Barry Banks’ outstanding facility in roles by Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti has brought him to the attention of the world’s leading opera houses.

With The Metropolitan Opera he has partnered Renée Fleming in Rossini’s Armida, Natalie Dessay in La fille du régiment and La sonnambula, Olga Borodina in L’italiana in Algeri and Anna Netrebko in Don Pasquale and L’elisir d’amore.

Current season highlights include his debut at the Royal Danish Opera as Idreno in Semiramide, a return to the Teatro San Carlo in Naples for Donizetti’s Il Campanello and Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia) at the Staatsoper Berlin.

Other notable roles have included the title role (Mitridate) and Don Narciso (Il turco in Italia) at the Bayerische Staatsoper; Ernesto (Don Pasquale) at the Royal Opera House; Count Almaviva at The Metropolitan Opera; Idreno (Semiramide) at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples; Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola) for his debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu; Oreste (Ermione) for his debut at the Santa Fe Festival; Belfiore & Libenskof (Il viaggio a Reims) for his debut at Teatro Communale di Bologna and L’Astrologue (Le coq d’or) for his debut at Théâtre du Châtelet. In the role of Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) he has appeared in Salzburg, Leipzig and Brussels.  During his long association with English National Opera he has appeared as Tamino, Tom Rakewell (The Rake’s Progress), Edgardo (in David Alden’s acclaimed production of Lucia di Lammermoor) and, most recently, Hoffmann (in Richard Jones’ new production of The Tales of Hoffmann).

In concert Barry Banks has performed Britten’s War Requiem at the Teatro alla Scala under Xian Zhang and with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg under Jan Latham-Koenig; Berlioz’ Grand Messe des Morts under Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra; The Dream of Gerontius with the Münchner Philharmoniker under Sir Andrew Davis and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Daniele Gatti. Other highlights have included Ermione in concert at Carnegie Hall; concert versions of I puritani and Linda di Chamonix at Caramoor Festival; Armida at the Edinburgh International Festival under Carlo Rizzi and Elvino (La sonnambula) under Kent Nagano at the Knowlton Festival.

Barry Banks’ discography includes The Elixir of Love, The Italian Girl in Algiers, Don Pasquale, Don Giovanni, The Thieving Magpie and The Magic Flute in the Opera in English series for Chandos; La bohème under Kent Nagano and Un ballo in maschera under Carlo Rizzi both for Teldec and Trial by Jury under Sir Charles Mackerras for Telarc. DVD releases include Armida from the Metropolitan Opera, Billy Budd in an English National Opera production for Virgin/EMI and Die Entführung aus dem Serail which was recorded at Buckingham Palace. His solo recital disc for Chandos- Barry Banks sings Bel Canto Arias - received substantial critical acclaim. This season he records Donizetti’s Rita for Opera Rara.