LEON BERGER - Baritone
LEON has taken major guest roles with the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, New Sadler's Wells, Pavilion Opera and with many touring companies. Favourite parts include Falstaff, Figaro & Don Pasquale. Work abroad has taken him to Barbados, Bermuda, New York, Boston (USA), Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland as well as world cruises on the QE2, Swann Hellenic and Saga. Leon has performed lyric and patter roles in all the G&S operas for many companies including G&S For All, The Magic of D'Oyly Carte and at the International G&S Festival at Buxton. Most recently, to huge critical acclaim, playing KoKo in the Mikado for Opera South East.
Leon is also known on the oratorio circuit most notably in: Elijah, the Mozart Requiem, the Verdi Requiem and was invited to Boston, USA to perform Vaughan Williams 'Five Mystical Songs'. His musical theatre appearances include Chess (Prince Edward Theatre) & Oklahoma as Jud Fry. Recordings include The Merry Widow, Sondheim's Pacific Overtures, Joe Carpenter & Son, Ride Ride!, Cox & Box, two solo albums of George Grossmith's Victorian comic songs (A Society Clown and The Grossmith Legacy), Sullivan's The Masque At Kenilworth. He is a featured soloist on the BBC series Lives Of Jesus (for which he wrote the lyrics) and Millennium, both available on CD.
He is archivist to the late Donald Swann, www.donaldswann.co.uk and has edited several volumes of his songs, appeared in and directed in his operas, and is currently writing the authorised biography of Michael Flanders. Leon was recently seen on in The Real Mr. Pooter, commenting on The Diary of a Nobody and performing some of George Grossmith's songs, as part of the BBC 4 Edwardians Season.
Leon is also available to perform his one man show 'A Society Clown' which is a wonderful confection of the writings and songs of George Grossmith; which has entertained audiences up and down the country. This show is perfect for a corporate dinner, a party or a music society.