British bass David Shipley is a graduate of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. His roles for The Royal Opera include Nightwatchman Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; Antinoo Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria; Zuniga Carmen; Arthur and Officer III The Lighthouse, Captain Eugene Onegin, Sciarrone Tosca, Guccio Gianni Schicchi; High Priest of Baal Nabucco; Second Armed Man Die Zauberflöte, and Dr Grenvil La traviata.
In the 2021-22 season he returns to the Royal Opera House as Dr Grenvil La traviata. He also sings Harapha Samson with The English Concert at London Handel Festival, and returns to Scottish Opera.
Recent operatic highlights include Sarastro Die Zauberflöte (Glyndebourne Festival Opera); Sparafucile Rigoletto (Scottish Opera and his US operatic debut at Houston Grand Opera); Truffaldino Ariadne auf Naxos (Théâtre des Champs-Elysées), Prince Tokmakov Ivan the Terrible and Monk Don Carlo (Grange Park Opera); Colline La bohème, Pistola Falstaff and Zuniga Carmen (Verbier Festival); Sandoval Le duc d’Albe (Vlaanderen Opera); Commendatore Don Giovanni (The Mozartists); and Bartolo Le nozze di Figaro (Amersham Music Festival).
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Prince Tokmakov, Ivan the Terrible
Grange Park Opera, June 2021
..the finest vocal performance comes from David Shipley, the young former Royal Opera/Jette Parker bass, as Olga’s presumed father, Prince Tokmakov
Hugh Canning, Sunday Times
Singing nobly as Prince Tokmakov, David Shipley takes the latest step on a promising career trajectory
Richard Fairman, Financial Times
David Shipley was in sovereign voice as Prince Tokmakov
Melanie Eskenazi, Music OMH
…the highest compliment I can give to Carl Tanner as her rebellious sweetheart Tucha, and David Shipley (a real clarion of a bass) as her father, is that I initially assumed that they, too, were Russian
Richard Bratby, The Spectator
…others in a male-dominated cast excel, especially David Shipley as the mayor of Pskov. A charismatic performance from a young man who will go far.
David Mellor, Daily Mail
David Shipley’s velvety tones grace her honourable adoptive father
Yehuda Shapiro, The Stage
David Shipley’s authoritative bass was well suited to Prince Tomakov
Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack
David Shipley as Prince Tokmakov was perhaps slightly too young for the role but compensated with some spectacular bass singing and the sort of commanding stage presence needed for the governor. He managed to be proper but sympathetic too.
Robert Hugill, Opera Today
Clive Bayley is in fine voice as Stalin / Ivan the Terrible, as is David Shipley as the sympathetic Prince Tokmakov.
Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide
David Shipley is excellent as Prince Tokmakov, the Mayor of Pskov who has to cope with the monster in his midst
Christopher Walker, London News Online
…David Shipley gave firm and velvety voice to her father, the upright Prince Tokmakov.
Yehuda Shapiro, Opera Magazine
Sarastro, The Magic Flute
Glyndebourne, November 2020
David Shipley’s youthful, nobly sung Sarastro [...] was balm for the ears.
Hugh Canning, The Times, 8 November 2020
Sarastro (David Shipley, his plush bass tones alluring)
Opera Magazine, January 2021
Sparafucile, Rigoletto
Houston Grand Opera, October 2019
The cast is finely rounded with bass David Shipley's chasm-deep Sparafucile, the very picture and sound of opportunistic assassin...
D.L. Groover, Houston Press, 19 October 2019
Musically speaking, “Rigoletto” is an excellent showcase for the lower registers... British bass David Shipley, as assassin-for-hire Sparafucile, deliver fine performances...
Chris Gray, Houston Chronicle, 21 October 2019
Mozart Requiem
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Albert Hall, August 2019
David Shipley’s sonorous-yet-edgy bass was the clearest of all, and, when accompanied by Donal Bannister’s superbly nuanced trombone solo, made for an excellent ‘Tuba mirum’.
Barry Creasy, musicOMH, 7 August 2019
David Shipley controlled bass was sonorous and precise. The four soloists were expressive and showed beautiful control, especially during the 'Recordare'.
Aliya Al-Hassan, BroadwayWorld, 8 August 2019
Each brought a special flavour and colour to the ensemble... David Shipley as a robust, intrepid sheet-anchor of a bass.
Boyd Tonkin, The Arts Desk, 8 August 2019
A Monk/Charles V, Don Carlo
Grange Park Opera, June 2019
David Shipley is the Monk/Charles V, whom he invests with authority
Valeria Vescina, Seen and Heard International, 8 June 2019
David Shipley made a strong impression as the monk at the start and the ghost of Charles V at the end
Mark Ronan, The Article, 10 June 2019
David Shipley was aptly firm voiced and other-worldly as the Monk / Charles V
Robert Hugill, Opera Today, 10 June 2019
...David Shipley impressed, resonant and full of authority as the mysterious Monk loitering in the candled cloisters.
Mark Pullinger, Opera magazine, August 2019
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