James Creswell

Bass

Biography

“There is amongst the cast one unequivocally great voice: that of James Creswell, the best American bass I’ve heard since Sam Ramey debuted at Glyndebourne in the late 1970s, magnificently rich, dark and wholly secure, with flawless emission – and of quite thrilling scale.” (Opera Britannia)

American bass James Creswell has established himself as one of the leading basses of his generation. Born in Seattle Washington, Mr. Creswell graduated from Yale University and his early career included apprenticeships with Los Angeles Opera and San Francisco Opera until moving to Germany as a soloist with the Komische Oper Berlin.

In the 2022/23 season, Mr. Creswell performs the roles of Bartolo Le nozze di Figaro and Il Marchese di Calatrava La forza del destino at Opéra national de Paris; Fafner Das Rheingold at English National Opera; Nourabad in a semi-staged production of Les pêcheurs de perles with Opera North; and Vodník Rusalka and Caronte in Monteverdi’s Orfeo at The Santa Fe Opera. In concert, he performs the role of Peasant Gurrelieder with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Edward Gardner.

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Reviews

“There is amongst the cast one unequivocally great voice: that of James Creswell, the best American bass I’ve heard since Sam Ramey debuted at Glyndebourne in the late 1970s, magnificently rich, dark and wholly secure, with flawless emission – something pretty much at a discount nearly everywhere else – and of quite thrilling scale.”

Stephen Jay-Taylor

Opera Britannia

“James Creswell seems almost luxury casting as Pogner, his singer is so radiant.”

Andrew Clements

The Guardian