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Stephen Bennett Bass T: +61 2 6125 5772 F: +61 2 6248 0997 E: Stephen.Bennett@anu.edu.au

Lyric Bass Stephen Bennett began his career in 1978 as a member of the Leonine Consort, an 8 voice a capella ensemble. In 1984 he was a founding member of The Song Company. During these years Stephen began performing in concert as a soloist. In 1986 he joined The Australian Opera as an Esso Young Artist, and he remained with the company as a principal bass until 1992. During this time he sang many roles in different operas, including Figaro in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Leporello in Moazart's Don Giovanni, Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Sarastro in Mozart's The Magic Flute and Colline in Puccini's La Boheme.

In 1992/93 was engaged by the Scottish Opera, where he sang Colline in La Boheme, Gremin in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, and Kolenaty in Janacek's The Makropolous Secret. In 1993 he performed his first Don Giovanni in Mozart's Don Giovanni with The Australian Opera.

Since then Stephen has sung regularly with a number of opera companies as a guest artist, including Opera Australia, The Victorian State Opera, Lyric Opera of Queensland, State Opera of South Australia, West Australian Opera, Pinchgut opera, Opera New Zealand and Canterbury Opera. Roles performed include Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Leporello in Don Giovanni, Mefistopheles in Gounod's Faust, Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte, Sarastro in The Magic Flute, Achilla in Handel's Julius Caesar, Claggart in Britten's Billy Budd, Arkel in Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande, Colline in La Boheme, Publio in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, Somnus and Cadmus in Handel's Semele, Polyphemus in Handel's Acis and Galatea and Sparafucile in Verdi's Rigoletto, and Don Basilio in Rossini's Barber of Seville.

In addition to his opera commitments Stephen has been very much in demand as a concert singer and recitalist. He has worked with all the Australian and New Zealand symphony orchestras and choral societies performing in such works as the B Minor Mass, St Mathew Passion, St John Passion, Magnificat and the Christmas Oratorio of J S Bach, Handel's Messiah, Joshua, Belshazzar, Samson, Saul and Israel in Egypt, Mozart's Requiem and Verdi's Requiem. In 2000 he performed in Tobias' Des Jona Sendung in Cologne with the WDR Orchestra. Stephen has also sung Bach's solo cantata Ich habe genug on a number of occasions, and has performed Schubert' song cycles Die Winterreise and Schwanengesang many times.

His 2009 performances for Opera Australia will be Speaker in Mozart's Magic Flute, Le Bailli in Massenet's Werther, and Cappellio in Bellini's I Capuleti ed I Montecchi.

His 2009 concert engagements are Handel's Jeptha for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Haydn's Creation for the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and Handel's Messiah for the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra.

His recordings include Handel's Semele, Purcell's The Fairy Queen and Rameau's Dardanus, all on ABC Classics.
He appears on ABC Classics videos/DVDs of Don Giovanni, Julius Caesar, Un Ballo in Maschera, Les Hugenots, La Fille du Regiment, Otello and Die Meistersinger.

School of Music faculty member since 2005.