Gerald Finley Bass baritone

Born in Montreal, Gerald Finley began singing as a chorister in Ottawa, Canada, and completed his musical studies in the UK at the Royal College of Music, King’s College, Cambridge, and the National Opera Studio. 

His career initially focused on the music of Mozart, as he performed the title-role in Don Giovanni and the Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro. He then explored the Wagner repertoire with Hans Sachs (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Amfortas (Parsifal), Wolfram (Tannhäuser), and Verdi with Falstaff and Iago (Otello). His other important roles include Guillaume Tell, Scarpia (Tosca), Golaud (Pelléas et Mélisande), Eugene Onegin and Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress). 

In contemporary opera, Finley has created leading roles such as J. Robert Oppenheimer in John Adams’ Doctor Atomic, Harry Heegan in Turnage’s The Silver Tassie, and Mr Fox in Tobias Picker’s Fantastic Mr Fox. Concert appearances include the title role in Dallapiccola’s Il prigioniero and Chou En-lai in Adams’ Nixon in China. 

During season 2021/22, he performed the Count Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro) at the New York Metropolitan Opera, Adams' Anthony in Anthony & Cleopatra, Count Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Iago (Otello) in Munich and Falstaff (title-role) in Vienna. In concert, he took part in the opening gala at the Paris Opera with Gustavo Dudamel and sang Bluebeard's Castle at London's Stone Nest. He has performed many recitals in Vienna, Prague, London and in the US. 

A Grammy Award-winning singer, he gives masterclasses throughout the world, including at the Juilliard School of Music. He is also working with the Jette Parker Young Artists’ Program at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, the National Opera Studio, and the Lindemann Program at the New York Met. He is a Fellow and Visiting Professor at the Royal College of Music. 

In 2017 he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire and had previously been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.