Stuart Skelton has emerged as one of the finest heroic tenors of his generation with his repertoire encompassing some of Opera’s most challenging roles; from Wagner's Parsifal, Lohengrin, Rienzi, Erik and Siegmund, to Strauss’s Kaiser and Bacchus, Beethoven’s Florestan, Dvorak’s Dimitrij and Britten’s Peter Grimes. He is acclaimed for his beautiful voice, outstanding musicianship, and his intensely dramatic portrayals.

In the past seasons Stuart has sung Parsifal, Florestan, Kaiser, Erik, Don Jose, Siegmund, Das Lied von der Erde and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony making appearances in Vienna, New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Genoa, Adelaide, the Edinburgh Festival and the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. Stuart's Helpmann Award - winning portrayal of Siegmund in the highly acclaimed State Opera of South Australia's new production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelung under the musical direction Asher Fisch, moved Opera magazine to write:

"Skelton's virile, baritonal Siegmund, with the most thrilling cries of Nothung and Wälse since the prime of James King"

Mr Skelton's already highly-lauded performance of Siegmund on the Melba Recordings CD of Der Ring des Nibelung  was recently honoured again by the Academy du Discque Lyrique in Paris. Stuart's performance of Siegmund was awarded the Orphee d'or - Prix Lauritz Melchior for a heldentenor on CD or DVD.

Stuart's most recent engagement saw him reprising one of his signature roles, Der Kaiser, with which he made his debut with  the Hamburg State Opera under the baton of Simone Young in a new production, directed by Keith Warner. Mr Skelton also added the role of Bacchus to his repertoire in his house debut with the New Israeli Opera, Tel Aviv under the musical leadership of Asher Fisch and reprised another signature role, Erik, with the Hamburg State Opera.  Stuart's upcoming engagements see him returning to: the Hamburg State Opera as Max in Weber's Der Freischutz, a role with which he also makes his Bavarian State Opera debut,  his native Australia appearing as Mitch in the Australian Premiere of Andre Previn's A Streetcar named Desire in a new production by acclaimed movie director Bruce Beresford, and also the San Francisco Symphony with Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde under Michael Tilson-Thomas. It is with the same Mahler that Stuart makes his debut under Jonathon Nott on tour in China with the Bamberg Symphony. The in-demand tenor also makes a number of US house debuts, including his Palm Beach Opera debut where he will reprise Florestan and his Opera Colorado debut, where he will be appearing as Erik.  It was also most recently announced that Mr Skelton will be returning to the Hamburg State Opera for performances as Siegmund in that company's new Ring cycle, also under the baton of Simone Young. Siegmund appears in Stuart's repertoire again when he performs the role in the Robert Wilson prodution at the Zurich Opera under Phillipe Jordan. 

In the most recent past and this current season Stuart has reprised some of his most acclaimed roles, performing Lohengrin in Trieste, Erik with both the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden as well as the Vienna State Opera, Der Kaiser in Frankfurt and at the Hamburg State Opera, The Prince in Rusalka with Paris Opera in his Paris debut and a return to San Francisco Opera in a critically acclaimed portrayal of Don Jose in Carmen. Mr Skelton also added to his already comprehensive repertoire, undertaking Laca in a new production of Jenufa with Opera Frankfurt, and making his debut as Samson with the Perth International Festival.  Mr Skelton also made his Carnegie Hall debut in Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde with the St Louis Symphony under new Chief Conductor, David Robertson. Mr Skelton also received critical and public acclaim in the title role of Parsifal in a new production with Opera Frankfurt. Recently Stuart was the recipient of wild public acclaim filling in for an ailing colleague as Lohengrin at the Baden-Baden Festival Theater under Kent Nagano. Mr Skelton made return appearances with the Edinburgh Festival as Tenor Soloist in Das Lied von der Erde and Beethoven's 9th Symphony and Stuart also made a critically lauded English National Opera debut as Laca in Jenufa, in a production that has been nominated for an Olivier Award . Stuart garnered accolades from critics and public alike in the title role in Oedipus Rex, debuting with: the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Tilson-Thomas; the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Christoph von Dohnanyi and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal. Of his Boston performances, Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe wrote:

"Australian tenor Stuart Skelton brought to the title role the vocal resources of a Wagnerian hero and the verbal imagination of a Lieder recitalist.....the slow dawning of the truth across his face was painful to watch"

In 2003, Stuart followed his success in his role debut as the Kaiser in Die Frau ohne Schatten, with his first foray as Peter Grimes. Stuart’s portrayal of Grimes prompted one critic to describe Stuart's performance:

“Skelton’s aggressive, hymn-like outcries were reminiscent of the reference recording of Jon Vickers.”

This success was followed by appearances with Teatro Real, Madrid as King Arthur in the World Premiere of Isaac Albeniz’ Merlin.  Mr Skelton also made his Hollywood Bowl and LA Philharmonic debut with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the Sept 11 Memorial Concert.

Stuart Skelton began 2002 as Lohengrin and Erik at the Deutsche Staatsoper, Berlin under Daniel Barenboim. Shortly thereafter Mr Skelton made his Vienna State Opera debut appearing as Florestan in the Memorial Performance for Gösta Winbergh. He followed these performances with appearances as Wagner’s Rienzi in concert with the State Theater Stuttgart. Mr Skelton then travelled to his native Sydney for a critically acclaimed series of performances as Don José and at the end of that same year appeared again as Lohengrin with the Teatro Communale Bologna under Daniele Gatti.

Stuart’s orchestral repertoire includes Das Lied von der Erde, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Missa Solemnis, Dvorak’s Requiem, Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, Verdi’s Requiem and Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius. Mr Skelton has performed these and other works with the Sydney Symphony, LA Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Bavarian Radio Symphony, North German Radio Symphony, BBC Symphony Wales and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He has appeared alongside illustrious conductors including Daniel Barenboim, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Christoph Eschenbach, Asher Fisch, Daniele Gatti, Daniel Harding, Richard Hickox, Mariss Jansons, Lorin Maazel, Sir Charles Mackerras, Kent Nagano, David Robertson, Donald Runnicles, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Edo de Waart, Sebastian Weigle and Simone Young

A native of Australia, Stuart Skelton received his early vocal training in Sydney and came to National attention after winning Australia’s two most prestigious awards. Stuart furthered his studies at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music under professors Barbara Honn and Thomas Baresel, graduating in 1995 with his Master of Music, and then proceeding to San Francisco where he was invited to join the prestigious Adler Fellowship during which he became the first Australian to win the Belvedere Competition in Vienna. He has received awards from the Sullivan Foundation and the Robert Lauch Memorial Award from the Wagner Society of New York.

Mr Skelton can be seen as King Arthur on the BBC/Opus Arte/Teatro Real Madrid DVD of the World Premiere of Albeniz’ Merlin, and can be heard as Siegmund on the Melba Recordings CD release of the Helpmann Award winning State Opera of South Australia's Der Ring des Nibelung, for which Mr Skelton also  received an Helpmann Award for "Best Male Performer in a supporting role in an Opera" for his portrayal of Siegmund.