Iain Paterson Bass baritone

Biography

Iain Paterson studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with Neilson Taylor and made his debut at the Opera North. 

His career quickly took on an international dimension and he soon found himself cast in a variety of roles, including Kurwenal (Tristan und Isolde), Amfortas (Parsifal), Hans Sachs (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Gunther (Götterdämmerung), Jochanaan (Salomé), Oreste (Elektra), the Forester (The Cunning Little Vixen), Balstrode (Peter Grimes), and Wotan (The Ring) appearing in prestigious venues such as the Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the Vienna Staatsoper, the Royal Opera House in London, the Lyric Opera in Chicago, the Houston Grand Opera, the Leipzig Opera, the Dresden Semperoper, the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, the Rome Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, and the Frankfurt Opera. 

He was also a member of the English National Opera Company, during which time he sang the roles of Gunther, Leporello (Don Giovanni), Colline (La Bohème), and Amonasro (Aida) and performed in the world premiere production of Ryan Wiggleworth’s new opera The Winter’s Tales (the role of Leontes). He has made guest appearances at the Bayreuth Festival (Kurwenal, Wotan), the BBC Proms in London and the Edinburgh Festival (Schönberg’s Gurre-Lieder, and Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius). He has also sung the bass section of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on numerous occasions. 

These last seasons, he has appeared as the Dutchman (Der Fliegende Holländer) in Leipzig, Wotan in Leipzig, Amsterdam and at the Paris Opera, Créon (Cherubini’s Médée) at the Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Wotan and Der Wanderer (Siegfried) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Balstrode at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Kurwenal at the Vienna Staatsoper, Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Vienna Symphony conducted by Philippe Jordan.

During the 22/23 season, he will portray Jochanaan at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich and at the Vienna Staatsoper, as well as Kurwenal at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich.

Currently in

  • Palais Garnier
  • from 30 November to 23 December 2024
  • Opéra Bastille
  • from 15 January to 01 February 2025

Immerse in the Paris Opera universe

Follow us

Back to top