Kim Begley
Tenor
After initial training and experience as an actor, Kim Begley found his true vocation when he
joined the Royal Opera House Covent Garden as a principal tenor. In six seasons he sang over
thirty roles and has since returned as a regular guest in productions such as Wozzeck (Drum
Major), Die Walküre (Siegmund), Billy Budd (Captain Vere) and most recently Krol Roger (Edrisi),
conducted by Music Director Antonio Pappano.
In an illustrious career spanning over three decades, Kim Begley has performed around the world
at the highest level and been a regular guest at The Metropolitan Opera, Opera National de Paris,
Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Glyndebourne Festival and La Scala Milan to name just a few. In
2000, under the late Giuseppi Sinopoli, Begley made his Bayreuth Festival debut as Loge (Das
Rheingold), a role which subsequently became his major calling card and for which he remains in
high demand today.
In Kim Begley's earlier career he excelled in Janáček's operas and sang Laca (Jenufa) in
numerous productions on both sides of the Atlantic, including as his debut at The Met under
Vladimir Jurowski in 2003. He sang his first performances as Florestan (Fidelio) under Sir Simon
Rattle at the Glyndebourne Festival and his first Peter Grimes at De Nederlandse Opera with Edo
de Waart. Having always enjoyed a strong relationship with English National Opera, Kim Begley
has sung principal roles there by Britten, Janáček and Mussorgsky as well as his first portrayal
of Parsifal, which saw him nominated for an Olivier Award. In 2011/12 Kim returned to the
Coliseum in critically acclaimed performances as Walter in David Pountney’s production
of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s The Passenger and as Captain Vere in David Alden’s new production
of Billy Budd under Edward Gardner.
Highly sought after in North America, as well as performances in New York and Chicago, Kim has
also enjoyed productions in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, performing the roles of
Boris (Katya Kabanová), Loge Pierre (War and Peace) and Herod (Salome), amongst others.
Recent seasons have seen the addition of new roles to Kim Begley's already extensive repertoire:
Sellem (The Rake’s Progress) in Paris under Jeffrey Tate, Aegisth (Elektra) in Paris under
Philippe Jordan and Bob Boles (Peter Grimes) in San Francisco under Michael Tilson Thomas.
This season he makes another role debut as Fatty (Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny) for
Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile as well as returning to Herod and Aegist in collaborations
with Kirill Karabits and Charles Dutoit.
2015/16 season only. Please contact HarrisonParrott if you wish to edit this biography.