J U L I E N V A N M E L L A E R T S
B a r i t o n e
Praised for his “charisma and vocal elegance” by Das Opernmagazin, multi-award winning New Zealand baritone Julien Van Mellaerts is highly sought after as both a recitalist and on the operatic stage. He won first prize in both the prestigious Wigmore Hall International Song Competition and the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, and represented New Zealand at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World in 2019. A graduate of the Royal College of Music International Opera School, and recipient of the coveted Tagore Gold Medal, Van Mellaerts has had great success in recent role and house debuts at the Verbier Festival, Salzburg Mozartwoche, Opéra National de Lorraine, Opera Holland Park and New Zealand Opera. Julien Van Mellaerts has recently been awarded the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation Laureate 2024, recognising his enterprise and success both on and off the stage.
Upcoming debuts include Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera with Wellington Opera, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Palermo Classica International Festival, Lucrezia Borgia at Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, Baritone soloist in Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall in London, a recital of Schubert at Salle Bourgie in Montreal with Ian Tindale and Harriet Burns, Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Multilaterale at the Fondation Royaumont, and a disc with Delphian Records of Schubert and Errollyn Wallen, with pianist Dylan Perez. This summer marks the fifth season of "Opera in Song" at Opera Holland Park, a series of operatically themed recitals, co-directed with Dylan Perez.
Recently, Van Mellaerts sang his first Wozzeck in the New Zealand premiere of the work with Orchestra Wellington; role debut of Frank in Puccini’s Edgar at Opera Holland Park; Frédéric in Lakmé at the Cadogan Hall; a return to the Israeli Opera as Schaunard in La Bohème; and a return to New Zealand Opera for his role debut as Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte.
Concert and recital performances include returns to the Wigmore Hall, Oxford International Song Festival, and Presteigne Festival; Bach and Vaughan Williams with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with Harry Bicket, the fifth season of his song series Opera in Song at Opera Holland Park, Schwanengesang/The Lake at Casa de las Artes in Porto; and the release of Songs of the Night on Champs Hill Records with Lucy Colquhoun and Rowan Pierce, and Francis Poulenc: Les oeuvres de sa jeunesse with the Manchester Camerata and John Andrews on Resonus Classics (April 2024).
Previous operatic engagements have included Figaro Le nozze di Figaro and Masetto Don Giovanni at the Salzburg Mozartwoche, Papageno, Masetto and Die Einäugige Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Verbier Festival, Oreste Iphigénie en Tauride Opéra National de Lorraine, Count Almaviva Le nozze di Figaro Opera Holland Park, Silvio I Pagliacci at the Israeli Opera, Duke of Nottingham Roberto Devereux at the Badisches Staatstheater, Garibaldo Rodelina at the Göttingen International Handel Festival (on Accent Records/DVD), Ned Keene Peter Grimes St Endellion Festival, The Ferryman Curlew River in Moscow, and he made his debut with the Royal Opera House in ELIZABETH with the Royal Ballet.
In concert and recital, Van Mellaerts has sung Mahler Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra with Jonothan Heyward, Vaughan Williams with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem with Les Siècles and Ensemble Aedes on tour in France, Beethoven with Symphonia Varsovia at La Folle Journée Nantes, Copland Old American Songs with Joensuu City Orchestra Finland, and Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Israel Camerata. Recitals with Julius Drake, James Baillieu, Lucy Colquhoun, Simon Lepper, Joseph Middleton, Dylan Perez, João Araujo, Ian Tindale, and Jonathan Ware. He has toured for Chamber Music New Zealand and given recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Pierre Boulezsaal Berlin, Verbier Festival, Enniskillen International Beckett Festival, Juan March Fondación Madrid, Victoria de los Angeles Lied Festival (LIFE Victoria) Barcelona, Oxford International Song Festival, Leeds Lieder, London Song Festival, Opera Holland Park, Fondation Royaumont, Piano Salon Christophori Berlin, Temple Song London, Royal Opera House, BBC Glenarm Festival of Voice.
A highly sought after recording artist, Van Mellaerts’ debut album Songs of Travel and Home (Champs Hill Records) was released in 2021 to critical acclaim. He also features on Samuel Barber: The Complete Songs (Resonus Classics), Russell Pascoe: A secular requiem (Regent CD), Gareth Farr’s Where Will They Bury My Bones? (Songbroker NZ), Songs of the Night (Champs Hill Records) and The Travelling Companion Stanford (SOMM records). His performance of Wozzeck Berg will be released by SOUNZ and Radio New Zealand Concert later this year.
Van Mellaerts studied music and languages at the University of Otago in New Zealand before moving to London to continue his studies at the Royal College of Music, where has also been a member of staff teaching English Song since 2021. He has been generously supported by the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation and is also an alumnus of the Verbier Festival Academy, Heidelberger Frühling Lied Academy, Samling Institute, Bayreuth Festspiele Stipendium and lauréat of Fondation Royaumont. He now lives in Paris, France.
