Performance Database

In recent years, Hawaiian baritone Jordan Shanahan has made a name for himself internationally with his charismatic interpretations of dramatic roles.

In the 2024/205 season, the artist sang Monterone in RIGOLETTO at the Metropolitan Opera, his debut in Portugal at the Casa da Música in Porto with Zemlinsky's LYRISCHE SYMPHONIE, a new production of FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN as Barak at the Deutsche Oper Berlin (Sir Donald Runnicles & Tobias Kratzer) and his house debut at the Vienna State Opera as Telramund in LOHENGRIN (under Christian Thielemann) and Amfortas in PARSIFAL (und Axel Kober). He also returns to the Bayreuth Festival this summer, this time with three roles: Klingsor in PARSIFAL, Kothner in DIE MEISTERSINGER von NÜRNBERG and Kurwenal in TRISTAN UND ISOLDE.

Future projects from the 2025/2026 season include his role debut as Wotan in Wagner's RING at the Cologne Opera, Holländer in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER at the Hamburg State Opera, Kurwenal in TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam and a concert with Beethoven's NINTH SYMPHONY with Vladimir Jurowski at the Konzerthaus Berlin with the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

The artist already made his professional opera debut in 2002 as Silvio / PAGLIACCI at the Natchez Opera Festival in the USA. Jordan Shanahan's repertoire is wide-ranging and includes roles such as Mozart's Figaro, bel canto repertoire such as Donizetti's Belcore / L'ELISIR D'AMORE or Enrico / LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, but also Tchaikovsky's Onegin /EUGEN ONEGIN or Yeletsky / PIQUE DAME. Recently, he has been engaged by the major opera houses above all for the dramatic repertoire of Wagner, R. Strauss or Korngold, e.g. as Telramund / LOHENGRIN, Alberich / RING, Jochanaan / SALOME, Barak / FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN, der Herrscher / WUNDER DER HELIANE. But the Italian repertoire is not neglected either with RIGOLETTO, Amonasro / AIDA or Scarpia / TOSCA.

In addition to the standard repertoire, Jordan Shanahan has also made a name for himself in contemporary repertoire with roles such as Joseph de Rocher / DEAD MAN WALKING, Robert Oppenheimer / DR. ATOMIC, The Protector / WRITTEN ON SKIN and Il Uomo / SENZA SANGUE, many of the most important composers of our time have placed their trust in him.

His roles have included Don Carlo di Vargas / LA FORZA DEL DESTINO at the Graz Opera, Escamillo / CARMEN at the Wiesbaden State Theatre, Alberich / RHEINGOLD, SIEGFRIED and GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG and Telramund / LOHENGRIN at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Rodrigo / DON CARLOS at the Aalto Theater in Essen, as well as Monterone and Rigoletto at the Bregenz Festival.

This was followed by his house debuts as Donner / RHEINGOLD at the Zurich Opera House, Jochanaan / SALOME at Covent Garden in London, Monterone / RIGOLETTO at the Teatro Real in Madrid, and Klingsor in PARSIFAL at the Bayreuth Festival.

Jordan Shanahan regularly works with famous conductors such as Marc Albrecht, Semyon Bychkov, Pablo Heras-Casado, Daniele Gatti, Christian Thielemann, Sir Donald Runncles, Axel Kober, James Conlon and Stefan Blunier.

On the concert stage, Jordan Shanahan has also enjoyed great success in a wide range of repertoire: from Handel's MESSIAH, Mendelssohn's ELIAS, Stravinsky's OEDIPUS REX, to Verdi's REQUIEM; be it at the Palace of Arts in Budapest, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, or with other major orchestras throughout Europe (most recently in 2023 with Daniele Gatti with Santa Cecilia in Rome) and at Carnegie Hall in the United States of America.

Jordan Shanahan now lives in Switzerland and performs regularly in Europe, North America, Asia and, of course, in his native Hawaii.