Having completed a Bachelor of Music Performance at the former Victorian College of the Arts, Nicholas Jones has studied voice with Raymond Connell, Gary May and Anna Connolly since 2009. From 2007 he was a member of Opera Scholars Australia, performing as a guest soloist at major concerts and attending masterclasses with such artists as Yvonne Kenny. Since being awarded the OSA / Australian Music Events “Scholar of the Year” prize, he has returned to the company in a mentoring role, often appearing in concerts as a featured artist.

 

During his time at VCA, Nicholas sang the role of Tamino in VCA’s gala performance of The Magic Flute, and collaborated with local artists to present a staged version of Schumann’s Dichterliebe. Nicholas performed in the premiere of Art of Thought – a song cycle by Australian composer/pianist Stefan Cassomenos, whilst also collaborating with Cassomenos in a performance of Benjamin Britten’s complete Canticles at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

 

During 2011, he performed the role of Young Man 1 (and chorus) in Deborah Cheetham’s indigenous opera Pecan Summer at the Arts Centre Playhouse, and expanded his chamber music repertoire with a performance of the tenor solo in Britten’s Serenade for Tenor and Horn at ANAM. Nicholas has a long-standing collaborative relationship with IOpera, singing the role of Soldier in The Emperor of Atlantis and Barnardo in the rarely heard opera Erwin und Elmire for which he earned a Green Room Award nomination.

 

Nicholas has performed in the chorus of eleven Opera Australia productions since 2007 (including several understudy appointments), most recently appearing in the acclaimed Lincoln Centre production of South Pacific, and Bizet’s Carmen on Sydney Harbour.

He has toured as Tamino/Man in Armour 1 (Opera Australia Touring); Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville (Schools Touring). He also performed in the Ensemble in South Pacific (National Tour) and in the chorus of the Ring Cycle.

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In 2016, Nicholas created the role of Fish Lamb in the world premiere of Tim Winton’s Australian novel – Cloudstreet, composed by George Palmer and presented by State Opera of South Australia. His performances have been received to great acclaim.

 

In 2017, Nicholas joins Opera Australia as a Principal Artist performing Remendado in their Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s Carmen and creating the role of Marasquin in Two Weddings, One Bride, a new operetta created by Robert Greene, based on a story by Charles Lecocq.

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Nicholas makes his Lyric debut in the role of Nero in the 2017 production of Coronation of Poppea.