Selected reviews:
“Julien Van Mellaerts is brilliant in the title role, understated and gloomy, yet always compelling. Van Mellaerts communicates Wozzeck’s growing depression and delusion throughout the opera, drawing
us in with variety of tone and the lyrical beauty of his singing.”
Wozzeck / Orchestra Wellington / FiveLines
"With a beautiful voice, Julien Van Mellaerts made an excellent impression both visually and as an actor"
Duke of Nottingham: Roberto Devereux / Badisches Staatstheater / Badische Neueste Nachrichten
"Julien Van Mellaerts' sentient Dover Beach is a highlight"
Samuel Barber: The Complete Songs (Resonus Classics) / BBC Music Magazine
"Julien Van Mellaerts' baritone blends beautifully with the strings and his reading bears comparison with both Hampson and Fischer-Dieskau"
Samuel Barber: The Complete Songs (Resonus Classics) / MusicWeb International
"We get a first class rendering of 'Dover Beach'. Julien Van Mellaerts and the Navarra Quartet are in rapt accord..."
Samuel Barber: The Complete Songs (Resonus Classics) / Gramophone Magazine
"Julien Van Mellaerts makes Garibaldo far more than a pantomime baddie, epitomised by a subtle, insinuating 'Di Cupido' in which he expounds his ruthlessly cynical philosophy"
Garibaldo: Rodelinda / Göttingen International Handel Festival / Gramophone Magazine
"Beautiful expression, impeccable phrasing and very attractive timbre"
Masetto: Don Giovanni / Verbier Festival / Wanderer: Peter Verlacl
"Julien Van Mellaerts is a Masetto of noble bearing, both touching and biting in his presentation of jealousy, his baritone beautifully projected over the whole range"
Masetto: Don Giovanni / Verbier Festival / Olyrix: Pierre Geraudie
"In the role of the lover, Julien Van Mellaerts has an elegant presence and a pleasing, refined vocal style"
Silvio: I Pagliacci / Israeli Opera / Ha'aretz
“Julien Van Mellaerts’ Duke of Nottingam was a deliciously scheming villain.”
Duke of Nottingham: Roberto Devereux / Chelsea Opera Group / The Times 5*
“Julien Van Mellaerts has an elegant presence and a pleasing, refined vocal style…”
Silvio: Pagliacci / Israeli Opera / Ha’aretz
"A heartfelt, glorious disc of song, the programme imaginitive, the performances radiant."
Songs of Travel and Home (Champs Hill Records) / Classical Explorer
"This is a lovely disc, not just beautifully sung and played, but genuinely personal in tone. The programme is performed with both insight and affection. I know that I shall return to 'Songs of Travel and Home' time and again, most especially for the sensitive interpretation of Bridge's Three songs; for the pathos and humour of Farr's avian portraits; and for the engaging journey that he make alongside Vaughan Williams' vagabond."
Songs of Travel / Opera Now
"Baritone Julien Van Mellaerts was superb as the aggrieved Duke of Nottingham. Always mellifluous and elegant of voice... He evinced real dramatic power in Act 3."
Duke of Nottingham: Roberto Devereux / Chelsea Opera Group / Opera Today
Count Almaviva: Le nozze di Figaro / Opera Holland Park 2021
“Van Mellaerts makes a superb Count, a dangerously attractive figure, capable of turning from charm to angry hauteur in a flash…”
The Guardian
“Julien Van Mellaerts spun long, suave lines in the Count’s aria…”
Opera
“Julien Van Mallaerts sang the Count with authority and bravado…”
Opera Wire
“Julien Van Mellaerts was an aristocratic but deliciously self-important Count, behaving with glorious abandon yet never losing consciousness of his status. From his first appearance, deliberately flashing naked legs and boxer shorts (under his robe) at Susanna to his final capitulation to the Countess this was a fully rounded performance. We could laugh at the way his servants frustrated his plans, and decry his selfishness but Van Mellaerts also made him sympathetic, a little of the self-important yet powerless underdog who does not realise that he lacks power. A delightful performance, well-judged in balancing comedy and anger, and finely sung.”
Planet Hugill
“Strong dramatic performances from (ia) Julien Van Mellaerts’ emphatic, hectoring Count – — excellent with the text as one would expect of the 2017 Wigmore Hall Song Competition winner…”
The Sunday Times
Duke of Nottingham / Chelsea Opera Group 2021
“Julien Van Mellaerts proved a highly effective Duca di Nottingham as he asserted his secure and pleasing baritone to excellent effect.”
Music OMH
“Baritone Julien Van Mellaerts was superb as the aggrieved Duke of Nottingham. Always mellifluous and elegant of voice, Van Mellaerts persuasively charted Nottingham’s evolving feelings from affability and concern to pain and anger, and finally vengeful vindictiveness. He evinced real dramatic power in Act 3.”
