New Zealand Opera Star Simon O’neill Celebrates 2022 Grammy Success

New Zealand tenor Simon O'Neill is delighted that the recording of Mahler's Symphony No.8 (Symphony of a Thousand) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of conductor Gustavo Dudamel has WON the 2022 Grammy award in the category of Best Choral Performance.

The Deutsche Grammophon recording took place live at Walt Disney Concert Hall in May and June of 2019 and featured Simon singing the prestigious and demanding solo role of Dr Marianus.

“To have been invited to contribute to this recording was a tremendous honour. I feel thrilled for all my colleagues, these awards recognise the amazing skill and artistry of the production team as well as the tremendous assembled cast of artists. The entire experience was a privilege to be part of and will remain a personal career highlight.”

Described in international press as “…the best heroic tenor to emerge over the last decade” and proudly hailing from Ashburton, Simon O’Neill is the most internationally recognised New Zealand opera singer since Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Sir Donald McIntyre.

News of the Grammy win arrives as Simon touches down in Munich to commence eight months of concert engagements spanning major opera houses across Europe and the US.

“For the last two years COVID has closed concert halls and cancelled seasons around the world. It’s been a time of such great insecurity for everyone in the performing arts – I’ll admit there have been times when I have worried that my career might never return to what it was before. So yes, I really am excited and a little relieved to be back on stage again.

This Opera life is exhilarating but the long and extended travel commitments that come with it can be tough. I will miss my wife and kids over the next eight months tremendously but their support and the encouragement I receive from everyone here at home in New Zealand means the world. It makes the lonely moments bearable and reminds me to relish these incredible opportunities while I can.”

Simon is regarded as one of the finest helden-tenors on tour today and an expert proponent of Richard Wagner’s most demanding operatic lead roles. Over the coming months Simon will assume the title role of Parsifal in productions with the Opera National de Paris and Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich before heading to the New Mexico desert to undertake the ‘Everest’ of Wagnerian roles with the Santa Fe Opera, Tristan from Tristan and Isolde. Simon then returns to Europe to assume the role of Tannhauser with the Opera National de Lyon in France.

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