Jason Barry-Smith

Jason is a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and has also studied at the Musikhochschule in Munich. He has been the recipient of the Queensland Conservatorium Medal for Excellence (1991), the Marianne Mathy Scholarship (1992) and Opera Foundation Australia’s Italian Opera Award (2001).

For Opera Queensland, Jason has performed the roles of Marullo in Rigoletto, Papageno in The Magic Flute, Gabriel von Eisenstein and Doctor Falke in Die Fledermaus, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Schaunard in La bohème, Cristian in A Masked Ball, Doctor Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Dancairo and Moralès in Carmen, Marullo in Rigoletto, Dandini in Cinderella, Bird Seller in Sweeney Todd, Prince Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, Mathieu in Andrea Chénier and the title roles in The Barber of Seville and Don Giovanni (he won a National Opera Award for the latter). He also understudied the title role in the 2008 production of The Barber of Seville (and subsequently sang the role in two of the six performances), directed the chamber opera production of Hansel & Gretel, and co-created and performed in the concert productions of The Food of Love and Waltzing Our Matilda (both productions were staged in Brisbane and also toured regional Queensland centres). Jason is also the Director of the Young and Developing Artist Programs.

Other engagements include the roles of Mathieu in Andrea Chénier and Belcore in L’elisir d’amore (for State Opera of South Australia) and Julian in Quartet, Mamoud in The Death of Klinghoffer and the title role in The Barber of Seville (for NBR New Zealand Opera). He also appeared in productions of Les Misérables (for Wellington Operatic) and Carmen (for Opera 21, Belfast). His musical theatre credits include the roles of Tony in West Side Story, Major-General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance and Danilo in The Merry Widow.

On the concert platform, Jason has appeared with the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, The Queensland Orchestra and the Brisbane Chorale. His concert repertoire includes Haydn’s Paukenmesse, Bach’s St Matthew Passion, St John Passion and Christmas Oratorio and Fauré’s Requiem.

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