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The Australian bass-baritone, Andrew O'Connor, obtained his High School Diploma in Music from Aquinas College in Perth (2002-2006); and his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance (Singing) from The University of Western Australia (2007-2011).
As a performer and educator Andrew O’Connor is versed in a wide variety of styles and genres. He is a Lay Clerk with St Mary’s Cathedral Choir in Sydney (since April 2016), was an Associate Artist with Pacific Opera in 2019, was the winner of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Aria Competition 2020, and from mid-2021 joined the newly formed Australian Vocal Ensemble (AVÉ) who have just released their debut recording and will be touring nationally in 2022. From 2015 to 2019 he was a core member of The Song Company, and has since developed a busy freelance career encompassing opera, the concert platform, vocal chamber music, and the classroom. Praised for his 'remarkable musicianship' (Limelight Magazine) and 'textured, fine-wine bass baritone' (Arts Hub) he appears regularly with virtually all of Sydney's leading music organisations - including Pinchgut Opera, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Choir, Opera Australia Chorus, Bach Akademie Australia, Cantillation, Choir of St James, Hourglass Ensemble, and Sydney Antiphony, and Vocal Detour. He balances these commitments with an emerging career as a soloist.
His operatic experience includes five years of main stage and regional touring with West Australian Opera (2010-2014) and a wide span of roles with independent companies. In 2020 Andrew O'Connor joins Opera Australia (OA) for Verdi’s Attila and also sang in OA’s landmark ‘silent production’ of Alan John’s Eighth Wonder in 2016. For Pinchgut Opera Andrew will sing in Charpentier’s Médée in 2020. In 2019 he sang the role of Polyphemus in George Frideric Handel's Acis & Galatea in Ensemble Polypheme’s inaugural season. His complete roles include Caronte in L'Orfeo, Aeneas in Dido & Aeneas, Polyphemus in Acis & Galatea, Papageno in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Figaro in W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Zeus in Orphée aux Enfers, Die Totengraber in Der Rose Pilgerfahrt, Pooh Bah in The Mikado and he originated the roles of Bill in Dreamers of the Day and Daniel in Plains of Promise. Performed scenes include Seneca in L'incoronazione di Poppea, Zurga in Georges Bizet's The Pearl Fishers, Zuniga in G. Bizet's Carmen, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, Don Alfonso in W.A. Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Rigoletto in Rigoletto and Superintendent Budd in Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring.
Other recent highlights include the world premiere performances of Margery Smith's White Shadows and Andrew Kennedy's Hourglass Beach at the Sydney Opera House with Hourglass Ensemble, performing Igor Stravinsky's Pribaoutki at the Canberra International Music Festival, and tours through Far-North Queensland and USA (New York & Washington DC) with The Australian Voices Six.
On the concert platform Andrew O'Connor has been soloist in concert works by J.S. Bach's (Johannes-Passion BWV 245, Matthäus-Passion BWV 244, Magnificat in D major BWV 243, BWV 4, BWV 82, BWV 106, BWV 175, BWV 182), G.F. Handel (Messiah, Saul, Solomon, Acis & Galatea), Charpentier, Heinrich Schütz, Purcell, Haydn, W.A. Mozart, Rossini, Maurice Duruflé, Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein and more.
His 2017-2018 solo engagements included J.S. Bach’s Actus Tragicus (BWV 106) and G.F. Handel’s Israel in Egypt with Bach Akademie Australia at the Canberra International Music Festival, Haydn’s Paukenmesse & W.A. Mozart’s Requiem for Collegium Musicum, excerpts from Massenet’s Thaïs in Brisbane & Sydney with Hourglass Ensemble, Arvo Pärt’s Passio & Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers, Pilatus in Bach’s St John Passion (BWV 245), J.S. Bach's Magnificat (BWV 243), Gabriel Fauré's Requiem with both the Queensland Symphony Orchestra & The Song Company, and twice performing the role of Levite in G.F. Handel's Solomon in Sydney with the Leichhardt Espresso Chorus & St George's Cathedral Consort for broadcast on ABC Classic FM.
2018 ensemble engagements include The Song Company's Imagin'd Corners Season, a European Tour (Italy & Netherlands) with St Mary's Cathedral Choir, recording Katy Abbott's Hidden Thoughts with Syzygy Ensemble and The Song Company, performing in Brett Dean's Helpmann Award Winning Hamlet at the Adelaide Festival, performances of Frank Martin's Mass for Double Choir alongside four new Australian commissions in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra with Luminescence Chambers Singers and The Consort of Melbourne, his ongoing work with St Mary's Cathedral Choir, and Sydney-based concerts with Sydney Antiphony and The Choir of St James.
