Praised for his “heroically shining tone of exceptional clarity and precision” (Opera Magazine) and “gorgeously burnished power” (The New York Times), American tenor Russell Thomas has emerged as one of the defining dramatic voices of his generation. Celebrated for his vocal brilliance, expressive depth, and electrifying stage presence, he brings rare authority and emotional immediacy to both the Italian lyric and German dramatic repertoires.

The 2025/26 season builds on a defining year that included his first Kaiser in Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Metropolitan Opera under Yannick Nézet-Séguin and his debut Tannhäuser at Houston Grand Opera; performances that signaled powerful steps into the heldentenor repertoire. This season, Thomas returns to leading roles such as Canio in Pagliacci at Lyric Opera of Chicago and Don José in Carmen at Opéra national de Paris, and makes an important role debut as Werther with the Canadian Opera Company. Concert engagements include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Milwaukee Symphony and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Baltimore Symphony, with future appearances scheduled at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Royal Opera House, Washington National Opera, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra.

A graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Thomas has appeared at the Met in roles including Don Carlo, Rodolfo, Ismaele, and, on the Met Orchestra’s 2023 European tour under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Otello, with performances at Carnegie Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, the Barbican Centre, and Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Internationally, he has earned acclaim for commanding portrayals of Verdi and Puccini roles such as Otello, Radamès, Manrico, Don Alvaro, Cavaradossi, and Calaf across major houses including the Royal Opera House, Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, LA Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Equally distinguished on the concert stage, Thomas has appeared with many of the world’s foremost orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and leading symphonies throughout North America and Europe. His repertoire spans Mahler, Beethoven, Stravinsky, the Verdi Requiem, and the title role in Oedipus Rex. He has also premiered significant new work, including Fire and Blue Sky, a song cycle composed for him by Joel Thompson, and has been a longtime collaborator with Peter Sellars and John Adams in The Gospel According to the Other Mary, now recorded on Deutsche Grammophon.
 

Rooted in the Italian lyric tradition and now firmly established in the German dramatic canon, Russell Thomas continues to make fearless artistic choices, shaping a career defined by vocal authority, expressive imagination, and a profound commitment to storytelling. His performances, celebrated for ardent expression, technical mastery, and spine-tingling dramatic power, have secured his place at the forefront of today’s international opera stage.