About this Artist
In a prestigious career built on impeccable technique and innate musicality, Grammy-nominated tenor Barry Banks’ early career in a core repertoire of bel canto and classical roles took him to the major stages of the world including appearances as Don Narciso (Il turco in Italia) and the title role in Mitridate, re di Ponto at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Ernesto (Don Pasquale) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia) at Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Idreno (Semiramide) at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Arnold (Guillaume Tell) at Welsh National Opera, Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) at the Salzburg Festival, and the title role of Candide in his US stage debut at Chicago Lyric Opera.
In a relationship with the Metropolitan Opera spanning more than 25 years, key roles have included Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Tonio (La fille du régiment), Elvino (La Sonnambula), Lindoro (L’italiana in Algeri), and Italian Tenor (Der Rosenkavalier). Banks’ triumphant return to Metropolitan Opera in the 2021/22 season as Hades in Matt Aucoin’s acclaimed new opera Eurydice, earned him the highest of praise from audiences and critics alike, the Washington Post writing, “his tenor is white-hot, piercing through the orchestra, threatening to burst into flames as Hades.” Further pathing the way into a new territory of repertoire, other recent appearances include a return to Los Angeles Opera in Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abel’s new opera Omar conducted by Kazem Abdullah, and his role debut as Mime in Das Rheingold for Dallas Opera under the baton of Emmanuelle Villaume.
Highlights of Barry Banks’ 2023/24 season include a return to San Francisco Opera for performances of Omar conducted by John Kennedy and Das Rheingold in staged performances with Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel.
Barry Banks joins the Peabody Conservatory as adjunct professor of vocal studies for the 2023/24 academic year.