His 2019 solo engagements included the Australian Premiere of Georg Philipp Telemann’s Thunder Ode with Pinchgut Opera, Christus in Arvo Pärt's Passio, two solo recitals for Hourglass Ensemble and The Song Company, Orff’s Carmina Burana with Canberra Youth Orchestra & Canberra Choral Society, Faure’s Requiem with Coro Innominata, G.F. Handel’s L’allegro with Choir of St James, the World Premiere of Josephine Gibson’s Panta Kremamena with Leichhardt Espresso Chorus, W.A. Mozart's Veni Sancte Spiritus & Coronation Mass for Collegium Musicum, Acis & Galatea with Ensemble Polypheme, J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248), BWV 151 & BWV 191 with Bach Akademie Australia, and G.F. Handel’s Messiah with the Canberra Choral Society and Newcastle Cathedral Choir.
His pre-pandemic 2020 engagements were to include Splendour of Venice, Medee and Purcell & Charpentier with Pinchgut Opera, J.S. Bach’s St John Passion (BWV 245) with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, G.F. Handel’s Samson for St George’s Cathedral, Perth, various projects with Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Bach Akademie Australia, Collegium Musicum, Sydney University Graduate Choir, and a residency at the American Bach Soloists Academy in San Francisco. Completed or future performances and projects in 2020 include Attila Opera Australia, G.F. Handel’s Messiah with Sydney Chamber Choir, A Delicate Fire for Pinchgut Opera, Actus Tragicus BWV 106 with Bach Akademie Australia for Melbourne Digital Concert Hall, a number of recording projects, Exile Lamentations with Luminescence Chamber Singers, G.F. Handel's Messiah with The Song Company, Noël Noël with Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Graeme Koehne’s Love Burns for The Other Theatre.
His 2021 engagements include three roles in Cavalli's Gli amori d'Apollo e di Dafne, a Purcell and Charpentier Concert Program, Monteverdi's Vespers and Rameau's Plateé for Pinchgut Opera, G.F. Handel’s Dixit Dominus with Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, J.S. Bach’s St John Passion (BWV 245) with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, a number of projects with Bach Akademie Australia, a Musica Viva Sessions concert at the Royal Botanic Gardens with Vocal Detour, the premiere of Katy Abbott's Hidden Thoughts: Do I Matter? at the Canberra International Music Festival, a recording project featuring the music of Pierre de Manchicourt and more.
Andrew O'Connor's discography includes "Stars" with Australian Vocal Ensemble, "A Delicate Fire" with Pinchgut Opera, "In Illo Tempore" and "From The Paddocks to the Trenches" with The Song Company, Memoriam with Sydney Antiphony, G.F. Handel’s Theodora with Pinchgut Opera, "A Voice from Heaven: Music of Pierre Manchicourt" with Queen’s Phoenix, Brooke Shelley’s De Profundis: Out of Our Depth with The Choir Lab, "Songs of Hope" with The Choir of St James’ King Street, and "In Paradisum" with St George’s Cathedral Consort. He also appears on the soundtracks of many films including Mortal Kombat, LEGO Movie, LEGO Movie: Batman, Safe Neighbourhood, Punch & Judy, and Peter Rabbit.
His non-classical singing experience includes performing the roles of Javert in Les Miserables, Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Rapunzel's Prince in Into the Woods, Tinman in The Wiz, Teen Angel in Grease and singing in the Australian Premiere of Disney in Concert. Andrew was also a successful trumpet player in his formative years, and was Principal Trumpet of the West Australian Youth Symphonic Band.
Andrew O'Connor maintains active links to his work in music education and mentoring - including current work with Moorambilla Voices and private teaching at St Aloysius College, Kirribilli (since November 2019). He previously held teaching positions at Christ Church Grammar School (January 2011-January 2015) and John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School (December 2013-January 2015)). He previously held singing positions in Perth with St George's Cathedral Choir (May 2009-January 2015), Collegium Musicum, The Australian Voices, and was a core singer and General Manager of The Giovanni Consort (January 2013-January 2015). In an educational capacity he continues to teach at the Perth Choral Institute Summer School, teaches singing and assists with a number of choirs at St Aloysius College, Kirribilli (since November 2019), has been a guest conductor with the Gondwana Sydney Children’s Choir Young Men’s Choir, and tours and performs regularly throughout Regional NSW as part of the award-winning Moorambilla Voices program. He currently lives in Sydney, Australia. |
