‘Power and gravity underlined Thomas Bennett’s account … a big voice at work, digging to the foundations’

Ates Orga, Classical Source

Thomas Bennett

‘His recalcitrant Somnus was strikingly sonorous’

Clare Seymour, Opera Today

Described as having ‘power and gravity’ and a ‘masterly vocal talent’ English Bass, Thomas Bennett, began singing as a chorister at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford under Stephen Darlington. Thomas returned to Christ Church as a choral scholar whilst reading music at the University of Oxford. Having been a teacher for a few years he returned to study at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was the recipient of the D’Oyly Carte Memorial Award, the Cordelia Moses Scholarship and was also supported by the Josephine Baker Trust. He was a member of the prestigious Royal Academy Song Circle.

He has sung the roles of Die Cappadozier (Salome) for the Salzburger Festspiele; Bull Wild Thing (Where The Wild Things Are) for Shadwell Opera; Badger and Parson (The Cunning Little Vixen), King René (Iolanta), Il Commendatore (Don Giovanni) and Cadmus and Somnus (Semele) for Royal Academy Opera; Sarastro (The Magic Flute) for Cavatina Opera; Luka (The Bear) for Bloomsbury Opera; and Polyphemus (Acis and Galatea) for the Royal Academy of Music at Grange Park.

He has given oratorio performances of Haydn’s The Creation, Bach’s St. John Passion, Handel’s Semele and Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem. Notably, he performed in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra live on BBC Radio 3. A keen recitalist he has given recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Leeds Lieder and Christ Church, Oxford. He recently gave a performance of Maxwell Davies ‘Eight Songs for a Mad King’ at St. John’s, Smith Square.

In Summer 2019 he was a member of the Young Singers Project at the Salzburger Festspiele. As part of this he had masterclasses with Christa Ludwig and Anne Sofie von Otter.

Due to Covid-19 Thomas took two years out of singing. He recently returned for a revival of Knussen’s ‘Where the Wild Things are’ for Shadwell Opera. For all other future engagements please look at the Events section of this website.