Olafur Sigurdarson

In the 2016–2017 season, Icelandic baritone Olafur Sigurdarson, currently a principal artist at Saarländisches Staatstheater Saarbrücken, sings Rigoletto – one of his signature roles – at Staatsoper Hannover and following that in Saarbrücken, and later, in Darmstadt. He returns to Finnish National Opera for performances as the Dutchman in Der fliegende Holländer, a role in which he was ecstatically reviewed in his debut last season and for which he received the rarely bestowed honorary membership of the Richard Wagner Association in Saarland (RWV).  A new role in Saarbrücken follows as he makes his debut in the title role of Simon Boccanegra, and he travels to Danish National Opera for a principal role in the world premiere of Brothers, directed by Kaspar Holten. The artist also appears in his home company in revival performances of the title role of Falstaff.

Last season highlights include the role of Balstrode in Peter Grimes, which he sang previously with great success at the Reykjavik Arts Festival with Stuart Skelton; and the title roles of Falstaff and Rigoletto; his many concert appearances included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Wuppertal Sinfonieorchester, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana with Vladimir Ashkenazy for the inauguration of the city’s new cultural center, lac, on tour in Japan with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, and also at the Stuttgarter Liederhalle with the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra. Other concert appearances include Kindertotenlieder with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and as Iago in Otello under Richard Farnes in Cambridge. He made his Mexican debut as Escamillo in Carmen at Teatro de la Ciudad in Playa del Carmen.

Future plans include a new production of Rigoletto with a major European opera company.