Artist Biography
Lyric Coloratura Tenor
Henry Choo is known as one of Australia’s finest lyric coloratura tenors. Born abroad, but raised and schooled in the cultural city of Melbourne, Henry attained an Associate Diploma in Singing in 1997 under the tutelage of Noel Ancell OAM and furthered his vocal and operatic studies at the Melba Conservatorium of Music and the Australian National Academy of Music. He is an alumni of both the Young Artist Program of Opera Queensland and the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Development Program of Australia's national opera company, Opera Australia.
Henry made his career debut in the role of Ernesto in Opera Queensland's production of Don Pasquale, and his principal debut with Opera Australia as the Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier.
For Opera Australia, Henry has also performed the roles of Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Aldo/Nigel Clunes in Bliss, Tebaldo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Acis in Acis and Galatea, Nemorino in L'elisir D'amore, Gerald in Lakmé, Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Oronte in Alcina, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Hotel Porter in Death in Venice, The Defendant in Trial By Jury, Faninal Major-Domo in Der Rosenkavalier, Herald in Rinaldo, as well as tenor soloist in Vaughan William’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, Mozart's Reqiuem and excerpts from Mitridate re di Ponto. His other roles include the premiere of Russell in Busking Hugs for Oz Opera, Borsa in Rigoletto (Macau International Music Festival), Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Frederick in The Pirates of Penzance, and Gabriel von Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus. Henry's understudy roles have included Elvino (La Sonnambula), Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Tito (La Clemenza di Tito), Tybalt (Romeo et Juliet), Remendado (Carmen), and 1st Jew (Salome).
Henry's concert and corporate profile has been impressive and varied, having performed in concert with Joan Carden (Stars of Opera: Stars of the Future), the Three Chinese Tenors, the Three Australian Tenors, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, The Queensland Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Australian Youth Orchestra, The Australia Ensemble, Auckland Philharmonia, and the Australian Army Band Brisbane (under Lt. Col. Patrick Picket CSM). He has performed as principal tenor in Opera Queensland's concert-productions of The Food of Love and Moonlight, Mozart and the Movies, as well has having sung at the launch of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Opera in the Rainforest, and Opera in the Vineyard (Ballandean Estate Wines).
Henry has performed soloist in many oratorio works including Mozart's Requiem, Handel's Messiah and Samson, Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Bach's St John Passion, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solemnelle, and has sung recitals for various groups including the National Gallery of Victoria, Opera Society of Victoria, Eastern Metropolitan Opera, The Australian Robert Stolz Society, and The Lieder Society of Victoria. His recent oratorio performances have included the role of Evangelist in Bach’s St Matthew Passion with Bach Musica, Auckland, and Mendelsohn's Elijah alongside baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes with Auckland Philharmonia.
In 2010, Henry performed Aldo/Nigel Clunes in Bliss in Sydney, Melbourne and at the Edinburgh Festival, The Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier and Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Opera Australia. For the national company, in 2011, he sang Count Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Nadir (The Pearlfishers), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), and Camille du Rosillon in a new production of The Merry Widow. He will once again appear as tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah for both The Queensland Orchestra and Perth’s Collegium Symphonic Choir in December.
In 2012, Henry will sing Nadir in The Pearlfishers and Camille du Rosillon in The Merry Widow for Opera Australia, Nadir (The Pearlfishers) for West Australian Opera, and will take the tenor solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
