Andrew Collis played Don Basilio in Opera Queensland's production of The Barber of Seville.
Andrew was a member of Germany’s Cologne Opera from 1993 to 2003, beginning in their Opera Studio and later becoming part of the ensemble as a full soloist. During his 10-year tenure with the company he performed numerous roles including the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Schaunard and Colline in La bohème, Hobson in Peter Grimes, Mr Flint in Billy Budd, Dr Kolenaty in The Makropulos Affair, Monterone in Rigoletto, Tchelio in The Love for Three Oranges, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola and Dr Falke in Die Fledermaus. Since returning to Australia in 2003, Andrew has returned to Cologne on a regular basis to perform in various productions including Les dialogues des Carmélites and Il barbiere di Siviglia.
Other international engagements include appearing in productions of Tosca and Un ballo in maschera (at the Hong Kong Festival) and in Cologne Opera’s acclaimed production of Luigi Nono’s Intolleranza (at the Vienna Festival). He also sang the roles of Sarastro in The Magic Flute (for Lyric Opera of Singapore) and Colline in La bohème (for San Diego Opera) and performed St John Passion (in the Canary Islands). Andrew has also performed with opera companies in Berlin, Frankfurt, Essen, Mannheim and Düsseldorf and appeared in concerts in Strasbourg, Stuttgart and Bonn. He has worked with distinguished conductor James Conlon and the Cologne Philharmonic in numerous operatic concerts, most notably in the award-winning recording of Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg (for EMI).
Andrew’s performances in Australia include the roles of Friar Lawrence in Roméo et Juliette (for Opera Australia), Colonel Frank in Die Fledermaus, Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet, Zuniga in Carmen and the title roles in Don Pasquale and The Marriage of Figaro (for Opera Queensland) and Fasolt in Das Rheingold (in the critically acclaimed production of The Ring Cycle for State Opera of South Australia). He also performed in the 1997 Perth International Arts Festival as a visiting soloist with the Prague Chamber Orchestra.
On the concert platform, Andrew has appeared with the Melbourne, Adelaide, West Australian and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras and The Queensland Orchestra. His repertoire includes Bach’s Magnificat, Coffee Cantata and Mass in B minor; Handel’s Messiah, Samson and Semele, Haydn’s Stabat Mater and The Creation, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Mozart’s Requiem.
Andrew played Zaccaria in Opera Queensland's 2007 production of Nabucco. In 2008, he will appear in productions of Billy Budd and The Makropulos Affair (both for Opera Australia), and Opera Queensland's production of The Barber of Seville.
