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Joshua Bloom is an Australian-American bass known for his commanding stage presence, vocal depth, and dramatic versatility across a remarkably wide-ranging repertoire. Based in Europe, he has earned a reputation as a compelling singing actor in music spanning Mozart, Wagner, and Strauss to world premieres by Gerald Barry and Richard Ayres. His performances have taken him to many of the world’s leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Wiener Staatsoper, Opéra national de Paris, English National Opera, San Francisco Opera, LA Opera, Opera Australia, and many others.
In the 2025/26 season, Joshua makes his debut at Glyndebourne as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Sir Peter Hall’s iconic production. He returns to the Opéra national de Paris as Henry Kissinger in Nixon in China and to Theater Bielefeld as The Podestà in a new production of La gazza ladra. He also makes his house debut at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as Rambo in The Death of Klinghoffer.
The 2024/25 season saw Joshua’s debut at the Opéra national de Lorraine in the title role of Bluebeard’s Castle, a role he also performed in concert at Theater Bielefeld. He made his role debut as the Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann at Staatsoper Hamburg and at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. He returned to Staatsoper Stuttgart as Trinity Moses in The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, conducted by Michele Gamba, and made a widely praised debut as Claggart in Ted Huffman’s new production of Billy Budd at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. At the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, he debuted as Alexandr Petrovich Goryanchikov in From the House of the Dead, conducted by Karina Canellakis.
Other recent engagements include returns to Opera Colorado as Leporello (Don Giovanni) and to Teatro São Carlos, Lisbon as Rocco (Fidelio); performances as The Ghost of Old Hamlet, Player King, and Gravedigger in Brett Dean’s Hamlet at the Bayerische Staatsoper under Vladimir Jurowski; Cadmus in Semele for Opéra de Lille and the Komische Oper Berlin; Bottom (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) for Opéra de Rouen Normandie; and Henry Kissinger (Nixon in China) for both Opéra national de Paris and Staatsoper Hannover.
Joshua’s breadth of repertoire includes Ratefreund in Braunfels’ Die Vögel and Vodník in Rusalka for Oper Köln; Ramfis and The King in Aida for New Israeli Opera; Méphistophélès in La damnation de Faust with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Edward Gardner; and Hunding in Die Walküre with Graeme Jenkins in Lisbon. He created and premiered The Garden, a solo opera written for him by Richard Ayres, with the London Sinfonietta and Asko Schönberg Ensemble, later reprising it at New Days Opera in Ostrava.
Further notable appearances include the title role in Le nozze di Figaro and the Tutor in Le Comte Ory for Garsington Opera; Swallow in Peter Grimes at the George Enescu Festival; Faraone in Mosè in Egitto for Oper Köln; and Bottom with English National Opera in Robert Carsen’s celebrated staging. He made his Royal Opera House debut in the world premiere of Gerald Barry’s Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, returning later as Publio in Richard Jones’ La clemenza di Tito. He has also appeared as Kaspar in Der Freischütz at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center in Japan.
In concert, Joshua has worked with the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, all major London orchestras, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Auckland Philharmonia, and leading Australian symphonies.
His discography includes the Grammy-nominated recording of Gerald Barry’s The Importance of Being Earnest (NMC), the New York Philharmonic’s live recording of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen with Alan Gilbert, and broadcasts with the Berlin Philharmonic (Le Grand Macabre) and the Metropolitan Opera (Don Giovanni), both conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and Fabio Luisi respectively. He also appears on LSO Live’s recording of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande.
Born in Australia to musician parents, Joshua was a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne and studied cello and double bass before completing a degree in History at the University of Melbourne. He began his operatic career with OzOpera and went on to join the Young Artist Programme at Opera Australia, followed by the Merola and Adler Fellowships at San Francisco Opera.
Biography not for publication, for an up to date version please contact Oliver Clarke.
"Captain Claggart is a perfect antagonist. Joshua Bloom's thunderous bass imposes its iron reign over the entire vocal range, with its deep bass and the darkness of its timbre. A true movie villain who takes on a gentle touch when the Australian singer plays Dansker, Billy's loyal friend, who comes to support him in the final moments." Olyrix
"The more experienced Joshua Bloom is a Claggart of finesse, a darkness devoid of histrionics. He also knows how to completely reinvent his singing to express Dansker's compassion, who will break the rules to bring a little comfort to his friend Billy.” ForumOpera
"Joshua Bloom is a confounding Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the dual role of friend Dansker and the terrible John Claggart. His speaking-singing is chilling as Claggart: you have to hear him pronounce "Billy Budd" under his breath!” Bachtrack
"Joshua Bloom has the particularity of being successively the detestable Claggart and the friendly Dansker. Totally credible, he moves from one to the other without any problem, modulating his bass, dark voice, and the power of his projection according to his performance on stage.” ConcertClassic
“...The excellent Joshua Bloom, whose dark and grainy tone perfectly suits the bloodthirsty chatelain. The entire opera is based on the stage and vocal charisma of these two performers.” Forum Opera
“In the sparse setting - there are no props - Judith and Bluebeard, Joshua Bloom {& Rosie Aldridge} work their way through it like in a black and white Hitchcock crime thriller. It's about looking into locked rooms whose forbidden content is identified and imagined. Joshua Bloom is a perfect counterpart with his voluminous, balanced timbre.” KlassikFavori.de
