Featured Artist
Jud Arthur - Ramfis
New Zealand born Australian based, Jud Arthur, is a principal artist with the national opera company of Australia. In 2009 he will appear in Sydney as the Bonze in Madama Butterfly and Hobson in Peter Grimes, and Old Convict in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Ramfis in Aida in both Sydney and Melbourne.
After a knee injury ended a promising career as a professional sportsman, which included playing state level rugby and basketball for Otago, representing New Zealand in showjumping and three seasons at the Mirano rugby club in Italy, Jud returned to his homeland and successfully auditioned for Opera New Zealand. He was aged 27 and despite having no formal training in opera or classical music has since performed many of the major bass-baritone roles on the opera stage and is in demand for concerts across Australia and New Zealand.
For Opera Australia, Jud has sang Angelotti in Tosca, Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro, Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Chelio in The Love for Three Oranges, Colline in La bohème, Count Ribbing in A Masked Ball, Doctor Grenvil in La traviata, Duke of Verona in Romeo et Juliette, Ferrando in Il trovatore, Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Le Comte Des Grieux in Manon, Lodovico in Otello, Monterone in Rigoletto, Nightwatchman in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Nilakantha in Lakmé, Nourabad in The Pearfishers, Sarastro and Speaker in The Magic Flute, Soldier 2 in Salome, the title role in The Mikado, Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Timur in Turandot, Zuniga in Carmen, and Ben in the world premiere of the new Australian opera Madeline Lee.
For other Australian opera companies, Jud has appeared as George Benton, the prison warden, in Dead Man Walking for Andrew McManus Productions; Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette for State Opera of South Australia; Zaccaria in Nabucco, Basilio in The Barber of Seville and Ramfis in Aida for West Australian Opera.
In New Zealand, Jud has performed the roles of Banquo in Macbeth, Le Comte des Grieux in Manon, Marchese d’Obigny in La traviata Nourabad in The Pearl Fishers, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Ramfis in Aida, Varlaam in Boris Godunov, Wagner in Faust, and Zaccaria in Aida, as well as Zuniga in arena performances of Carmen for NBR New Zealand Opera; Masetto and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Monterone in Rigoletto, and Zaretski in Eugene Onegin for Wellington City Opera; Angelotti in Tosca, Lodovico in Otello, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and Zuniga in The Pearl Fishers for Canterbury Opera; the Bonze in Madama Butterfly for National Opera of Wellington; Zaccaria in Nabucco for Opera Wanganui; Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor for Hawkes Bay Opera; Angelotti in Tosca, Don Alhambra in The Gondoliers and the title role in The Mikado for Opera Otago; and Javert in Les Miserables for the Dunedin Operatic Society.
As a concert artist, Jud Arthur is much in demand and has performed with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Wellington Sinfonia, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch City Choir, Royal Melbourne Philharmonia and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Some of his concert and oratorio engagements include bass soloist in Handel's Messiah, L’Enfance Du Christ, Opera Australia’s New Year’s Eve Gala Concert, Mozart’s Requiem and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the Sydney Opera House as well as soloist in Magnifico - Great Opera Encores for State Opera South Australia and Haydn's The Creation. He also appeared in Canterbury Opera’s 21st Birthday Gala Concert.
Jud has also sung the National Anthem at many major sporting events including Australian and New Zealand rugby and rugby league matches, America’s cup launch and prize giving ceremonies, NZ Horse of the Year show, as well as at corporate conferences and community events.
He has also recorded a solo CD entitled Legends, a collection of popular songs, with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 2002 and can be heard singing the role of Chelio in Opera Australia’s The Love for Three Oranges recorded by Chandos in 2005. In 2010 Jud will record a disc with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Choir under the Universal and ABC labels.
When not performing on the opera or concert stage, Jud is passionate about all things equestrian and as a qualified farrier shoes the occasional horse. He is married to Nikki, lives in Turramurra and has two young daughters, Lucia and Millijana.
To find out more about
Jud Arthur
visit www.judarthur.com
Jud Arthur has appeared in: