Donald Maxwell

President of the Cotswold Savoyards

We are very proud to have as President of the the Cotswold Savoyards the world-renowned baritone, Mr. Donald Maxwell.

Prior to Donald accepting our invitation to become President, the Savoyards had previously appeared twice in professional productions with Donald. The first was a live Radio 2 performance of Gilbert and Sullivan songs, held at Cheltenham Town Hall in 1997. Ken Bruce was the ranconteur, and Donald was joined by the famous D'Oyly Carte Opera singers Valerie Masterson, Gillian Knight and David Fieldsend. Barry Wordsworth conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Cotswold Savoyards were the chorus.

The second occasion was on the stage of the Everyman Theatre in 2009, where the Cotswold Savoyards provided the chorus for a professional production of Trial By Jury, with Donald playing the part of the Judge.

Donald Maxwell was born in Perth, made his debut with Scottish Opera and has since sung with all the major British Opera companies, at the BBC Proms and abroad at La Scala Milan, Vienna Staatsoper, Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Théâtre Musical de Paris and Salzburg Easter Festival.

He has a repertoire of over 100 roles ranging from Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus to Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and including Balstrode, Iago, Wozzeck, Flying Dutchman, Rigoletto, Nick Shadow, Golaud, Faninal and Don Alfonso. He is particularly noted for his portrayal of Falstaff, which he has sung at the Edinburgh International Festival and in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Milan and Vienna and has also created several world premiers in works by Holt, Manoury, Harle, Berio and Eotvos.

Donald Maxwell’s recordings include Bottom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Falstaff in Vaughan Williams’ Sir John in Love, Carmina Burana, Kismet, and several Gilbert and Sullivan operas including a video of The Mikado. He has had a long association with the Buxton Festival since its inception, including directing The Beautiful Galathea in 1999, and is now patron of the Friends of Buxton Festival. He is Director of the National Opera Studio and Head of Opera Studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Recent performances include Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow, and Doctor Bartolo in Barber of Seville for WNO, and Krusina in The Bartered Bride for the Royal Opera House and Arms and the Cow for Opera North.

[Biographical details of Donald Maxwell from the National Opera Studio website]

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	Donald Maxwell President of the Cotswold Savoyards We are very proud to have as President of the the Cotswold Savoyards the world-renowned baritone, Mr. Donald Maxwell. Prior to Donald accepting our invitation to become President, the Savoyards had previously appeared twice in professional productions with Donald. The first was a live Radio 2 performance of Gilbert and Sullivan songs, held at Cheltenham Town Hall in 1997. Ken Bruce was the ranconteur, and Donald was joined by the famous D'Oyly Carte Opera singers Valerie Masterson, Gillian Knight and David Fieldsend. Barry Wordsworth conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Cotswold Savoyards were the chorus. The second occasion was on the stage of the Everyman Theatre in 2009, where the Cotswold Savoyards provided the chorus for a professional production of Trial By Jury, with Donald playing the part of the Judge. Donald Maxwell was born in Perth, made his debut with Scottish Opera and has since sung with all the major British Opera companies, at the BBC Proms and abroad at La Scala Milan, Vienna Staatsoper, Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Théâtre Musical de Paris and Salzburg Easter Festival. He has a repertoire of over 100 roles ranging from Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus to Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and including Balstrode, Iago, Wozzeck, Flying Dutchman, Rigoletto, Nick Shadow, Golaud, Faninal and Don Alfonso. He is particularly noted for his portrayal of Falstaff, which he has sung at the Edinburgh International Festival and in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Milan and Vienna and has also created several world premiers in works by Holt, Manoury, Harle, Berio and Eotvos. Donald Maxwell’s recordings include Bottom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Falstaff in Vaughan Williams’ Sir John in Love, Carmina Burana, Kismet, and several Gilbert and Sullivan operas including a video of The Mikado. He has had a long association with the Buxton Festival since its inception, including directing The Beautiful Galathea in 1999, and is now patron of the Friends of Buxton Festival. He is Director of the National Opera Studio and Head of Opera Studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Recent performances include Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow, and Doctor Bartolo in Barber of Seville for WNO, and Krusina in The Bartered Bride for the Royal Opera House and Arms and the Cow for Opera North. [Biographical details of Donald Maxwell from the National Opera Studio website]