“Heartbreaking in the role of a supposed predator (Bluebeard) pushed by his wife to his limits, Joshua Bloom has a supple and creamy bass baritone which should make him a Mozart singer of 'exception.” Olyrix
"Joshua Bloom, in Kissinger, gratifies us with a deep and rich bass voice. The singer knows how to navigate between the seriousness of his character and his moment of madness, particularly incongruous, when he – or his double – intervenes on the stage of the Peking opera during Act II." Forum Opera
"Joshua Bloom was a hard-hitting Henry Kissinger, brilliant in his grotesque ping-pong match with Mao, in the second act." Platea Magazine
"Joshua Bloom takes on the blue suit of Henry Kissinger who in return borrows his deep, deep voice and his well-oiled acting" Olyrix
"Joshua Bloom makes the most of the sacrificed role of Kissinger..." concertclassic.com
"Joshua Bloom devilishly good as [Don Giovanni's] servant and partner in crime, Leporello." The Article
"As the Tutor given the slip by his ne’er-do-well charge, Joshua Bloom commands the stage – his patrician bass is as mellow as melted chocolate" Opera Today
"Bloom gives a sonorous and unstrained account of the role providing a point of musical gravitas"Seen and Head International
"Bloom was a magnificent Méphistophélès, providing a rich characterisation which was generally gleefully diabolical rather than malignantly evil. He wandered on stage with hands in pockets, dressed all in black opposite Pirgu’s tails, and from the outset filled the hall with a huge sound and a sardonic delight." Bachtrack
"Possessing a commanding bass, as well as charm and expression to spare, Bloom is clearly in his devilish element throughout. A charismatic performer, he commands the hall and leads the men of the CBSO chorus, who are given a real showcase in Berlioz’s characterful writing in several scenes of utterly thrilling choral performanc" Reviews Hub
"Singing with sonorous magnetism, Joshua Bloom was unafraid to send-up Mephistophélès – whether in the bravura of Song of the Flea or ironic slyness of Serenade – yet there was no doubting the veracity of this portrayal in his address to the infernal residents after the descent into Hell.” Classical Source
"Joshua Bloom’s splendidly sung Bottom is wickedly suggestive.” The Independent
"Joshua Bloom’s splendidly sung Bottom is wickedly suggestive.” The Stage
"Among a seasoned bunch of mechanicals Joshua Bloom has a ball as a bumptious Bottom.” The Times
"Armed with a physically relaxed presence and a rich, beautifully produced bass, Joshua Bloom pulls off the considerable trick of tastefully playing a character who has no taste. It’s easy to go for broke as Bottom but Bloom stays truthful while maximising laughs.”The Art's Desk
"As Faraone, Joshua Bloom has a dark and powerful bass that radiates enormous authority. He shines in his extraordinary aria in the first act.” Musik Magazine
"Joshua Bloom’s impressive Pharaoh was outstanding." General Anzeiger Bonn
"Among the apprentice actors, Joshua Bloom’s Bottom pulls ahead, with his deep bass and irresistible comic eloquence.” ResMusica
"The sextet of craftsmen is led, with all the required panache and the smugness that goes with it, by Joshua Bloom's Bottom, an imposing voice with cavernous bass." Olyrix
"The Australian Joshua Bloom… as Ratefreund, was exactly the singer-actor that Braunfels could have imagined for this complex role, in which even – unusual for the time – coloratura is required. Bloom explored all facets of the role interpretation desired here via a beautifully timbrated, powerful bass with good resonance and strong expressiveness as well as an extremely intensive playing in the second act. Incidentally, he also devotes himself to the modern and contemporary repertoire." Opera Online
"Joshua Bloom as Ratefreund, an internationally renowned bass-baritone of a special class, seduces the birds into founding their “cloud cuckoo land” and convinces them that they are superior to men and gods. As a Rossini expert, he also masters the complicated coloratura that the score demands of him, and mutates with a winged arm to become the head of government of the bird state. He also wins over the audience with his charisma.” Das Opernmagazin
"One could not have possibly imagined two better interpreters than Joshua Bloom and Paula Murrihy for the roles of Bluebeard and Judith. Bloom was a tormented Bluebeard, with a wonderfully dark bass. Faithful to both text and score, he aroused pity rather than fear and indignation." Bachtrack
"Bass Joshua Bloom, and mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy, are both outstanding, mastering the demands of singing in Hungarian as if it were a second language, as well as negotiating the demands of Bartok’s endless recitativo. Bloom, like a weakened panther, is awaiting his moments, striking with power and precision when they arrive." The Art's Review
"Duke Bluebeard was well characterised by Joshua Bloom. His warm timbre was underpinned by a steely defiance that managed not only to be menacing, but seductive and even loving, particularly when describing the qualities of his three previous wives. The results were thrilling and chilling." Opera Journal
"The other big voice of the evening was bass Joshua Bloom as Kecal. It’s a huge voice in the middle and upper parts of the register, a voice with which Bloom stamped authority on proceedings: how can anyone imagine that things won’t turn out as Kecal plans? Bloom did a fine job of the rapid-fire patter numbers" Bachtrack
"the extraordinary Ondin of the Australian bass Joshua Bloom , a full voice, superbly timbred and projected, superlative in expression" Opera Online
"Another impressive voice, that of the bass Joshua Bloom in the role of Cadmus (he also sings the high priest of Juno) fell magnificently, powerful and muscular, creating a great impact with each of its interventions." Forum Opera
"The other big voice of the evening was bass Joshua Bloom as Kecal. It’s a huge voice in the middle and upper parts of the register, a voice with which Bloom stamped authority on proceedings: how can anyone imagine that things won’t turn out as Kecal plans? Bloom did a fine job of the rapid-fire patter numbers" Bachtrack
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