Gerrit Paul Groen recently created the role of Tommy Carr in Jonathan Finney’s opera, A Kind Man to critical acclaim in London with New Palace Opera, covered Hunding in Die Walküre for Longborough Festival Opera, and sang König Marke in concert versions of Tristan und Isolde for Midsummer Opera and Wotan in Das Rheingold for Weekend Opera Workshop. 

Prior to the COVID pandemic, Mr. Groen covered Jean Procida in Les Vêpres Siciliennes for Welsh National Opera, multiple roles in Greek Passion for Opera North, and both Fasolt and Fafner in Das Rheingold for Longborough Festival Opera. He performed Fafner in Siegried with The Mastersingers and sang Steuermann while covering König Marke in Tristan und Isolde and covered Titurel and 2nd Knight in Parsifal both for the Saffron Opera Group. He is a regular soloist with the Dei Gratia Baroque Ensemble.

“…a promising dramatic bass” THE NEW YORK TIMES

“…a richly coloured bass”  THE

AUSTRALIAN

“…a memorable characterization” OPERA TODAY

“…compelling intensity” CANBERRA TIMES

“…his voice is rich and deeply expressive” AUSSIETHEATRE.COM

“…looks as imposing as he sounds” PARTERRE.COM

“…gave a suitably dark turn to the villain” THE NEW YORK POST

While living in New York, Mr. Groen was a founding member of Fusion Theatre, creating pieces incorporating opera into classic theatre texts. He performed the dual role of King Philip/Creon in Antigone fused with music of Verdi and the dual role of Mephisto/Valet in No Exit (Huis Clos).  He is featured in the film Something Blue or L’Opera del Bachelor.  He also performed Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Manhattan School of Music, Arkel in Pelléas et Mélisande with Floating Opera New York and Claudio in Agrippina with Operamission.

As an international artist in Sydney, Mr. Groen sang Sarastro in The Magic Flute with Pacific Opera, Jupiter in Rameau’s Castor et Pollux with Pinchgut Opera, Talpa in Il Tabarro with Sydney Independent Opera, the title role in Saul with Sydney University Choirs, The Officer in Glass’ In the Penal Colony with Sydney Chamber Opera, The Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas with the Macau International Music Festival, Ford in Vaughan Williams’ Sir John in Love with the Tasmanian Discovery Orchestra, and Conan/Grimbald in Purcell’s King Arthur with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

While previously resident in the UK, Mr Groen worked at Covent Garden, where he sang Guccio in Gianni Schicchi, covered Simone, Ginardo in Matilde di Shabran, Silvano in La Calisto, and Stefano in Thomas Adès’ The Tempest with the Royal Opera House and sang Mother in Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins with the Royal Ballet. He also performed Don Fernando in Fidelio with London Lyric Opera, Sparafucile in Rigoletto with New Devon Opera, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Aldeburgh Festival, and Cadmus/Somnus in Semele at St. John’s Smith Square in London. At Garsington he covered Alidoro in La Cenerentola and Duglas in La Donna del Lago. As a guest artist at Theatre Hof in Germany, he appeared as Fafner in Das Rheingold.

While studying in New York City, Mr. Groen performed with Bronx Opera as Colline in La Bohème, Caspar in Der Freischütz, and in the title role of Don Pasquale. He has also appeared as Sarastro in The Magic Flute with Opera Company of Brooklyn, was a member of the Ensemble in Baz Luhrmann’s La Bohéme on Broadway. Mr Groen studied at the Manhattan School of Music, the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme, the Ezio Pinza Foundation in Italy, and holds a M.F.A. in Theatre Arts/Acting from Brandeis University in Boston.