Phillip Rhodes

Last season he returned to New Zealand Opera in the title role of Macbeth, to Wellington Opera as Enrico Lucia di Lammermoor, and to Scottish Opera as Escamillo Carmen.

This season he looks forward to making his debut with Opera Australia as Giorgio Germont La Traviata, which he also sings at Scottish Opera, Count Anckarstrὂm Un ballo in Maschera with the Chelsea Opera Group, and further ahead to returning to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Recent highlights include Escamillo Carmen (Royal Opera House, Opera North, Welsh National Opera, The Grange Festival); his role debut as Figaro The Marriage of Figaro (Opera North); Monterone Rigoletto (Royal Opera House); his house debut at Nederlandse Reisopera as Scarpia Tosca; Father Hansel and Gretel and Ford Falstaff (Scottish Opera); Speaker The Magic Flute (Welsh National Opera); Jud Fry Oklahoma! (Grange Park Opera); and King Le Cid (Dorset Opera).

In his native New Zealand, he has recently appeared as Don Pizarro Fidelio in concert with Auckland Philharmonia; as Giorgio Germont La traviata for Wellington Opera; and as Judge Turpin Sweeney Todd, Giorgio Germont and Scarpia in a new production of Tosca for New Zealand Opera.

Rhodes was born in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, where he graduated in 2004 with a Diploma in Arts and Voice. In 2008, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Cardiff International Academy of Voice under the tutelage of Dennis O'Neill, where he remained for three seasons. In 2005 he won the Lexus Song Quest, bringing him to the attention of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who still maintains her interest in his career. Phillip acknowledges the support of the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.