David Stout has rapidly established himself as one of the UK’s most versatile baritones, with a formidable reputation not only for his vocal prowess, but also for his refined acting and charismatic stage presence.
In the 2022/23 season he sings Baron Jaroslav Prus The Makropoulos Affair for Welsh National Opera and Kurwenal Tristan und Isolde for Grange Park Opera. He also sings Bach’s St John Passion for Britten Sinfonia and Bach’s St Matthew Passion for Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra.
Recent operatic engagements include Stárek Jenufa (Royal Opera House Covent Garden); Figaro Figaro Gets a Divorce (Theatre Magdeburg); Sancho Pança Don Quichotte (Staatstheater Darmstadt); Barnaba La Gioconda (Grange Park Opera); Ford Falstaff (Grange Park Opera) and Henry Kissinger Nixon in China (Scottish Opera); Bartolo Il barbiere di Siviglia (Den Norske Opera); Harašta The Cunning Little Vixen and Figaro Le nozze di Figaro and Figaro Gets a Divorce (Welsh National Opera), Figaro Figaro Gets a Divorce and Leporello Don Giovanni (Grand Théâtre de Genève); Sancho Pança Don Quichotte (Bregenzer Festspiele); and Dulcamara L’elisir d’amore (Theater St Gallen); Bluebeard Bluebeard’s Castle (English Symphony Orchestra); Posa Don Carlo and Sancho Pança Don Quichotte (Grange Park Opera); Figaro Le nozze di Figaro, Fritz Kothner The Mastersingers of Nuremberg, Monterone Rigoletto, Schaunard La bohème, Zaretsky Eugene Onegin and Pish-Tush The Mikado (English National Opera); Marcello La bohème and Frank in Puccini’s Edgar (Scottish Opera); Napoleon in Prokofiev’s War and Peace, Gratiano The Merchant of Venice, Papageno Die Zauberflöte, Leporello Don Giovanni, Dr Falke Die Fledermaus, Ping Turandot, Le Dancaïre Carmen, and Buddha Wagner Dream (Welsh National Opera); Angelotti Tosca, Roucher Andrea Chénier, Gratiano The Merchant of Venice, Nikita Das Portrait and Mick Playing Away (Bregenzer Festspiele); Robin Oakapple Ruddigore (Opera North); Roucher Andrea Chénier and Baron Douphol La traviata (Royal Opera House); Don Juan From the House of the Dead (Teatro Massimo di Palermo); Hercule Alceste (Chelsea Opera Group); Axel Oxenstierna in Foroni’s Cristina, regina di Svezia and The Dark Fiddler A Village Romeo and Juliet (Wexford Festival); Alfio Cavalleria Rusticana (Endellion Festival); Donner Das Rheingold, Sandoval Le Duc d’Albe, Paolo Simon Boccanegra and title role Falstaff (all with Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé); and Aeneas Dido and Aeneas with the English Concert at the Bristol Old Vic.
Stout’s extensive concert repertoire includes Mozart’s Requiem with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in St Paul’s Cathedral, Bach’s St John Passion with Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Verdi Requiem with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall; Handel Messiah and Brahms Requiem with the Hallé; Bach St John Passion with Polyphony at St John’s Smith Square, Bach St John Passion with the Aurora Orchestra at King’s Place; and Mozart Requiem with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; as well as Haydn Nelson Mass, Polyphemus Acis and Galatea, Beethoven Missa Solemnis, Orff Carmina Burana, Tippett A Child of Our Time, Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony, Walton Belshazzar’s Feast, Rossini Stabat Mater, Elgar The Dream of Gerontius, Mendelssohn Elijah and Britten War Requiem.
His recent recordings include Sullivan’s The Beauty Stone with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales; Donner Das Rheingold with Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé; Sandoval in Donizetti’s Le Duc d’Albe and Bussy in Leoncavallo’s Zazà for Opera Rara; and Wolf’s Eichendorff Lieder.
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The Makropulos Affair (Baron Jaroslav Prus)
Welsh National Opera, August-December 2022
...and David Stout, with his darkly expressive baritone and lively acting, a strong Baron Jaroslav Prus
Rian Evans, Opera Magazine
Baron Prus (David Stout), his son Janek (Alexander Sprague) and Albert Gregor (Nicky Spence) are all superbly idiomatic and forceful.
Nicholas Kenyon, The Times ★★★★★
In the uniformly strong cast, Nicky Spence and David Stout were excellent as the litigants Albert Gregor and Baron Prus.
