Liam James Karai
bass-baritone
© Elle Suzanne Creative
Liam James Karai, making his debut at Oper Frankfurt as Escamillo in Carmen, is a member of the Staatsoper in Hamburg's International Opera Studio. During the 2023/24 season he can be heard there as Angelotti in Tosca, an Administrator and Guard in Lady Macbeth von Mzensk, Ceprano in Rigoletto, Alcindoro in La Bohème, Hobson in Peter Grimes, 2nd Soldier in Salome, Saretzki in Eugene Onegin and the Judge in Jenůfa. He sang Escamillo for the first time at the Staatstheater in Mainz as part of the Salzburg Festival's Young Artist Programme and Guccio in Gianni Schicchi (Il Trittico) at the Salzburg Festival. Other engagements include roles at the Teatro di San Carlo Napoli, the Tirol Festival in Erl, the Ópera Nacional de Chile, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Oper Leipzig. He recently sang in the Mozart Requiem and Bach's Christmas Oratorio, made his debut in the Elb Philharmonie's Klein Saal with colleagues from the Opera Studio singing excerpts from Mozart's Don Giovanni and Ralph (La jolie fille de Perth). Future concerts include his debut in the main auditorium at the Elb Philharmonie, where he takes part in works including Beethoven's Phantasie for piano, chorus and orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano. Liam James Karai studied with Quentin Hayes at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. During his time there he was awarded the Sir John Tomlinson and Andrew Lloyd Webber scholarships. He won the 2021 Frederic Cox Award and the RNCM's Silver Medal. He represented the RNCM at the Joaninha Trust Award Music Competition and the Clonter Opera Prize, where he won 1st and 2nd prize.