RORY MUSGRAVE
General Management
Susanna Stefani Caetani
susanna@onlystage.co.uk
biography
Rory Musgrave, a baritone from Connemara, Ireland, recently made his European Operatic and role debut collaborating with Maestro Sesto Quatrini in a new production of The Tales of Hofmann, singing the four roles of Lindorf, Dapertutto, Copélius and Dr. Miracle at the Lithuanian National Opera, Vilnius. Rory made his UK Operatic debut singing the title role of Eugene Onegin for Opera Holland Park, as part of their 2022 season Young Artist Programme. In 2019 he made his international operatic debut singing the role of Young Kelvin in the Asian premier of Solaris by Dai Fugikura (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Japan). Rory recently complete his tenure as Associate Artist with the Cork Opera House where he sang the roles of Marcello/La Boheme, Germont/ La Traviata and Guglielmo/Così fan Tutte (Cork Opera House).
His most recent operatic engagements for 2025 have been Fenice in Deidamia by Handel, for Wexford Festival Opera, Junius in The Rape of Lucretia by Benjamin Britten in Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari, Italy, and the title role of Gianni Schicchi in Heidenheim, Germany. 2024 saw him perform in a double bill with Opera Collective Ireland under the baton of Christian Curnyn and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, singing the title roles of Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Adonis in John Blow’s Venus and Adonis, and for Wexford Festival Opera the roles of Dottore Graziano in Mascagni’s Le Maschere on the main stage and Dulcamara in L’Elisir d’Amore as a part of the Community Opera project.
Future engagements include a debut with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, singing the baritone solo in a new oratorio by Mark Simpson, The Immortal, reprising the role of Fenice in Deidamia as part of the Göttingen International Handel Festival, Sigmondo Primo in Bona Sforza with Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari, and returning to Wexford Festival Opera in Prokoviev’s The Gambler.
Other recent opera engagements included; White Rabbit/Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, Mayor of Youghal/Vagabones, Eumete/The Return of Ulysses, under the baton of Christian Curnyn and the Akademiefür Alte Musik Berlin, Junius/The Rape of Lucretia (Opera Collective Ireland); Alonso, Re di Napoli/La Tempesta, Camilo/Ein Wintermarchen, Sextus/What Happened to Lucrece, Smirnoff/The Bear and Magnus/Herculanum, Gaby and various/Bernstein a la Carte, Le Podestat/Dr Miracle (Wexford Festival Opera); Taddeo/L’Italiana in Algeri, Belcore/L’Elisir d’Amore (Blackwater Valley Festival); Marcello/ La Boheme, Germont/ Schaunard/La Boheme, St. Brioche/The Merry Widow (Cork Operatic Society); Schaunard/La Boheme, Count Gil/Susanna's Secret (Opera Theatre Company); Schaunard/La Boheme, Baron Duphol/La Traviata (Lyric Opera Productions); Gabriel Conroy/James Joyce’s The Dead (Performance Corporation – World Premiere); Second Soldier and Namaan/Salome (Northern Ireland Opera).
His solo oratorio performances include St Matthew’s Passion by Bach, Handel’s Messiah, Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Haydn’s Paukenmesse and Heiligemesse, Faure’s Requiem and Mozart’s Requiem.
He is a graduate from the Royal Irish Academy of Music, with a Masters in Vocal Performance. An OTC Opera Hub Emerging Artist with Opera Theatre Company (2014 – 2016), Rory was also awarded the PWC Emerging Artist Bursary and the Arnholm Bursary by Wexford Festival.
Season 2025/2026
© Photo by Frances Marshall
press
“Rory Musgrave lets forth an invigorating baritone.”
The Irish Independent
“Musgrave’s monotone declamation was focused and captivating, and the image of the prophet stripped to a ragged loincloth, smeared with blood and wine, was as arresting as the tremor of Vesuvius that thundered at this point.”
Opera Today
“Baritone Rory Musgrave was the real star of the show with his larger-than-life characterization of Dr. Dulcamara, in which every line was expertly crafted to play up his falsity and superficial charm, and he happily interacted with the audience members, casting them knowing and amusing looks. His singing was vibrant, energetic and bold, which allowed him to dominate poor Nemorino as he sold him his phoney love potion.”
Alan Neilson on Opera Wire