BIOGRAPHY
Born in Feilding, New Zealand, Conal Coad trained in the NSW Conservatorium of music Opera School before joining Opera Australia. He made his European debut with the Opera de Wallonie and has sung with all the major companies of Belgium; in Brussels, Liege, Antwerp, Charleroi, Ghent and Bruges, in the principal bass roles. In France he has sung in Paris, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Strasbourg, St Etienne, Le Mans.
Elsewhere in Europe he has performed in Hamburg, Geneva, Lisbon, Venice, Bologna, Naples, Madrid and Valencia.
He has performed in the UK in Covent Garden, Holland Park Festival Opera, Garsington Festival Opera, Opera North and the Aldeburg Festival.
Conal has performed regularly in New Zealand with the national company.
Conal is a regular performer for Opera Australia, and has sung many roles including Fidelio, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (for which he won a Green Room Award), Aida, Lulu, Manon (also for which he won a Green Room Award), La Cenerentola, Billy Budd, The Rakes Progress, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, L’Elisir d’Amore, L'Italia in Algeri, Arabella, Capriccio, Don Giovanni (for which he was nominated for a Helpman Award) etc. Conal also has performed regularly for WA Opera, Victorian Opera, Opera Queensland and SA Opera.
In the USA he has performed in Washington and New York. Conal has also performed in Israel in both opera and concert. Conal regularly adjudicates major singing competitions and teaches in many opera schools including The New Zealand Singing School.
Concert engagements include work with all major Australian orchestras, Israel Philharmonic, Royal Opera House, La Monnaie Brussels, SSO, NZSO, Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as festivals in France, Belgium, Germany, Holland, UK, Australia and NZ. Conal supports many charities and has been a guest artist in London (Kensington Palace), Australia, Belgium (Brussels and Mechelen), Opera Queensland Studio Series, Tokyo and New Zealand.
Conal made his directing debut for Opera New Zealand in Don Pasquale in which he also sang the title role. This production toured to all the major centres throughout the country.
In 2013 Conal performed in Don Pasquale (title role) and Albert Herring (Superintend Budd), for Opera Australia in Sydney and concerts in Tokyo. In 2014 Conal reprieved Don Pasquale and Elixir of Love for Opera Australia as well as The Turk in Italy and Opera On The Beach, a world first, Gold Coast, Australia and concerts in Tokyo and adjudicating of Australia's most prestigious singing competitions.
Conal performed Ramphis in Aida for Handa Opera On Sydney Harbour (OA), Elixir of Love (Dulcamara) for Opera Australia in Melbourne as well as concerts in Tokyo and adjudication. In 2016 Conal performed Timur in Turandot for Handa Opera On Sydney Harbour (OA) following this he performed Bottom in Valencia in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Recordings/DVDs include: Mozart Bass Arias, NZ at Covent Garden, Mozart Opera Arias, My Beloved Father, Ruaumoko, Orakau (Morrison Trust), Don Giovanni (Leporello) Opera Australia and Don Pasquale, Turandot for Opera Australia.
CONAL COAD