Derek Welton’s début at La Scala, Milan, has been widely praised. Critical acclaim includes the following:

‘Derek Welton portrays the role of Wotan with a fresh and robust voice. The Australian bass-baritone delivers his lines with just the right solemnity, mastering the numerous challenges of the score and shining, in particular, for the power of his upper register. The performance is also superbly crafted, with the singer always fully present, thanks to the incisiveness and precision of his phrasing, masterfully constructed with a wide range of nuances. The result is a portrait of a god consumed by anxiety and doubt, a victim of his own laws and unable to suppress a tender emotion as he bids farewell to his favourite daughter.’ — Opera Libera

‘With Michael Volle indisposed, Derek Welton replaces him, making his La Scala debut. With his elegant bearing, velvety and enveloping voice, soft and smooth in its production, and soaring high notes, the Australian bass-baritone is a Wotan torn by doubts, at times powerfully human, elegant and refined in his delivery. His confrontation with his petulant wife Fricka is incisive; his dialogue with Brünnhilde in Act 2 is tinged with melancholy; his separation from his beloved daughter exudes emotion.’ — Connessi all’Opera

‘Bass-baritone Derek Welton … delivers a highly convincing portrayal of Wotan, proving expressive in his heated exchanges with his wife and particularly effective in his outbursts of anger … Both Welton and Nylund perfectly tailored their voices to the expressive demands of the scene. We thought they were magnificent.’ — Beckmesser

‘Derek Welton was excellent as Wotan, with a clear and well-defined voice.’ — Affari Italiani

Derek’s role début as John Claggart at the Opéra de Lyon, which took place on 21 March, has already been positively received; a selection of press reactions will be published shortly.

Photograph © Brescia e Amisano | Teatro alla Scala