Biography
Hailed by the Irish Examiner as possessing “an imposing stage presence and a vivid range of colour and warmth of tone that compels attention,” Austrian-Australian tenor Gerard Schneider is acknowledged as a preeminent singer of opera, operetta and song. Having developed a strong international presence, Mr. Schneider has appeared throughout the world, including major debuts at the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, Wexford Festival Opera, and the Salzburger Festspiele in repertoire spanning the Bel Canto, Romantic and Verismo styles.
In the 2022/23 season, Gerard Schneider will continue as an Ensemble member at Oper Frankfurt, a position he has held since 2018. There, he will perform the title role in Werther, Tristan in Frank Martin’s oratorio Le Vin herbé, among other projects. He will also sing two new productions in his signature role, the Prince in Rusalka, at Hessiches Staatstheater Wiesbaden and Staatstheater Hannover. Finally, Mr. Schneider returns to the Wexford Festival as Rinald in Dvorak’s Armida.
Reviews
“Bringing Massenet’s Werther once again into repertoire, Oper Frankfurt presents Gerard Schneider in the title role who gives – in every respect – an outstanding debut…”
Original text:
“Die Oper Frankfurt nimmt Jules Massenet’s Werther wieder ins Programm und kann mit Gerard Schneider einen in jeder Hinsicht überragenden Debütanten in der Titelpartie präsentieren…”
“In the title role, Gerard Schneider is able to keep the promise he made in his debut as the Prince in Rusalka: his youthful, lush tenor tenor fits perfectly with Werther’s Sturm-und-Drang pathos. He masters the high passages – which are as characteristic of French tenor parts as they are delicate – elegantly through the tasteful use of head voice.”\
Original text:
“In der Titelrolle kann Gerard Schneider das Versprechen einlösen, welches er seinerzeit mit seinem Hausdebüt als Rusalka-Prinz gegeben hatte: Sein jugendlich-saftiger Tenor paßt ausgezeichnet zu Werthers Sturm-und-Drang-Pathos. Die für französische Tenorpartien ebenso charakteristischen wie heiklen hohen Passagen meistert er elegant durch den geschmackvollen Einsatz der Kopfstimme.”
“…at the same high level, Gerard Schneider sang an excellent Prince. The Austrian-Australian tenor impressed with a clear and pleasant timbre, secure and radiant heights, a touching use of the head voice as he lay dying, as well as an attractive, and slender stage appearance.
You can already look forward to his role debut as King’s Son in Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera Königskinder next summer in Erl.”
Original text:
“…Auf gleichem Niveau sang Gerard Schneider einen ausgezeichneten Prinzen. Der Österreichisch-Australische Tenor beeindruckte mit klarem, angenehmem Timbre, sicherer, Strahlende Höhe, berührendem einsatz der Kopfstimme als sterbender sowie attraktiver, schlanker buehnenerscheinigung.
Schon jetzt darf man sich auf sein Rollendebut als Königssohn in Engelbert Humperdincks Oper Königskinder nächsten Sommer in Erl Freuen.”
“Gerard Schneider possesses a tenor that closes one’s ears to all Second-Class interpretations of Lyonel. Perfection is possible so get in while you can.”
Original text:
“Gerard Schneider mit einem Tenor, der einem das Ohr verschließt für alle zweitklassigen Besetzungen des Lyonel. Das Vollendete ist möglich, also will man es auch künftighin bekommen.”
“The fact that the Prince– famously embodied by Gerard Schneider– is extremely unsettled in issues of love and is ultimately catapulted from this human world to willingly and faithfully die in the arms of Rusalka appeared absolutely logical in this Erl version.
There was also euphoric applause for the performance, which was blended with loud Bravo calls, especially for the leading singers Karen Vuong and Gerard Schneider… “
Original text:
“Auch dass sich der in Liebesfragen äußerst unstete Prinz, famos verkörpert von Gerard Schneider, letztlich aus dieser Menschenwelt katapultiert und bereitwillig und dem Pakt treu in den Armen von Rusalka stirbt, erschien in der Erl-Fassung absolut logisch.
Für die Darbietung gab es dann auch euphorischen Applaus, der sich vor allem bei den Hauptdarstellern Karen Vuong und Gerard Schneider mit lauten Bravo-Rufen vermengte”
“But the most memorable portrayal of the evening was Gerard Schneider’s wonderfully Gallic Nicias, brimming with finesse and joie de vivre. The Australian-born tenor, in an auspicious company debut, offered the perfect antidote to Athanaël’s dour lessons in anhedonia; one felt the audience relax—and then smile—en masse”
More Reviews
“Tenor Gérard Schneider played the foil brilliantly, convincingly portraying the sybarite Nicias in way that made you want to forget all about the spiritual and succumb to the pleasures of easy living. Moreover, Schneider managed to make us really care about the character – something that isn’t particularly easy with this role.”
Phillip Nones, Bachtrack
“In the performance, Gerard Schneider was heard as a luminous, fresh and lyrical Rodolfo, who rarely had to force his tone in the upper register.”
Frankfurter Rundschau
“… Gerard Schneider has a voluminous tenor voice as Rodolfo… he, vocally and dramatically through his interpretation, good-looks and magnificent tenor sound, turns out to be an ideal Rodolfo…”
Ursula Wiegand, Online Merker
Gerard Schneider provided a colorful foil to Meachem as the sybaritic Nicias in his Minnesota Opera debut. Ardent and irreverent where Meachem was straight-laced and sober, Schneider’s ringing tenor made a sharp impression”
Terry Blain, Star Tribune
“Mr. Schneider brought out Boris’s desperate longing for Katya through his plangent singing during their illicit love scene…”
Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times
“Both tenor Gerard Schneider and bass Daniel Mirosław brought real bel canto virtues to the first scene of Der Kaiser.
Their singing suggested that even in the harshest of realms, beauty can thrive.”Fred Cohn, Opera News
“The singing is excellent, led by a thrilling performance from tenor Gerard Schneider, plucked from the relative obscurity of his studies at the JuIlliard to step in for indisposed John Mark Ainsley. Looking like a young Pavarotti, Schneider has an imposing stage presence with a vivid range of colour and warmth of tone that compels attention…”
Cathy Desmond, Irish Examiner
“Nicias’ Alexandria is the embodiment of sensual excess and wild abandon, and Schneider’s smartly sung Nicias is wholly comfortable in being the leader of an orgiastic following … In addition to his strong vocal performance, Schneider proved to be a commendable dancer as well, briefly joining the dance troupe in a section of the opera’s second act ballet.”
“Dein ist mein ganzes Herz, die arie des Prinzen Sou Chong, interpretieret von Gerard Schneider, setzte den Glanzpunkt zur Gala.
Die grandiosen stimmen wurden mit tobendem applaus, roten Rosen, grossen Blumenbuketts
und beifallsbekundungen des Orchesters belohnt…”(Dein ist mein ganzes Herz, the aria of Prince Sou Chong , interpreted by Gerard Schneider was the highlight of the gala . The grandiose voices were rewarded with rapturous applause, red roses ,large bouquets of flowers and the applause of the orchestra …)
Marlen News
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