Rian Evans, The Guardian ★★★★
David Stout is another fine choice as Baron Jaroslav Prus: always in flux with the devilish little roles he does, in super baritone voice whenever onstage
James Ellis, The Buzz Magazine
David Stout is a well-observed Prus, a tragic grandee, the unwitting cause of his son Janek’s suicide, failed lover, and ultimately (I suppose) loser in the case
Stephen Walsh, The Arts Desk
The male roles of Baron Prus and Albert Gregor are taken with vigour and distinctively sung and acted by the always excellent David Stout and Nicky Spence
Mike Smith, The Argus South Wales
La Gioconda (Barnaba)
Grange Park Opera, June 2022
Well-established and versatile baritone David Stout displayed phenomenal stage presence as the thoroughly unpleasant Barnaba, infusing his role with a wonderful, yet subtle, comical flavor. He is a real tour de force in this casting, creeping around the stage with all the malevolence of any pantomime villain. [...] Vocally, however, he was quite magnificent. His sonorous baritone lit up the stage from the moment he entered in Act one, establishing his evil credentials, along with the desires for the woman of his dreams. His “Ah! pescator, affonda l’esca,” in Act two was resplendent, full-toned and displaying beautiful phrasing.
Mike Hardy, Opera Wire
David Stout’s imposing baritone made an impression as the villainous Barnaba
Mark Pullinger, Backtrack
David Stout as Barnaba gives the vocal and histrionic performance of the evening, one of the few singers in the cast who has the resources to sing every note Ponchielli demanded and who plays the melodrama with real abandon.
Séamus Rea, Culture Whisper
In a bravura performance, David Stout also evokes Verdi’s Rigoletto. A limping, jester-like master of ceremonies, he provides the evening’s most consistent singing.
Yehuda Shapiro, The Stage
Our protagonist Barnaba (David Stout) is pure evil, systematically destroying all around him. He’s the spider weaving a web – as is literally manifested in Francis O’Connor’s set design – and it’s impossible to identify with him. [...] The singing, however, is sublime. [...] The chilling finale of Act Three, with all principals and chorus on stage, is a triumph, and everything is perfectly synchronised with the Gascoigne Orchestra, conducted by Stephen Barlow.
Lorien Haynes, The Telegraph ****
[...]crisply characterful sounds regularly slide out of David Stout, hissably villainous as the Inquisition spy Barnaba.
Geoff Brown, The Times
David Stout plays him to the hilt—the outstanding acting and singing performance for me.
Vera Liber, British Theatre Guide
As Barnaba, David Stout completely embraced the character's evil and obsessive nature. Often physically contorted, Stout gave voice to this dramatic character in a mesmerising way. The physical expressiveness combined with some superb singing and a strongly characterful performance. Stout was rarely tempted to distort the musical line for character's sake, which meant that there was a great deal here to enjoy.
Planet Hugill
This superbly well chosen cast brought Ponchielli's masterpiece very much to life, with David Stout as a menacing Barnaba
Mark Ronan, The Article
Jenůfa (Stárek, the Foreman)
Royal Opera House, September 2021
Royal Opera House's Jenůfa won an Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production on Sunday 10th April 2022.
Olivier Awards, 2022
Among the smaller parts, Jacquelyn Stucker’s bright Karolka (Steva’s fiancée), David Stout’s sturdy Foreman at the Mill and Angela Simkin’s Herdswoman stand out...
Hugh Canning, The Times
There’s exceptional casting among the smaller role: Elena Zilio, a Puccini stalwart in the Royal Opera Trittico, as Grandmother Buryjovka; David Stout as an energetic Mill Foreman...
David Nice, The Arts Desk
David Stout sings strongly as the Foreman
Richard Fairman, Financial Times ****
David Stout was an imposing foreman
David Karlin, Bachtrack *****
David Stout’s sure-voiced Foreman dynamically propels the action in Act 1, giving Laca the knife that will rob Jenůfa of the freshness that sustains Števa’s affection, praising her beauty and thus emphasising the cause of Laca’s frustration and fixation.
Claire Seymour, Opera Today
David Stout gave an excellent account of the foreman at the mill
Mark Ronan, The Article
David Stout’s Foreman is rugged and richly-toned...
Benjamin Poore, Opera Wire
David Stout makes the small role of the Foreman sound big.
John Allison, Opera Magazine
Falstaff (Ford)
Grange Park Opera, June 2021
David Stout’s Ford sings with a dark and muscular tone. We know that Ford is obsessive, but the focused baritone projected by Stout in the “jealousy” monologue amply confirms it.
John Allison, The Telegraph, 11 June 2021
David Stout’s sturdy Ford
Richard Morrison, The Times, 11 June 2021
David Stout makes an attractive, bumptious and properly irritable Ford
Fiona Maddocks, The Observer, 19 June 2021
David Stout as [Alice's] husband Ford sings out of his skin throughout, especially at the beginning of Act 2
David Mellor, Daily Mail, 12 June 2021
Grander still were the performances by most of the featured artists. David Stout sang a doughty Ford…
Mark Valencia, Opera Magazine, August 2021
Nixon in China (Henry Kissinger)
Scottish Opera, February 2020
The central roles are all impressively taken… Julia Sporsén’s infinitely touching Pat Nixon, David Stout’s canny Kissinger…
George Hall, The Stage, 19 February 2020
David Stout is blustery and self-regarding as the shady Henry Kissinger
Rowena Smith, The Guardian, 19 February 2020
There is cast-iron evenness among the key players. David Stout’s frenetic portrayal of the buffa-style Kissinger makes him a golden theatrical foil to the stoical composure of Nicholas Lester’s Chou.
