© Marc Brenner

© Tristram Kenton

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Harry Nicoll

Tenor

Scottish tenor Harry Nicoll has become one of the UK’s leading character tenors, appearing with all the major UK companies, as well as widely across Europe.

Among his recent highlights are Erster Priester Die Zauberflöte, Major-domo Pique Dame, Mr Bobo Coraline, Missail Boris Godunov (Royal Ballet & Opera); Gonzalo Island of Dreams (Grange Park Opera); and Anfinomo Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patiria (The Grange Festival).

In character repertoire he has performed Goro Madama Butterfly, Don Curzio Le nozze di Figaro, Remendado Carmen, , Doyen de la Faculté Cendrillon, Joe La fanciulla del West (Royal Ballet & Opera); Eryka/Wind L’Ormindo (Royal Ballet & Opera at The Globe); Guillot de Morfontaine Manon, Goro Madama Butterfly, Schmidt Werther, Don Basilio Le nozze di Figaro (Scottish Opera); Pirelli Sweeney Todd, Sellem The Rake’s Progress, the title role in Platée, Spalanzani Les contes d’Hoffmann (Nederlandse Reisopera); Monostatos Die Zauberflöte, Monsieur Triquet Eugene Onegin, Don Basilio Le nozze di Figaro (Glyndebourne Touring Opera); and Reverand Horace Adams Peter Grimes (Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia).

Earlier roles include Almaviva Il barbiere di Siviglia (Scottish Opera, Opera North, Israeli Opera); Ramiro La Cenerentola (Scottish Opera, City of Birmingham Touring Opera); Simpleton Boris Godunov (Opera di Roma, Israeli Opera); Vašek The Bartered Bride (Welsh National Opera, Oper Köln, Israeli Opera); Soliman Zaïde and Tenor arias St. John Passion (Teatro la Fenice); Médor Lully’s Roland (Théâtre des Champs Elysées); Nanki-Poo The Mikado (English National Opera, directed by Jonathan Miller & Opera North); Gonzalve L’heure espagnole (Opera North); Pedrillo Die Entführung auf dem Serail (Angers Nantes Opéra, Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Opera voor Vlaanderen); Peter Quint The Turn of the Screw (Batignano Festival); Tanzmeister/Brighella Ariadne auf Naxos (Welsh National Opera); and Rodrigo Otello (Oper Frankfurt). In contemporary opera, appearances include the world premières of Facing Goya by Michael Nyman, in Spain and The Vanishing Bridegroom by Judith Weir for Scottish Opera.

 His concert repertoire is extensive, ranging from Monteverdi to Mathias, and incorporates all the major choral works of Bach (Evangelist in the St. Matthew and St. John Passions), Handel, Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, Berlioz and Mendelssohn. He has appeared in concert with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Hallé, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, and Bayerischer Rundfunk and the London Mozart Players, at venues including the Barbican, the Royal Albert Hall and around Europe. He has made several recordings for labels including Hyperion and has recorded for the BBC.

Steven Swales Artist Management represents Harry Nicoll worldwide

Reviews

Don Basilio / Le nozze di Figaro / Saffron Opera Group / 2024

“…Harry Nicoll’s exquisitely waspish Basilio.”
(Opera)


Erster Priester / Die Zauberflöte / Royal Ballet & Opera / 2021

“…there is a priceless little double act in the veteran baritone Donald Maxwell and the character tenor Harry Nicoll as two exasperated priests…”
(The Times)


Mr Bobo / Coraline / Royal Ballet & Opera at The Barbican / 2018

“Harry Nicoll has an engaging cameo as the obligatory eccentric elderly gentleman with a foreign accent.”
(The Telegraph)

“Harry Nicoll is a joy to watch as the eccentric Mr Bobo dances around with his conductor’s baton.”
(MusicOMH)

News

Royal Ballet & Opera

10, 12, 14, 17, 20, 23, 25, 28, 30 Oct | 1, 3 Nov 2025

Mozart: Die Zauberflöte
Conductor: Marie Jacquot | Finnegan Downie Dear
Director: Sir David McVicar