Jacques Imbrailo
Since his critically acclaimed portrayal of Billy Budd in Michael Grandage’s production for Glyndebourne, South African baritone Jacques Imbrailo has performed at many of the most prestigious opera houses throughout the world, collaborating with conductors, directors and orchestras of the highest calibre.
Operatic highlights this season for Imbrailo include the title role Billy Budd for Rome Opera, his debut for Minnesota Opera as Count The Marriage of Figaro, Pelléas Pelléas et Mélisande for Opera Vlaanderen and Michael in the world premiere of Kasper Holten’s production of Brothers by Daníel Bjarnason for Danish National Opera. On the concert platform, Imbrailo performs Britten War Requiem with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop, Berlioz L‘enfance du Christ with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Robin Ticciati, and Pelléas Pelléas et Mélisande with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.
Recent highlights for Imbrailo include his house debut at the Teatro Real, Madrid, performing the title role Billy Budd in a new production by Deborah Warner, Zurga The Pearl Fishers for English National Opera, Horatio in Brett Dean’s Hamlet at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Pelléas Pelléas et Mélisande for Zurich Opera House, the Royal Swedish Opera, Welsh National Opera and Essen Opera, Messner in the world premiere of Jimmy López Bel Canto at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the title role Don Giovanni for Perm Opera with Teodor Currentzis and for Scottish Opera, Valentin in Gounod’s Faust in Baden-Baden, Guglielmo Così fan tutte for Houston Grand Opera, Papageno Die Zauberflöte for Welsh National Opera, and Tarquinius The Rape of Lucretia in Florence and Houston.
On the concert platform, recent appearances include a return to the BBC Proms for James MacMillan A European Requiem, Jesus The Apostles at the Edinburgh International Festival, Christ The Apostles with the Hallé and Sir Mark Elder at the BBC Proms, Beethoven Symphony No.9 at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Britten War Requiem at Teatro Real, Madrid, and Carmina Burana with the New York Philharmonic under Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. Imbrailo has given solo recitals at Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square and the Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, and performed at Verbier Festival, the Royal Albert Hall and Southbank Centre.
A former member of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Imbrailo also studied at the Royal College of Music and in 2007 was awarded the Audience Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition.
