Liam James Karai
PRAISED FOR THE "NATURAL" AND “SEEMINGLY EFFORTLESS BEAUTY" OF HIS VOICE.
Born in Hong Kong, Liam James Karai is a bass-baritone of Scottish, Irish and Indian descent. Karai’s 25/26 season starts with a debut with the WDR Orchestra where he will sing the role of First Nazarene in their tour of Salome. In the spring, Karai will return to Teatro di San Carlo in Naples to debut the role of Marcello in La Bohème. Karai also has house debuts with Opera North as Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, with Teatro Municipal De Santiago as Jochanaan in Salome & with Nederlandse Reisopera in their world premier of HAGAR. The season will finish with a debut at Glyndebourne as Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos.
The 24/25 season marked a significant period of growth and success for Karai. Highlights included house debuts at Teatro di San Carlo, Tiroler Festspiele Erl, Semperoper Dresden, and the Polish National Opera. He also returned to the Hamburg Staatsoper as a guest artist, following his time as a member of their International Opera Studio in the 23/24 season. Over the course of the season, Karai showcased his versatility in a range of roles, including Escamillo in Carmen and Angelotti in Tosca at the Polish National Opera, Schaunard in La Bohème at Erl, and First Nazarene in Strauss’s Salome, performed in Hamburg, Napoli and with the LSO under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano. Across the season, he appeared as a finalist in several prestigious international competitions, including the Tenor Viñas Competition in Barcelona, Operalia in Mumbai, where he was awarded a finalist prize, and the Riccardo Zandonai Competition in Riva del Garda where he also was a prize winner. These accomplishments follow previous success as a finalist in the 41st edition of the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition and second prize winner at the 4th Antonina Campi Singing Competition.
Press
Karai's Figaro was sincere and centred, and his bass voice was delightful - Matthew Dougall - Number 9 Reviews
"Two extremely talented young singers provide surprises. Liam James Karai, gives his Escamillo a self-confidence and bass-baritone virility that does not fail to have an effect on the trophy huntress Carmen"
- Bettina Boyens (Allgemeine Zeitung)
"Most interesting, however, is Escamillo, who is portrayed in his first appearance as a mysterious savior, but as a local hero in a dirty T-shirt. Liam James Karai's unassuming, self-confident demeanor compares well with the noble sound of his youthful bass-baritone"
- Robin Passon (Orpheus Magazine)
"The crowd chats and drinks, Escamillo, his shirt already stained with blood, is an approachable man with Liam James Karai (with a very well-founded bass-baritone)"
- Judith von Sternburg (Frankfurter Rundschau)
On Instagram
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