Scottish tenor Liam Bonthrone was a member of the Opernstudio of the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich from 2022-2024, where roles included Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Remendado (Carmen), Brighella (Ariadne auf Naxos) which also toured to the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Narrator (Der Mond - Orff), Rustighello (Lucrezia Borgia), Ein Junger Seemann (Tristan und Isolde), Gran Sacerdote (Idomeneo), Eurimaco/Pisandro (Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria), Un Lampionaio (Manon Lescaut) and Player 2 (Hamlet - Brett Dean).
This season he returns to Bayerische Staatsoper as a guest for further performances of (Der Mond) as well as Gaston/Victorin (Die tote Stadt) and makes debuts at Potsdam Winteroper as Rinaldo in Haydn's (Armida), Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia) for Royal Danish Opera, and for Glyndebourne Festival 1st Grail Knight in a new production of (Parsifal) and Abner/Doeg/High Priest in Barrie Kosky's revival of (Saul) where he will also cover the role of Jonathan. Beyond next season he will perform roles for Oper Köln, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Glyndeborune Festival and a title role for Göteborgs Opera.
He recently made debuts with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Sir Simon Rattle singing Gran Sacerdote (Idomeneo) and at the Tiroler Festspiele Erl singing the role of Der Waldgeist in Rimski-Korsakow’s (Schneeflöckchen).
He has worked under conductors including Ivor Bolton, Vladimir Jurowski, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, François-Xavier Roth, Carlo Rizzi, Daniele Rustioni Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Constantin Trinks, Antonio Fogliani and Christopher Moulds in productions by Barrie Kosky, Calixto Bieito, Christof Loy, Dmitri Tcherniakov, Krzystof Warlikowski and Robert Carsen.
As a concert soloist, performances include Handel Messiah and Samson, Mendelssohn Elijah, Mozart Requiem and Mass in C minor, Bach Christmas Oratorio, St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, Haydn The Creation, Finzi for St. Cecilia and MacMillan All the Hills and Vales Along. He also appeared in various roles in the ensemble for Bernstein’s Candide, with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop, at the Barbican Centre.
At home on the recital platform, Liam has recently released his debut solo album titled Soirée Parisienne with pianist Benjamin Mead as part of the Royal Academy of Music Bicentenary Series for the Linn label. He has performed recitals at the Wigmore Hall, for the BBC, most recently for NI Opera Festival of Voice, Glenarm with Michael Pandya and in Graham Johnson’s Song Guild at Milton Court.
Liam has participated in Masterclasses led by artists including Joyce DiDonato, Brigitte Fassbaender, Malcolm Martineau, Ian Bostridge, Ann Murray and Roger Vignoles and in 2022 attended the Internationale Meistersinger Akademie, directed by Edith Wiens.
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ROSSINI: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Count Almaviva)
Danish National Opera (February 2025)
Tenor Liam Bonthrone in the role of Count Almaviva managed to grab people's attention with his beautiful voice, even though in the performance it was actually Rosina's attention he was seeking.
Kristina McClelland Jacobsen, Ung Teatreblod
Almaviva was this time entrusted to the Scotsman Liam Bonthrone, who used his well-practised tenor tastefully and clearly enjoyed performing the role.
Der Opernfreund
DONIZETTI Lucrezia/ ORFF Der Mond
Bayerische Staatsoper, April 2024
In Orff's opera, Liam Bonthrone, for example, guides the audience through the plot with a supple tenor that is as eloquent as it is sure-footed.
Tobias Hell, BR-Klassik
In the proceeding "Der Mond”, Liam Bonthrone drew attention to himself with a beautifully and tastefully sung interpretation of the unpleasantly high Narrator role.
Robert Braunmüller, Abendzeitung Munich
Several of them can be heard in both pieces, such as the charismatically sensual baritone Thomas Mole: first as Tarquinio, who fatally abuses his virility, then as the peasant in "The Moon", or the fine Scottish tenor Liam Bonthrone as Collatino and narrator in Orff.
Klaus Kalchschmid, Süddeutsche Zeitung
CD - STAINER: The Crucifixion
DELPHIAN, Choir of St Mary’s Cathedral, March 2024
Crucial to a successful interpretation is the quality of the soloists, and conductor Duncan Ferguson has struck gold with tenor Liam Bonthrone and baritone Arthur Bruce. All of the tenor narrations are imbued with suitably dramatic fervour (with ‘The Mystery of the Divine Humiliation’ being especially memorable)
Malcolm Riley, Gramophone
There are two stars on this disc that I would expect to hear more from in the future: tenor Liam Bonthrone and baritone Arthur Bruce contribute excellent solos; their voices are stunning. Their duets are a delight.
Andrew Palmer, Yorkshire Times
Bonthrone and Bruce elicit heat where drama is needed, even schmaltz where Stainer veers towards Gilbert and Sullivan, but ever cognisant of interpretative aims. While honouring this music’s artful Victorian equilibrium, this is a performance that usefully refreshes it
Ken Walton, The Scotsman
Luckily, all the participants, from the expressive tenor Liam Bonthrone to the diligent organist Imogen Morgan, radiate sincerity in a work weak on drama but comfortingly strong on gentle feelings.
Geoff Brown, The Times
ROSSINI Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Count Almaviva)
Nevill Holt Opera, June 2022
Some of [the singing] is excellent. High-flying tenor Liam Bonthrone has all the notes for Count Almaviva and can get around the coloratura with the best of them.
The Stage ***
‘Tenor Liam Bonthrone had all the high notes for Count Almaviva while his ability to negotiate Rossini’s florid writing was impressive.’
George Hall, Opera Now
STRAUSS, Ariadne auf Naxos (Dancing Master)
Royal Academy Opera (March 2022)
The confident characterisation of Liam Bonthrone (Dancing Master) Impressed.
Claire Seymour, Opera Magazine
Strong performances from Liam Bonthrone's Dancing Master - all vocal ease and nimble delivery …
Alexandra Coghlan, Arts Desk
Liam Bonthrone's Dance Master suggested great promise for the opera that never came.
Mark Berry, Opera Today
L'heure espagnole (Gonsalve)
Royal Academy of Music, November 2021
Liam Bonthrone’s self-obsessed nerdy Gonsalve is most stylish; he makes the high vocal lines sound as easy as pie and brings a wonderful ‘heady’ quality to them
Alexander Campbell, Classical Source
Ramiro, La Cenerentola
British Youth Opera
Liam Bonthrone's Don Ramiro had a charming naivety to him, coupled with an admirable facility in Rossini's tenor writing, with just the right sort of vibrant yet not overdone top notes, and this role is high
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill
Liam Bonthrone was a Prince Ramiro of integrity...the tenor fearlessly climbed to the top of Rossini’s challenging vocal lines, using the energy of the music to suggest the Prince’s ardency and nobility.
Claire Seymour, Opera Today
Liam Bonthrone, delightfully blessed with a light bubbling tenor and an appealing presence: just what any Prince Charming needs
Bill Knight, The Times
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