“…real men phrase Mozart like this.”
The Sydney Morning Herald Peter McCallum 22 January 2002
Born in England,
Douglas McNicol was educated in South Australia and then undertook
extensive vocal study in Europe. He began his professional singing
career at the State Opera of South Australia. In 1996 he was awarded
a Churchill Fellowship.
Regarded as one of
Australia’s most experienced baritones, his roles in 2006 included
Sharpless in Madama Butterfly for State Opera of South
Australia, Mozart Requiem with Adelaide Symphony and
Messiah with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In 2005 Douglas
McNicol’s engagements included Opera Australia’s production of the
Mikado in Adelaide, the title role in Don Giovanni for
West Australian Opera and Scarpia, Tosca at Canterbury Opera,
New Zealand. The latter engagement, which was an outstanding
success, represents the beginning of a move towards some different
repertoire including the lower Verdi baritone roles. He also
recently participated in a concert performance of The Bells
by Rachmaninov in Melbourne. Douglas performed Don Alfonso in
Cosi fan tutte for NBR New Zealand Opera,
Don Carlo
in a new production of La forza del destino for Canterbury
Opera, and the Lieutenant in a new John Haddock opera, Madeline
Lee for Opera Australia in 2004, which was also broadcast by AB
Radio.
Douglas made his
debut with The Australian Opera, now Opera Australia, in 1991.
His work with this company in recent seasons has included
L’elisir d’amore (Belcore), Peter Grimes (Ned Keene) in
Sydney and La bohème (Marcello) in Melbourne, and Le Nozze
di Figaro (title role) in the 2002 Sydney Summer Season.
Other roles for Opera Australia have included Falstaff
(Ford), La traviata (Giorgio Germont), Madama Butterfly
(Sharpless), The Marriage of Figaro (Count Almaviva), The
Magic Flute (Papageno), Cosi fan tutte (Don Alfonso) and
Die Fledermaus (Dr Falke).
For State Opera of
South Australia roles have included Die Fledermaus (Dr Falke),
Così fan tutte (Don Alfonso), The Pearlfishers
(Zurga), La Bohème (Marcello), Madama Butterfly (Sharpless),
Falstaff (Ford), The Marriage of Figaro (title role)
and The Magic Flute (Papageno). In 2002 Douglas performed
Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd and Leporello in Don Giovanni
and in August 2003 he performed Owen Hart in the Australian
premiere of Dead Man Walking.
For both the
Victorian State Opera and the West Australian Opera Douglas has
performed Carmen (Escamillo) and for Opera Queensland,
the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro and Faust
(Valentine). He has also performed the title role in Don
Giovanni at Canterbury Opera, New Zealand.
As a concert
artist Douglas has sung with Sydney Philharmonia performing Mozart’s
Requiem. He has also appeared with the Adelaide, Queensland
and West Australian Symphony Orchestras, the Australian Chamber
Orchestra, as a guest artist at ‘Opera Under the Stars’ in Broome,
and with numerous choral societies and chamber music ensembles. His
concert repertoire includes Bach’s Magnificat, Christmas
Oratorio, Mass in B Minor and Christus in St John
Passion; Acis and Galatea; The Tempest and The
Childhood of Christ; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and the
Fauré and Brahms Requiem
Douglas’
engagements in 2007 will include the world premiere seasons of “The
Love of the Nightingale” (Mills) in Perth, Brisbane and
Melbourne, La Fanciulla del West (MSO) and The Barber of
Seville (SOSA).
His performances
of Sharpless and Masetto, both for Opera Australia are available on
video.
