New Zealand born Character Tenor Richard Hansen made his operatic debut at 12 in the children's chorus of National Opera of Wellington's La Boheme and appeared as 2nd Genii in their production of Die Zauberflöte a year later. Richard moved to Sydney, Australia in 2001 and subsequently relocated to the UK in 2010 to further his Operatic career. 

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Richard has just completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Solo Performance at the Royal Northern College of Music with Thomas Schulze. Having completed a Master of Music at the RNCM he also holds degrees from the University of Sydney, University of Newcastle and University of Melbourne. Prior to operatic study Richard was a choral scholar and later a Lay Clerk for ten years at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.

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His Operatic roles have included Don Basilio and Don Curzio (Le Nozze di Figaro), Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte), Ruiz (il Trovatore), Gaston (La Traviata) Iro (il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria), Tamino (The Magic Flute) Nemorino (l’Elisir d’Amore) Count Almaviva (The Barber of Seville) Mr Upfold (Albert Herring), Box (Cox and Box), Camille (The Merry Widow) and Remendado (Carmen) as well as numerous operatic excerpts. Richard’s Oratorio experience includes Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Mass in b minor, Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Mozart’s Requiem and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. He has participated in Masterclasses with Damon Nestor Ploumis, Jeremy Silver, Mark Shanahan, Paul Nilon and James Gilchrist as well as workshops with British Youth Opera and Opera Galas with Orchestras in the UK and Europe.

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Recently. Richard has joined the chorus at Opera Holland Park, Wexford Festival Opera and Opera Australia.  He also covered Chulak in Opera North/ROH2's production The Firework Maker's Daughter in 2013.  Most recently Richard sang the role of German Sentry in the Pulitzer Prize winning production of Silent Night at Wexford Festival Opera. 

 

Upcoming engagements in 2015 include an appearance in Swansea City Opera's 2015 UK tour of Faust