Wagnerian wonder tenor Stuart Skelton looks forward to Hong Kong performances

Australian hailed as one of the top 20 Wagnerian singers of all time talks about singing the ‘incredibly fulfilling’ role of Siegmund in Hong Kong Philharmonic’s The Ring Cycle Part 2 – Die Walküre

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Stuart Skelton sings the role of Siegmund in the Hong Kong Philharmonic’s concert performance of The Ring Cycle Part 2 – Die Walküre. ]

Published: 1:15pm, 21 Jan 2016Updated: 3:00pm, 21 Jan 2016

Tenor Stuart Skelton – one of the 20 greatest Wagner performers of all time according to Limelight, an Australian classical music magazine – sings one of his favourite operatic roles, Siegmund in Die Walküre, the second opera in The Ring Cycle, with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under music director Jaap van Zweden tonight, and again on Saturday.

The 48-year-old tenor says the role has been “very kind to him” and has taken him to places around the world.

“Musically, it’s incredibly fulfilling, because it’s such compelling music, both in its biggest form and quiet, intimate music is well. And it’s a wonderful character to invest in. [Siegmund] is a wonderful character to sing and to portray.”

He says that to see the character’s journey, particularly through the opera’s first act, from damaged individual, someone lost in the world, to finding his reason for living, is inspiring.

“It’s an interesting character to play and certainly, musically, it’s an absolute gift of a role for all tenors, to be able sing this wonderful music.”