Andrew Collis

Nick Shadow, The Rake’s Progress , Victorian Opera
“Andrew Collis was a commanding Nick Shadow, cajoling Tom Rakewell by pandering to his every wish. His persuasively strong characterisation and intelligible pronunciation initially suggested a confident rather than sinister force”.
Peter Burch, The Australian, 20 March 2012

The Trial of the Cannibal Dog, NZIFA, Opera House Wellington
“Andrew Collis gave an effortless performance, eloquently depicting the flawed, heroic Cook.”
National Business Review  14 March 2008

Beethoven 9th Symphony, West Australian Symphony Orchestra
"…Andrew Collis was in impressively resonant voice, bringing a sense of occasion to everything he sang."
Neville Cohn, The West Australian November 2003

Australian bass-baritone Andrew Collis was a member of the Cologne Opera from 1993 to 2007. He has also performed with opera companies in Berlin, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Mannheim and Wiesbaden and in concerts in Bonn, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, and Cologne with James Conlon, including his participation in the award-winning recording of Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg for EMI.

Andrew’s international performances have included appearances at the Vienna Festival in Luigi Nono's Intolleranza; Hong Kong Festival in Tosca and Un Ballo in Maschera; Perth Festival as soloist with the Prague Chamber Orchestra; the roles of Colline (La bohème) and Hobson (Peter Grimes) for San Diego Opera; performances in the Lyric Opera of Singapore's production of Die Zauberflöte; and St John Passion in the Canary Islands.

In addition to his operatic repertoire, Andrew has an extensive list of concert and oratorio performances to his credit, including St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Magnificat, Coffee Cantata and Mass in B minor of Bach, Messiah, Samson and Semele by Handel, Die Schöpfung, Stabat Mater and Masses by Haydn, Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 and Missa Solemnis, Mozart’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Erste Walpurgis Nacht, with orchestras including the Adelaide, Melbourne, Tasmanian and West Australian Symphony orchestras, and at the Perth and New Zealand International Arts Festivals.

On the opera stage in Australia, he has performed Friar Laurence (Roméo et Juliette), Dr Kolenatý (The Makropulos Affair) and Mr Flint (Billy Budd) for Opera Australia; the title roles in Don Pasquale and Le Nozze di Figaro, Ashby (La Fanciulla del West), Angelotti (Tosca), Dr Dulcamara (L’Elisir D’amore), Doctor Grenvil (La Traviata), Monterone (Rigoletto), Colline (La bohème), Frank (Die Fledermaus), Zaccaria (Nabucco), Basilio (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Achilla (Giulio Cesare) and Zuniga (Carmen) for Opera Queensland; Count Rodolfo (La Sonnambula), Friar Laurence, Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte) and Swallow (Peter Grimes) for West Australian Opera; Speaker (The Magic Flute), Luka (The Bear), Leporello (Don Giovanni) and Duke Bluebeard (Bluebeard’s Castle) for Victorian Opera; Count Rodolfo, Crespel/Luther/Spalanzani (The Tales of Hoffmann) and Fasolt (Das Rheingold on Melba Recordings) for State Opera of South Australia.

Andrew’s recent engagements include the roles of Basilio, Bartolo (The Marriage of Figaro), Bonze (Madame Butterfly at Perth Festival), Lodovico (Otello), Angelotti and Sparafucile (Rigoletto) for West Australian Opera; soloist in semi-staged performances of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Monterone, Don Magnifico, Lodovico, Banquo (Macbeth), Zuniga and Colline for Opera Queensland; Henry Kissinger (Nixon in China), Nick Shadow (Rake’s Progress) and the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro for Victorian Opera; Speaker for Opera Australia; Mars (Orpheus in the Underworld) for State Opera of South Australia; Don Magnifico (La Cenerentola) for NBR New Zealand Opera; Messiah with New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Choral Society, Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Melbourne Bach Choir and St John Passion with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and with Choir of Trinity College of the University of Melbourne.
Engagements in 2016 include Simone (Gianni Schicchi) for West Australian Opera, Henry Kissinger (Nixon in China) for Auckland Arts Festival with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Bonze (Madame Butterfly) and Dr Bartolo (The Barber of Seville) for Opera Queensland, Valens (Theodora) for Pinchgut Opera, St Matthew Passion with Melbourne Bach Choir and St. John Passion with West Australian Symphony Orchestra.