Thomas Allen
Born: 10th September 1944, Seaham Harbour, County Durham
Nationality: British
Thomas Allen was born in Seaham, County Durham in 1944 and studied at the Royal College of Music, spending his early career at Welsh National Opera where his repertoire included Papageno, Guglielmo and Rossini’s Figaro and the title-roles in Eugene Onegin and Billy Budd. He made his Covent Garden debut in the latter opera (as Donald) in 1971, which heralded the beginning of a four-decade relationship with the house; celebrated roles there and further afield include Beckmesser (Die Meistersinger), Guglielmo and Don Alfonso (Cosi fan tutte), the title-roles in Don Giovanni and Gianni Schicchi, and the Forester in The Cunning Little Vixen. Allen is also acclaimed for his recitals and recordings of English song (particularly songs from his native North East), Gilbert & Sullivan and musical theatre, where successes have included Sweeney Todd and (more recently) recordings with fellow Northerner John Wilson.