Opera Today
“Julien Van Mellaerts switched from joviality to rage with skill, suggesting how powerful he will be in future Verdi roles revolving around betrayal.”
Plays To See
“Julien Van Mellaerts had great fun with Nottingham who starts out as reliable and sympathetic to Roberto, a good friend, but on discovering that Roberto loves Sara, his wife, Nottingham turns vengeful and Van Mellaerts really made us feel the change, without ever blustering. This was a finely sung account of the role, but one full of character, and also a lovely flexible top to his voice.”
Planet Hugill
“Julien Van Mellaert’s Duke of Nottingham was a deliciously scheming villain.”
The Times
Songs of Travel and Home / Champs Hill Records 2021
“A heartfelt, glorious disc of song, the programme imaginative, the performances radiant.”
Classical Explorer
“This is a fantastic disc: a singer with a very expressive voice, a pleasing tone, a great insight into the music, and accuracy pitch…In my mind, this is a must have recording.”
Classical Music Daily
“This disc would be notable if only because it’s the debut recital recording of the much-awarded and much-travelled New Zealand-born baritone Julien Van Mellaerts… Thanks to the baritone’s natural enunciation and the pianist’s detailed shading, the performance goes beyond the outward descriptive elements and well into the fantasy, romance and even visionary qualities that sometimes need to be coaxed from the music. From a purely vocal standpoint, I particularly love the way Van Mellaerts ascends fluidly to his upper range.”
Gramophone
“…a lovely collection of arts songs performed with beauty, subtlety and wit.”
NZ Listener
“This is a lovely disc, not just beautifully sung and played, but genuinely personal in tone. The programme is performed with both insight and affection. I know that I shall return to Songs of Travel and Home time and again, most especially for the sensitive interpretation of Bridge’s three songs; for the pathos and humour of Farr’s avian portraits; and for the engaging journey that we make alongside Vaughan Williams’ vagabond.”
Opera Today
Garibaldo: Rodelinda / Göttingen International Handel Festival 2021
“Julien Van Mellaerts was suitably mean as the sneering villain Garibaldo, with a smooth, resonant voice.”
Bachtrack
“Julien Van Mellaerts enjoyed playing the baddie, wrapping his firm baritone around Garibaldo’s “Tirannia gli diede il regno…”
Opera
“As a well-deserved award winner of numerous singing competitions, Julien Van Mellaerts became the shooting star of the evening in the title role of Figaro. The young New Zealander is still unknown on the opera stage, but his charisma and vocal elegance were in no way inferior to the Count of Florian Boesch.”
Figaro: Le nozze di Figaro / Salzburg Mozart Week / Das Opernmagazin
“The character of Papageno requires a lot of theatrical energy and lightness, which the baritone, with his assured voice and clear and articulated projection, absolutely fulfilled, anchoring the show, and quickly making him the most touching character of the opera.”
Papageno: Die Zauberflöte / Verbier Festival / Olyrix
“Julien Van Mellaerts a lively Schaunard with his rich baritone and high-spirited acting...“
Schaunard: La bohème / New Zealand Opera / Bachtrack
“Julien Van Mellaerts possesses a distinctive, birch-grained baritone, subtle verbal skills and a generous presence which made him a model, Housman-esque Companion.”
The Traveling Companion / New Sussex Opera / Opera
“Julien Van Mellaerts’ baritone songs are beautifully, conversationally delivered…”
The Arts Desk / Elizabeth / Royal Ballet at the Barbican
“…the baritone Julien Van Mellaerts brings the songs to life with warmth and wit.”
The Times / Elizabeth / Royal Ballet at the Barbican
“Eisenstein, the philandering husband about to go to prison for assaulting a police officer, was sung by the New Zealand baritone Julien Van Mellaerts. He managed to be both bumptious and suave, while also negotiating the high notes skillfully.”
The Guardian / Gabriel von Eisenstein: Die Fledermaus / RCMIOS
“Julien Van Mellaerts made a nicely fatuous Eisenstein, and his sunny tenorial baritone made one regret the character’s lack of an aria.”
Opera / Gabriel von Eisenstein: Die Fledermaus / RCMIOS
"...there was a sense of substance behind the macho bravado of Julien Van Mellaerts' Husband, even when togged up in a floral wrapover dress and matching turban..."
Opera / Le Mari: Les mamelles de Tirésias / RCMIOS
“As Le Mari, New Zealander Julien Van Mellaerts displayed the characteristic ‘open, engaging tone’ and ‘muscularity and vitality’ that I’d enjoyed at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards Final earlier this year. Van Mellaerts delighted in the grotesqueries and improbabilities, and the brightness and power of his baritone enabled Le Mari to hold his own against his wife’s feminist proselytizing.”
Opera Today / Le Mari: Les mamelles de Tirésias / RCMIOS