| James Olds | |
| Birth Date: | 20 February 1986 |
| Birth Place: | Sydney, Australia |
| Years Active: | 2004–present |
James Andrew Olds (born 20 February 1986) is an Australian bass. He holds a Masters of Music in Performance (Voice & Opera) from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, and currently performs with Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House.
In 2016, Olds made his debut as a principal artist with Opera Australia performing the role of The Officer in Rossini's The Barber of Seville and in 2018 performed the role of Sergeant in Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour in La bohème.[1] [2]
Olds has been an active member of the Opera Australia chorus since 2009. He has appeared in productions of Anna Bolena, Aida, Verdi Requiem, Parsifal, King Roger, Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci, Carmen, La bohème, The Love for Three Oranges, Simon Boccanegra, The Barber of Seville, La traviata,[3] Lakmé, The Merry Widow, Macbeth, The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, Der Rosenkavalier and Fidelio.
In 2019, Olds will be performing alongside Jonas Kaufmann for the second time in concert performances of Andrea Chénier for Opera Australia and was selected as a Finalist for the Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Foundation's third Sydney International Song Prize.[4] Olds was also crowned the Winner of three sections at the 2019 Sydney Eisteddfod; Male Operatic Voices, Lieder (Open Age) and French and German art song.
In 2016, he was the recipient of both the Sanderson Award and the Hawaiian Performing Arts Festival Prize at Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Foundation's Bel Canto Award Final and was a semi-finalist in the 2015 Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship.[5]
In 2015, Olds performed the role of Count Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro for Rockdale Opera[6] and was the Winner of the 34th National Liederfest,[7] which secured him a scholarship at the Franz Schubert-Institut in Austria where he worked closely with Elly Ameling, Helmut Deutsch, Andreas Schmidt, Robert Holl, Rudolf Jansen and Werner Güra.[8]
In 2013, Olds accepted a scholarship into the Artist Masters Programme at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where he studied under Welsh Soprano Marilyn Rees.[9] That same year, Olds toured the UK and France with Diva Opera again performing the role of The Officer in Rossini's The Barber of Seville[10] and was a finalist in the Australian Music Foundation Awards at Wigmore Hall.
While in London, Olds performed the role of Betto in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi for St. Paul's Opera and the roles of Rocco (Fidelio), Leporello (Don Giovanni), and Dr. Dulcamara (L'elisir d'amore) for Guildhall Postgraduate Opera at the Milton Court Theatre.[11]
| Institution/Company | Award/Achievement/Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney Conservatorium of Music | Mary Patricia Bell Scholarship | 2004 |
| Opera Australia | Chorus | 2009–2019 |
| Pacific Opera | Young Artist Programme | 2010 |
| Sydney University | Judge Turpin, Sweeney Todd | 2010 |
| Guildhall School of Music and Drama | Artist Masters Programme | 2013 |
| Diva Opera | Un Ufficiale, The Barber of Seville | 2013 |
| London Contemporary Opera | Chorus, The Schmürz | 2013 |
| Australian Music Foundation Awards | Finalist | 2013 |
| St. Paul's Opera | Betto, Gianni Schicchi | 2013 |
| Guildhall School of Music and Drama | Drum Maker (Cover), The Adventures of Pinocchio – Dove | 2013 |
| Guildhall School of Music and Drama | Chorus, The Adventures of Pinocchio – Dove | 2013 |
| Guildhall School of Music and Drama | Rocco, Fidelio (Scenes) | 2014 |
| Guildhall School of Music and Drama | Leporello, Don Giovanni (Scenes) | 2014 |
| Guildhall School of Music and Drama | Dr. Dulcamara, L'elisir d'amore (Scenes) | 2014 |
| 34th National Liederfest | Winner | 2015 |
| Rockdale Opera Company | Count Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro | 2015 |
| Open Lieder Prize (Wollongong Eisteddfod) | Winner | 2015 |
| Open Aria Prize (Wollongong Eisteddfod) | Finalist | 2016 |
| Bel Canto Award (JS&RB Foundation Bel Canto Awards) | Finalist | 2016 |
| Sanderson Award (JS&RB Foundation Bel Canto Awards) | Winner | 2016 |
| Hawaii Performing Arts Awards (JS&RB Foundation Bel Canto Awards) | Winner | 2016 |
| Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship | Semi-finalist | 2015 |
| Opera Australia | Officer, The Barber of Seville | 2016 |
| Opera Australia | Sergeant, La bohème | 2018 |
| Sydney International Song Prize (JS&RB Foundation) | Finalist | 2019 |
| Sydney Eisteddfod Open Male Operatic Voice Prize | Winner | 2019 |
| Sydney Eisteddfod Open Lieder Prize | Winner | 2019 |
| Sydney Eisteddfod Open French & German Art Song Prize | Winner | 2019 |