Some impressions of Derek’s performances as Amfortas in Wagner’s final opera, Parsifal, at the Bayreuth Festival this summer:

‘Derek Welton demonstrates great class as Amfortas: a deathly ill king with a wonderfully healthy voice.’ – BR Klassik

‘Derek Welton impresses as Amfortas with his clarity and presence’ – Süddeutsche Zeitung

‘Derek Welton sings a youthfully virile, never too tearful Amfortas with the future prospects of a Wotan.’ – Münchner Merkur

‘Gentle in suffering but powerful in protestation: Derek Welton as Amfortas’ – Der Standard

‘Derek Welton is a tender, vulnerable Amfortas’ – The Times

‘Derek Welton’s Amfortas looks fragile but sounds robust, wise, and authoritative’ – Financial Times

‘Derek Welton was a superb Amfortas’ –The Article

‘With a magnificent voice, Derek Welton sang a lyrical and stylish Amfortas that did not need to hide behind ”Sprechgesang”’ – Pizzicato

‘THE voice of the evening is Derek Welton. The Australian bass-baritone gives a heart-rending portrayal of Amfortas. The incredible presence of his timbre, carrying right up to the side of the listener, so to speak, invests a compassion, indeed a participation, that refers directly to Parsifal’s sudden calling. The splendour of his colour and his inexhaustible legato make the King the main character, met with a natural nobility even in his moments of rebellion and despair’ – Anaclase

‘The Australian bass-baritone Derek Welton portrays a fabulous Amfortas, touching in the expression of physical and moral suffering. The accuracy of his German pronunciation and his excellent diction make him perfectly understandable.’ – Opera World

‘The voices of Andreas Schager (Parsifal), Elina Garanca (Kundry) and Derek Welton (Amfortas) garnered the most fervent ovations.’ – La Vanguardia

The production is available for viewing via Deutsche Grammophon’s STAGE+ platform.