A 2018 graduate of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Ballet and Opera, New Zealand tenor Thomas Atkins is fast becoming a much sought-after artist on the international scene. Praised for his "tenorial heroism" (Opera Magazine) and a consummate actor and musician, he is already enjoying a thriving career with recent successful debuts at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra de Montpellier, Glyndebourne, Opéra National de Paris, Royal Danish Opera, the Barbican (with London Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra) and New Zealand Opera.
Thomas Atkins begins his 2024/25 season with a new production of "The Rakes Progress" at the Norwegian National Opera, following on from his superb debut as Tom Rakewell in Glyndebourne’s iconic David Hockney production in summer 2023. He makes his role and company debut at English National Opera, as Nemorino in "Elixir of Love" and returns to the Royal Ballet and Opera as Števa in "Jenůfa". He also returns to the Salzburg Easter Festival in the role of Andrej Chowanskij in a new production of Khovanshchina by acclaimed British actor and director Simon McBurney and makes a company debut as Lenksy in "Eugene Onegin" at Semperoper Dresden. He appears as the tenor soloist with the Dresden Philharmonic under Sir Donald Runnicles for Britten’s "War Requiem".
Engagements of the previous season include Alfredo in "La Traviata" in Hamburg; Don José in "Carmen" at the Opéra de Rouen Normandie; Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly" at Royal Danish Opera and his role debut as Boris in "Katya Kabanova" at Grange Park Opera. On the concert platform, Thomas Atkins joined Ensemble Pygmalion under the baton of Raphaël Pichon for a European tour of Mendelssohn's "Elijah"; the Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra conducted by Hannu Lintu for Mendelssohn's "Lobgesang" and the Royal Northern Sinfonia for Bruckner Mass No. 3 conducted by Dinis Sousa.
Further recent operatic appearances include his role and house debut as Steva in "Jenůfa" at the Teatro de la Maestranza; Rodolfo in "La Bohème" for his debut at Gothenburg Opera; Tom Rakewell in "The Rake’s Progress" for his role debut at Glyndebourne; and Narraboth in "Salome" at the Royal Ballet and Opera. Further notable appearances include Roderigo in Amélie Niermeyer’s production of "Otello" at Bayerische Staatsoper; his company debut at Opéra National de Paris as Steuermann in "Der fliegende Holländer"; and the Israeli Opera and Opera Holland Park as Lensky in "Eugene Onegin"; Tamino in a semi-staged production of "Die Zauberflöte" at Glyndebourne and as Kudrjaš in a new production of "Katya Kabanova", directed by Damiano Michieletto for the festival; Rodolfo in "La Bohème" with Opera North, Gothenburg Opera and New Zealand Opera; Lysander "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" at Opéra de Montpellier and Gastone in "La Traviata" at the Royal Opera House.
Highlights of recent concert engagements saw him perform with The Hallé and Sir Mark Elder for Verdi Requiem; the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève as Tybald in "Roméo et Juliette" conducted by Marc Leroy-Calatayud and the Insula orchestra at Brucknerhaus Linz for Beethoven Symphony No. 9 conducted by Laurence Equilbey. Other highlights include joining Marin Alsop and the London Symphony Orchestra in performances of Bernstein’s "Candide"; his debut with The Hallé under the baton of Sir Mark Elder as Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly"; appearing in the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation Gala at Wigmore Hall; and his debut with Opera Rara as Empsaele in "Il Paria" at the Barbican with the Britten Sinfonia under the baton of Sir Mark Elder. Further engagements include Beethoven Missa Solemnis with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Richard Farnes at the Barbican; performances at the Yakushiji Otobutai in Japan with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa; excerpts from "Der Rosenkavalier" with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder; Tippett's "A Child of Our Time"; Mozart's Requiem; Dubois' "The Seven Last Words of Christ"; Vaughan Williams' Mass in G Minor; Handel's "Messiah"; Verdi's Requiem; Mozart's Requiem in Switzerland; Rossini's Stabat Mater, and opera galas in Budapest.
Thomas Atkins is a graduate of the New Zealand School of Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, during which he was supported by the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation and the New Zealand Arts Foundation Patronage. He was a finalist in the Guildhall School "Gold Medal" in 2015 and is the recipient of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama award, the Sheila Prior Prize, the Phoebe Patrick Award and the Vianden International Summer School Award – all from the 2012 IFAC Australian Singing Competition.