Derek Welton has unfortunately had to withdraw from his upcoming début at the Opernhaus Zürich as Pizarro in Fidelio due to illness. His next scheduled engagement is his début at the Müpa Budapest as the Wanderer in Siegfried in June.

His performances as John Claggart in Billy Budd at the Opéra de Lyon received widespread acclaim from the press, including the following:

‘The fearsome John Claggart is brought to life by Derek Welton’s dark, resonant voice, with a range as vast as his breath control. His large, cavernous voice, rich in overtones, perfectly captures the essence of this quintessential villain.’ — Ôlyrix

‘Derek Welton portrays John Claggart with a quiet, sinister presence; with his deep, resonant bass voice, he weaves a solid tapestry with his harmonious singing and long breath. The character exudes an insidious malevolence, an aura that inspires mistrust without one even knowing why.’ — Opera Online

‘The villainous John Claggart, the very embodiment of pure wickedness, is brought to life by Derek Welton with his deep, resonant voice and menacing presence.’ — Première Loge

‘Derek Welton portrays a strikingly sinister John Claggart. His voice, powerfully projected, with an impressive darkness and great authority, lends his major scene in the first act a power comparable to Iago’s ‘Credo’ in Verdi’s Otello.’ — Bachtrack

‘With a voice full of darkness and a morbid authority, Derek Welton portrays a terrifying and relentless Claggart, as if he were seeking to bring about his own death.’ — Classykêo

‘Claggart, played by the powerful Wagnerian baritone Derek Welton, sounds like a constant warning of the tragedy that is (inevitably) about to unfold. His splendid bronze-coloured timbre, capable of conveying a wide range of emotions, takes on a dark, tortured quality, possessed by the passion of absolute evil – that of Satan. The ship’s master-at-arms, played by Welton, is as irascible as one could wish, cruel, uncompromising and… impressed by Billy Budd, whom he must destroy with all the passion within him. His brilliant performance, like his recent portrayal of the Wanderer in Siegfried at the Paris Opera, is one of those that leaves a lasting impression on the entire production.’ — cult.news

‘Derek Welton excels in this Faustian role – enigmatic in his intentions and cruel out of frustration – which his very dark timbre imbues with a subtle power.’ — Concert Classic

‘Derek Welton needs no further emphasis on the “villain’s” traits, for he possesses the utter vocal darkness one would expect from this embodiment of evil that is Claggart’ — classica.fr

‘Before taking on the role of Claggart as a powerful baritone, Derek Welton was, as recently as last week, Wotan at La Scala in David McVicar’s production of Siegfried. He imbues the master-at-arms’s tyranny with a sense of imperial self-destruction, oscillating between treachery and a crumbling authority.’ — Tribune de Lyon

‘The Australian baritone Derek Welton, with his imposing stature and lithe stage presence, brings a Hollywood-style charisma to the role, whilst the expressive power of his voice lends a unique refinement to his portrayal of cruelty. Whilst some of us may have seen him recently in a Wagner production, for many in the audience he was a breathtaking discovery.’ — Transfuge

‘In the role of Claggart, as in that of Wotan, which he recently portrayed in Paris and then in Milan, Derek Welton displays a deep, resonant voice that lends the role an unyielding authority.’ — sceneweb.fr

‘With his dark, piercing voice, Derek Welton – recently seen in Siegfried at the Paris Opera – creates a Shakespearean Claggart, whose monologue-style confession is reminiscent of Iago’s in Othello’ — Telerama

‘Derek Welton’s sinister Claggart weaves his web, with black voice and and dark tone’ — Le Monde

‘It boasts a stellar cast, with standout performances in the leading roles … the terrifying and elusive Claggart, with black voice, played by Australian bass-baritone Derek Welton’ — Les Echos

Photograph © Opéra de Lyon | Jean-Louis Fernandez