unveiled" 2011: Musical America's Vocalist of the Year awardWaleson, Heidi (2011). "The 2011 Honorees: Simon Keenlyside, Vocalist of the Year". Musical America 2017: Austrian Kammersänger 2018: Knighted in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to MusicBirthday Honours lists 2018

References

External links simonkeenlyside.info – Biography, schedule, discography, media database Television interview with Simon Keenlyside on C Music TV