Robert Gleadow

Bass-Baritone

Biography

Canadian bass-baritone Robert Gleadow continues to make his mark on operatic and concert stages around the world since his graduation from the Jette Parker Young Artists program of the Royal Opera Covent Garden and the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio. Mr. Gleadow’s performances at Houston Grand Opera as Talbot in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda alongside Joyce DiDonato and under the baton of Patrick Summers were characterized as “never lacking conviction or genuine concern” and it was noted that “his plangent bass rang out with a sonic boom.”

Gleadow’s operatic roles in 2016/17 will include Bardolfo in Falstaff at the Theater an der Wien, Leporello in Don Giovanni at the Théâter des Champs- Élysées, Opera Royal de Versailles and the title role in Don Giovanni at Theater Basel. Finally, Gleadow will sing the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro under the baton of François-Xavier Roth at Oper Köln and Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte at the Drottningholms Slottsteater in Stockholm. His concert engagement will see him perform Handel’s Messiah at the Le Concert Spirituel in Paris alongside Sandrine Piau, Andrea Pichanick and Benjamin Hulett.

Having led an acclaimed performance of the Marriage of Figaro at the Drottingholm Slottstheater in 2015, Robert Gleadow’s operatic engagements continued throughout the 2015/16 season. Gleadow began the season as Dr Grenvil in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of La Traviata. Following this, he took part in the Oper Köln’s production of Offenbach’s the Tales of Hoffmann, singing the leading role in theMarriage of Figaro under the baton of Marc Minkowski at Opera Royal de Versailles, and returned to Drottingholm Slottsteater as well as Oper Koln as Leporello in Don Giovani.

In previous season 2014/15, the bass-baritone performed at the Théâter des Champs- Élysées as Publio in La Clemenza di Titoa, the Canadian Opera Company for Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Pistola in Verdi’s Falstaff and the Bonze in Madame Butterfly. Highlights of concert appearances included Dvorak’s Stabat Mater with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.

In Season 2013/14, Gleadow returned to Houston Grand Opera in the roles of King of Egypt in Aida and Zuniga in a Rob Ashford production of Carmen alongside soprano Ana María Martínez. He also returned to Canadian Opera Company for Guglielmo in Così fan tutte directed by Atom Egoyan. On the concert stage, he embarked on a multi-city European tour performing the role of Rocco in Beethoven’s Fidelio with Festival and Le Cercle de L’Harmonie conducted by Jérémie Rhorer and reprised the role with the Vermeer Festival in Switzerland.

Gleadow’s operatic highlights include performances with the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées as Leporello in Don Giovanni, Leporello in the Deutsche Oper Berlin’s production of Don Giovanni; a debut at Glyndebourne Opera as Guglielmo in Così Fan Tutte along with a return to the company as Leporello in a tour of Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Talbot in Maria Stuarda, Truffaldino in John Cox’s production Ariadne auf Naxos, and Angelotti in Tosca with Houston Grand Opera, Colline with Dallas Opera, the title role in Opéra de Montréal’s Le nozze di Figaro, Colline at the Teatro Muicpal in Santiago,Chile, the Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte, Colline in La Bohème, Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Notable appearances on the concert stage include a performance in Paris alongside Natalie Dessay in J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, a European tour with the Orchestre d’Astree under the baton of Emmanuelle Haïm, St. Matthew Passion and Mozart’s Mass in C-minor with the Halle Orchestra conducted by Mark Elder, the Mozart Requiem with both the Ensemble Mattheus conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi and Baltimore Symphony Orchetra, and an appearance in the star-studded gala celebrating the inauguration of the new hall at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

On recording, Gleadow can be heard as Lorenzo in Deutsche Grammophon’s Capuleti e Montecchi with Anna Netrebko.

September 2016

Reviews

“Robert Gleadow never lacked conviction or genuine concern. His plangent bass rang out with a sonic boom.”

D.L. Groover

Houston Press

“Robert Gleadow is a fine actor and his resonant baritone was perfect for the challenging role of Talbot.”

Theodore Bale

Culture Map Houston

More Reviews

“Robert Gleadow never lacked conviction or genuine concern. His plangent bass rang out with a sonic boom.”

D.L. Groover, Houston Press Apr 23rd 2012

“Robert Gleadow is a fine actor and his resonant baritone was perfect for the challenging role of Talbot.”

Theodore Bale, Culture Map Houston Apr 22nd 2012

“…the tall, handsome young Canadian Robert Gleadow made a striking postprogramme debut as Masetto, and will surely soon be in demand as either Leporello or Don Giovanni.”

Hugh Canning, Times Online Sep 21st 2008

“Robert Gleadow, at 21, is already a star, going great guns in London at the Royal Opera and destined for many plum roles.”

Ken Winters, The Globe and Mail Apr 25th 2007