Ken Walton, The Scotsman, 21 February 2020
The Cunning Little Vixen (Harasta)
Welsh National Opera, October 2019
...David Stout’s swaggering Poacher.
Rebecca Franks, The Times, 7 October 2019
The ‘flatter’ characters though, of course they offer less scope for individualisation or emotional/psychological depth, were well interpreted, notably by ... David Stout as an attractively transgressive Poacher...
Glyn Pursglove, 8 October 2019
There was much to enjoy too from Peter van Hulle’s lonely Schoolmaster, Wojtek Gierlach’s dignified Parson and David Stout’s unsentimental poacher.
David Truslove, Opera Today, 11 October 2019
Don Quichotte (Sancho Panza)
Bregenzer Festspiele, July 2019
In an opera in which both leads are bass-baritones, it isn’t easy to find a Sancho to complement his master, but Bregenz finds one. Earthily direct, David Stout is another class act, particularly when asked to play devil’s advocate, or to challenge mockery of the knight as an outmoded dinosaur. Besides singing a difficult role with mobile ease, Stout mines Henri Cain’s text splendidly
Opera Magazine, March 2021 (DVD review)
Gábor Bretz is a rich, soulful Don Quichotte and he’s matched for depth and warmth of baritone timbre by David Stout's Sancho
OperaJournal, 5 October 2020 (DVD review)
David Stout was just the sort of baritone needed as Sancho, combining a full, oaky voice with a the buffo charm of a character actor. It falls to Quichotte’s affable sidekick in the end to defend his master’s dreaming idealism from the cruel mockery of the crowd: “Riez, allez, riez” was a passionate rebuke in Stout’s rendition, tearing off his wig as he turned to berate the audience over the swelling of the orchestra.
Eric Simpson, OperaWire, 29 July 2019
Prokofiev's War and Peace (Dolokhov/Denisov/Napoleon/Raevsky)
Welsh National Opera at Royal Opera House, July 2019
Baritone David Stout, so good as both Dolokhov and Denisov in Part One, makes a charismatic impression as Napoleon during and after the Battle of Borodino. Indeed, if you’re looking for hooks on which to hang praise he and Bailey are joint gold medal winners.
Mark Valencia, Bachtrack, 24 July 2019
David Stout truly excelled, in terms of both characterisation and musicianship, as Dolokhov, Denisov, Raevsky and as a steel-backed Napoleon, his voice bursting with pride and defiance in the latter incarnation, but always appealing.
Claire Seymour, Opera Today, 24 July 2019
It is clearly impossible to go into each and every soloist given the roster of singers. But it would be unfair not to admire David Stout’s fine, rich voice in the part of Dolukov (and Denisov, and Napoleon, and Raevsky). Whichever hat he was wearing, he excelled.
Colin Clark, Seen and Heard International, 24 July 2019
David Stout's four roles are the combined stand-out of the evening: his seasoned-rake Dolokhov...
David Nice, The Arts Desk, 24 July 2019
Mascagni's Silvano (Renzo)
Scottish Opera, April 2019
The baritone David Stout, so impressive in Scottish Opera’s The Burning Fiery Furnace, was commanding and gorgeously lyrical
Simon Thompson, The Times, 15 April 2019
David Stout’s robust, handsome baritone was ideal for Renzo
Andrew Clark, Opera magazine, June 2019
David Stout’s Renzo oozed selfless malice...
Ken Walton, The Scotsman, 19 April 2019
Prokofiev's War and Peace (Dolokhov/Napoleon)
Welsh National Opera, September 2018
A long roster of distinguished singers adds class in, for most of them, multiple roles. David Stout makes a charismatic Napoleon...
Mark Valencia, WhatsOnStage, September 2018
Many members of the cast had to sing more than one role... David Stout was called on to embody Dolokhov, Denisov, Raevsky and Napoleon. All made a favourable impression in this operatic multi-tasking. Perhaps predictably, David Stout and Jurgita Adamonytė were particularly effective in their several roles.
Glyn Pursglove, Seen and Heard International, September 2018
the arrogant, meticulous, over-controlling Napoleon (the excellent David Stout)
Stephen Walsh, The Arts Desk, September 2018
The baritone David Stout made an excellent impression in the roles of Napoleon, Denisov, Dolokhov, and Raevsky, giving expressive and well-drawn portraits of the characters, underpinned by the beautiful timbre of his voice.
Alan Neilson, Operawire, September 2018
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