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Neil Balfour

Baritone

Indian-Scottish Neil Balfour is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and the National Opera Studio. A former Britten Pears and Concordia artist, he has performed at the Glastonbury Festival and was the first to beatbox in an opera at Longborough Festival Opera.

In the current season he performs in The Snowmaiden and The Wellies, both for English Touring Opera; Bartley Riders to the Sea for OperaUpclose; and a recital at Thaxted Festival with Sholto Kynoch.

Among his recent highlights are his American debut as Father in Kamala Sankaram’s opera, Thumbprint (Portland Opera); Prince Yamadori Madam Butterfly, Safin The Shoemaker (Welsh National Opera); Guillermo Kahlo Frida (Northern Opera Group); Navin The End of the World Party (Hull Urban Opera); King Hrothgar Beowulf (Proper Job Theatre); and Jacob Displaced (Coalign/Tête-à-Tête).

His operatic roles include Colline La bohème (Mananan Opera, OFMAN Madrid Opera Studio); Mercurio La Calisto (Longborough Festival Opera), Don Alfonso Così fan tutte, Quince A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lord Ellington La vie Parisienne (RNCM); Dottore Grenvil La traviata (Devon Opera); Cold Genius King Arthur (Glastonbury Festival); Mustafà L’italiana in Algeri, Don Pasquale Don Pasquale (Mananan Opera); and Claggart Billy Budd Re-imagined (Royal Ballet & Opera Family Weekend). He has also covered Figaro Le nozze di Figaro (Longborough Festival Opera).

In contemporary opera he has performed Jean Arp Sophie (Tête à Tête); Ibn Al-Haytham Al-Haytham’s Light and Texy/Everywhere Back into the World (English Touring Opera); Punch Crocodile (Hull Urban Opera); Father Mysterious 44 (the first electronic opera); and Dad/La-La A Shoe Full of Stars (YAM Awards Best Opera 2018).

Concert performances have included Gershwin Porgy & Bess (Leeds Philharmonic Orchestra) and Paul Rissmann’s Alice in Wonderland Suites (London Symphony Orchestra). He has performed song recitals for Leeds Lieder, &Piano, Britten Pears Arts and the Leeds Opera Festival. For the Oxford International Song Festival he has performed recitals of Schumann, Sondheim, and a programme paired with perfumes.

Neil is the first classical artist for sE Electronics and NORD (world-leading microphones & digital pianos), director of ArtSongStory (compelling videos of art-song) and is proud to be supported by Penhaligon’s British Perfumers, VivoBarefoot shoes, Mason Cycles, Hunt Wheels and Tailfin Bikepacking equipment. His work as a voiceover artist has had over 100 million plays.

Steven Swales Artist Management represents Neil Balfour worldwide

Reviews

Navin / The End of the World Party / Hull Urban Opera / 2024

“Neil Balfour’s fine baritone, confident and focused, elevated the role of Navin…”
(Opera)


Yamadori / Madam Butterfly / Welsh National Opera / 2021

“with powerful cameos… Neil Balfour (a grungy, sullen Prince Yamadori) there was no discernible weak link…”
(Bachtrack)

“Neil Balfour as a very likeable Yamadori…”
(Opera Scene)


Oxford Lieder Festival / Recital with Kitty Whately / 2021

“He sang one of Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs, ‘The Boatman’s Dance’, with a lovely focused bass-baritone voice and characterful stage presence… and we ended with Balfour’s tour-de-force in ‘Buddy’s Blues’”
(Planet Hugill)


Mercurio / La Calisto / Longborough Festival Opera / 2019

“Neil Balfour is a superb bass-baritone as Mercurio.”
(MusicOMH)

Videos

News

OperaUpClose

30, 31 Jan | 1, 5, 7, 8, 11, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26 Feb | 3 Mar 2025

Vaughan Williams: Riders to the Sea
Conductor: Ilona Suomalainen
Director: Flora McIntosh

 
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