David Hibbard played Sergeant in Opera Queensland's production of The Barber of Seville.
David graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in 1981, after which time he studied privately in New York (with Daniel Ferro) and in London (with Sir Peter Pears). Whilst in the UK, David performed in productions of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Julius Caesar and Moses in Egypt (for English National Opera), Simon Boccanegra (for Glyndebourne Festival Opera) and Rigoletto (for English Touring Opera).
He returned to Australia in 1988 to appear with Opera Australia in a variety of roles, including Jacopo Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra, Ramfis in Aida, Count Monterone in Rigoletto, Speaker in The Magic Flute and Publio in La clemenza di Tito.
In 1990, David joined Cologne Opera after receiving the German Operatic Award from Opera Foundation Australia. In 1992, he was appointed First Bass with the Bremen Stadtstheater. During his tenure with that company, he performed the roles of Jacopo Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra, Padre Guardiano in La forza del destino, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Baron Ochs von Lerchenau in Der Rosenkavalier, Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Colline in La bohème and Alvise Badoero in La Gioconda.
Since 1994, David has divided his time between Europe and Australia, performing in various continental productions including Peter Maxwell-Davies’ The Lighthouse (in Barcelona) and Don Giovanni (in Amsterdam).
His performances in Australia include the roles of Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos (for Opera Australia), Sarastro in The Magic Flute (for West Australian Opera), The Bonze in Madama Butterfly, the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila, Nourabad in The Pearl Fishers, Brander in The Damnation of Faust, Angelotti in Tosca, Fléville and Schmidt in Andrea Chénier and the Duke of Verona in Romeo and Juliet (for Opera Queensland), The Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Colline in La bohème, Geronte di Ravoir in Manon Lescaut, George Benton in Dead Man Walking, Fafner in Der Ring des Nibelungen and the title role in Don Pasquale (for State Opera of South Australia) and the title role in The Mikado and Doctor Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro (for Opera Queensland and State Opera of South Australia). He also appeared as Don Alfonso in the touring production of Così fan tutte (for NBR New Zealand Opera).
On the concert platform, David’s performances include Walton’s Façade (with The Queensland Orchestra), Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle (with the Sydney Youth Orchestra), Verdi’s Requiem (with the Stanford University Orchestra and for the InterVarsity Choral Festival), a concert tour of Scandinavia (with the Sydney Youth Orchestra), Opera in the Paddock and appearing in the Sydney Opera House’s 30th birthday celebrations.
