
David Ireland
bass-baritonePerformer entry
David Ireland studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, before going on to become a member of the National Opera Studio in London and a Harewood Artist at English National Opera.
He is now very much in demand across Europe: this season he has already made an acclaimed debut at the Opéra de Lausanne as Bottom in Laurent Pelly’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (a role he's repeated at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival in Japan this summer), and has returned to English National Opera as Figaro Le nozze di Figaro. His future plans include Baron Douphol La Traviata for his debut at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, his role debut as Alidoro La Cenerentola at English National Opera, and his 2026 debut as Bottom A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Teatro de la Maestranza, Seville, followed by role and house debuts across France in 26-7.
David has also recently sung a critically-acclaimed FigaroLe nozze di Figaro at Garsington Opera, Quince in two different productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at both the Opéra de Lille and the Opera Carlo Felice Genoa, Kecal The Bartered Bride at Garsington Opera, Melot Tristan und Isolde (also at the Opéra de Lille) and GesslerGuillaume Tell with Irish National Opera.
His many other appearances have included Leporello Don Giovanni at Garsington Opera and at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Figaro Le nozze di Figaro for Welsh National Opera, KuliginKatja Kabanova at the Opéra National de Lorraine, Gran Sacerdote Nabucco at the Opéra de Montpellier, CollineLa bohème at the Opéra d'Avignon, Duglas La Donna del Lago at the Buxton Festival and, for English National Opera, Doctor Bartolo The Barber of Seville, 3rd Priest in Harrison Birtwistle's The Mask of Orpheus, Colline La bohème, Sacristan Tosca and The Speaker and 2nd Armed Man/Priest The Magic Flute.
In the concert hall, David made his BBC Proms debut as soloist in Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music with Martyn Brabbins/BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He has also sung the Gran Sacerdote Nabucco in concert for Chelsea Opera Group at the Cadogan Hall in London, and Brander La Damnation de Faust at the Three Choirs Festival, as well as a recital of the Vaughan Williams song cycles The House of Life and Songs of Travel at the Opera Carlo Felice Genoa.