A native of Miami, tenor RUSSELL THOMAS (Lazarus) is quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting vocal and dramatic talents on the international opera and concert scene, most recently in the Viña Competition in Barcelona (First Prize, Audience Favorite, and Best Tenor) and at the Competizione dell’Opera in Dresden.

Thomas’ current season begins with the recording and a concert of Donizetti’s Belisario for Opera Rara in London, followed by his role debut in the title role of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito at the Metropolitan Opera. Later in the season, Thomas returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic to reprise his stunning Lazarus in John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, this time in performances staged by Peter Sellars that will also be seen in London, Lucerne, Paris, and New York. Thomas ends the season with his Royal Opera House, Covent Garden debut as Gabriele Adorno in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra and in concert performances of Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. Further concerts include the tenor’s return to the New York Philharmonic in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, Mozart’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall, and Verdi’s Requiem in Barcelona. Last, but not least, Thomas will appear in recital in his hometown of Atlanta for the opening concert of Atlanta Vocal Arts Society’s new recital series. Future projects include a debut at the Deutsche Oper, Berlin and returns to the New York Philharmonic and the Seattle and Cincinnati operas.

Last season included performances of Das Lied von der Erde with the Houston Ballet, followed by the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto with the Orlando Philharmonic, Foresto in Verdi’s Attila with the Seattle Opera, A Child of Our Time with the Collegiate Chorale at Carnegie Hall, and a notable debut with the Canadian Opera Company in the title role of Les Contes d’Hoffmann. In concert, Thomas scored a personal triumph in the world premiere of John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, which was followed by Adams’ A Flowering Tree with the Atlanta Symphony and Robert Spano, Verdi’s seldom-heard Inno delle Nazioni with the Yale Alumni Chorus, Don Ottavio in the Finale to Act I of Don Giovanni with the New York Philharmonic and its Music Director, Alan Gilbert, and finally Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Spano at the Aspen Music Festival. 

An alumnus of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera, Russell Thomas was also a member of Seattle Opera’s Young Artist Program, a Roger R. Hinkley artist at the Florida Grand Opera, a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and an apprentice at the Sarasota Opera, and he was proud to take part in the 2005 and 2006 Marlboro Music Festivals. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Music in Performance from the New World School of the Arts.