Simon Kirkbride 1

Simon Kirkbride


Simon Kirkbride 2

Simon Kirkbride studied singing (Bass/Baritone) at the Royal College of Music and was awarded the Presidents Rose Bowl, the highest award given to a student at the RCM, on graduation.

Simon made his operatic debut in 1997 as Publio in La clemenza di Tito at Welsh National Opera conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras. Other important appearances include Figaro Le nozze di Figaro for Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Morales Carmen at Scottish Opera, Masetto Don Giovanni in Pisa, Vichy, Cremona, Treviso, Mantua, Como, and Lucca. Leporello Don Giovanni in Pisa and Lucca. Lycomedes in Handel's Deidamia for the London Handel Festival, Thaddeus in the world premiere of Birtwistle's The Last Supper at the Staatsoper Berlin conducted by Daniel Barenboim, and at the Glyndebourne Festival. Priest of Jupiter in Luc Bondy's production of Hercules at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence conducted by William Christie, with repeat performances at the Opéra National de Paris, the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, the Wiener Festspiele, the Barbican in London and the Netherlands Opera. Ratcliffe in the world premiere of Battistelli's Richard III and Cadmus Semele at Vlaamse Opera, and Musiklehrer Ariadne auf Naxos for the Norwegian Opera.

His performed repertoire also includes Mr Redburn Billy Budd, Count Almaviva Le nozze di Figaro, Don Alfonso Così fan tutte, Zuniga Carmen, Minskman in Jonathan Doves Flight, Garibaldo Rodelinda and Bartolo Il barbiere di Siviglia. Starveling A Midsummer Night's Dream and Sprecher Die Zauberflöte for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Voice of Neptune Idomeneo for Les Arts Florissants in Paris and New York, Pilate John Passion directed by Robert Wilson and conducted by Emmanuel Haïm at the Châtelet in Paris, Dr Bartolo Le nozze di Figaro conducted by Daniel Harding at the Festival d'Aix en provence, Theseus A Midsummer Night's Dream for the Opéra de Lyon and in Athens, Nazarene Salome and Hobson Peter Grimes for the Grand Théâtre de Genève conducted by Sir Donald Runnicles and Thaddeus in concert performances of The Last Supper in Milan and Turin.

On the concert stage, Simon has performed most of the works of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Britten, Elgar, Walton, Mendelssohn and Beethoven, and has sung with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Calgary Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Les Arts Florissants, Le Concert d'Astrée, The King's Consort, Florilegium, Haydn Festival Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Norwegian Baroque Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Oslo Baroque Orchestra and London Baroque.

Recordings include Saint-Saëns's Requiem with the London Philharmonic on Cala and Pippo Il tutore burlato by Soler with Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset for Decca. Simon can also be found as Priest of Jupiter Hercules with Les Arts Florissants and William Christie in the Opéra National de Paris' DVD recording of the production for Bel Air Classiques.

Simon's final season before retiring from the world stage as a professional singer included performances such as Valens in Handel's Theodora with Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort & Players, a European tour of music by Purcell with Collegium Vocale Gent, Mozart's Mass in C minor with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Cadmus / Somnus Semele at the Beijing Music Festival, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis with Orchestre des Champs-Elysées and Philippe Herreweghe, The Bonze Madame Butterfly for Raymond Gubbay at the Royal Albert Hall, Bartolo Figaro with the Classical Opera Company, and Father Hansel and Gretel and finally Alidoro La Cenerentola for Bergen National Opera.

Despite the fact that his career was at its peak, in 2012 Simon wanted other challenges in life, and retired as a performing singer. He continued his work as a singing teacher and coach, and worked closely with Bergen National Opera where he developed and led the Young Voices programme, now run by the Edvard Grieg Choirs. Simon was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Northern College of Music in 2023 for his service to music. Since 2013, Simon has been the General Manager of the Edvard Grieg Choirs.