Biography

Scottish baritone Donald Maxwell made his Royal Opera debut in 1987 as English Archer (The King Goes Forth to France) and has returned regularly to The Royal Opera since, his many roles including Herald (Lohengrin, Gunther (Götterdämmerung), Faninal (Der Rosenkavalier), Krušina (The Bartered Bride), Fritz Kothner (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Lockit (The Beggar’s Opera), Alcindoro (La bohème), Hortensius (La Fille du régiment), Second Priest (Die Zauberflöte) and Sacristan (Tosca). Further roles include Dai Greatcoat (In Parenthesis) for Welsh National Opera at the Royal Opera House. He returns in the 2018/19 Season as Hortensius.
Maxwell was born in Perth and studied geography at Edinburgh University and singing with Joseph Hislop. He is a former member of Scottish Opera and Welsh National Opera, and has sung leading roles with all the major British opera companies and with international companies including the Metropolitan Opera, New York, La Scala, Milan, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opéra and Lyric Opera of Chicago. His repertory has included many key baritone and bass-baritone roles, including Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Pizarro (Fidelio), Don Pasquale, Rigoletto, Iago (Otello), Falstaff, the Dutchman (Der fliegende Holländer), Escamillo (Carmen), Marcello (La bohème), Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Scarpia (Tosca), Jack Rance (La fanciulla del West), Baron Zeta (Die lustige Witwe), Golaud (Pelléas et Mélisande), Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), Athlete (Lulu) and Wozzeck. His many character roles include Fra Melitone (La forza del destino), Somarone (Béatrice et Bénédict), Pooh-Bah (The Mikado) and Alfred Doolittle (My Fair Lady).
Maxwell was Artistic Director of Buxton Festival (1999) and has been Director of the National Opera Studio (2001–08) and Head of Opera Studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (2004–09). He regularly sings in concert, on television and radio and in recordings.
News and features
Cast Change: Donald Maxwell to sing in La bohème on 10 June 2015
Scottish baritone to replace Ryland Davies in the role of Alcindoro.
Photos
Donald Maxwell as Hortensius and Enkelejda Shkoza as Marquise de Berkenfield in La Fille du régiment, The Royal Opera

Pietro Spagnoli as Sulpice Pingot, Sabine Devieilhe as Maria, Enkelejda Shkoza as Marquise de Berkenfield and Donald Maxwell as Hortensius in La Fille du régiment, The Royal Opera

Pietro Spagnoli as Sulpice Pingot, Enkelejda Shkoza as Marquise de Berkenfield and Donald Maxwell as Hortensius in La Fille du régiment, The Royal Opera

Samuel Youn as Scarpia and Donald Maxwell as Sacristan in Tosca

Donald Maxwell (Dai Greatcoat) in In Parenthesis

Patrizia Ciofi as Marie, Ewa Podles as La Marquise de Berkenfeld and Donald Maxwell as Hortensius in La Fille du régiment

Donald Maxwell

Donald Maxwell as Sacristan in Tosca

Donald Maxwell as Alcindoro in La bohème, The Royal Opera

Patrizia Ciofi as Marie and Donald Maxwell as Hortensius in La Fille du régiment

Donald Maxwell as Alcindoro, Simona Mihai as Musetta, Charles Castronovo as Rodolfo and Ermonela Jaho as Mimì in La bohème

Donald Maxwell as Hortensius, Sabine Devieilhe as Maria and Enkelejda Shkoza as Marquise de Berkenfield in La Fille du régiment, The Royal Opera

Joe Roche (Private Watcyn), Donald Maxwell (Dai Greatcoat) and the WNO Male Chorus in In Parenthesis

Donald Maxwell as Hortensius and Ewa Podles as La Marquise de Berkenfeld in La Fille du régiment
