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BIOGRAPHY |
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Thomas de Vries started the year 2026 as cover for ALBERICH in “Rheingold”, ”Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung” in David McVivar’s new production of Wagner’s “Ring” at the Scala di Milano.
In summer 2024 the German baritone enthralled at the Austrian Festival Erl as ALBERICH in “Der Ring des Nibelungen”. With this very role he was already successful at the State Opera Wiesbaden including the International May Festival Wiesbaden.
2024/25 he sang TELRAMUND in “Lohengrin” at the Bremen Theatre and FANINAL in “Der Rosenkavalier” at the Opera House Kiel.
Guest performances have taken Thomas de Vries to the Aalto Theater Essen, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf-Duisburg, the Nationaltheater Mannheim, the Staatstheater Darmstadt, the Komische Oper Berlin, to Halle, Bremen, Chemnitz, Schwerin, Gera, Kiel, Lübeck, Mainz, Kaiserslautern, Heidelberg, Regensburg, the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari and the Landestheater Innsbruck, just to name a few.
Thomas de Vries was born in Bad Kreuznach. After studying singing in Cologne, his first
permanent engagement brought him to the Cottbus State Theatre. This was followed by engagements in Oldenburg and Dortmund.
He has been a member of the ensemble at the Wiesbaden State Theatre since 2002, where he has developed a broad repertoire. Here he sang, among others MOMUS and CHITERON in Rameau's “Platée”, PAPAGENO, GRAF DANILO (The Merry Widow), the title role in “Eugene Onegin”, EISENSTEIN (Die Fledermaus), ALMAVIVA (Le nozze di Figaro), DONNER in “Rheingold”, GIORGIO GERMONT in “La Traviata”, the role of Jesus in Bach's “St John Passion”, GUGLIELMO in “Così fan tutte”, VALENTIN (Faust), the title role in “Don Giovanni”, ALBERT in “Werther”, KURWENAL in "Tristan und Isolde", DON FERNANDO (Fidelio), MARCELLO (La Boheme), BARTOLO (Barber of Seville), PAOLO ALBIANI (Simone Boccanegra), MUSIKLEHRER (Ariadne auf Naxos), FANINAL(Der Rosenkavalier) and TELRAMUND (Lohengrin).
His debut as ALBERICH in Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen was one of his greatest successes.
His stage activities are completed since many years by performances at renowned festivals
and CD productions.
On 10 July 2014, Thomas de Vries was awarded the title "Kammersänger" by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art.
Thomas de Vries is also musical director of the Wiesbaden 'Ensemble Mattiacis', which is successfully dedicated to the performing of 17th and 18th century music in historical practice.
In 2024 Thomas de Vries was nominated “Kammersänger” by the Hessian Ministry for Science and Art.
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| REVIEWS |
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| Tiroler Festspiele Erl – Der Ring des Nibelungen – ALBERICH |
| "Thomas de Vries didn’t only impress by the richness and the power of his voice, but also with his singing rage and the ability to grant his rage curses a dirty glaze. " |
FAZ – Jürgen Kesting
faz.net |
| "Thomas de Vries, equipped with an enormous volume and a striking text comprehensibility, portrayed a fabulous Alberich,..." |
Klassik Begeistert – Kirsten Liese
klassik-begeistert.de |
| "Thomas de Vries is a power-hungry, evil Alberich with a strong voice and an incredible stage presence." |
Kleine Zeitung
kleinezeitung.at |
| Maifestspiele Wiesbaden – Der Ring des Nibelungen – ALBERICH |
| "Another particularly impressive performance came from chamber singer Thomas de Vries as Alberich. With his expressive text interpretation and vocal sovereignty he entirely convinced the audience. With an impressing intensity Thomas de Vries perfectly succeeded in portraying Alberich’s wickedness and his enormous ambition. His voice was powerful and flexible, which once again proved De Vries’ high class in the interpretation of this complex figure. Especially impressing was his ability to transmit Alberich’s desperation and rage in the discussions with the wanderer. His vocal versatility und his dramatical presence made his performance one of the highlights of the evening." |
Online Merker
onlinemerker.com |
| ".... Thomas de Vries was an excellent Alberich..." |
Online Merker
onlinemerker.com |
| Staatstheater Wiesbaden – Tristan und Isolde – KURWENAL |
| "Thomas de Vries in the part of Kurwenal gave a splendid performance. His velvety colored baritone voice is combined with a huge text comprehensibility. With dedication he portrays Tristan’s shield bearer and in a deeply moving way he accentuates the chivalric values of a forgotten world." |
Opera Online – Helmut Pitsch
opera-online.com |
| "Already in the last production Tristan und Isolde by von Dietrich Hilsdorf KS Thomas de Vries portrayed Kurwenal. Sovereignly he impresses with his huge vocal authority..." |
Kulturfreak
kulturfreak.de |
| Staatstheater Wiesbaden – Lohengrin – TELRAMUND |
| "The experienced chamber singer Thomas de Vries portrays a sovereign Telramund, who mastered the part with bravura,..." |
Der Opernfreund
deropernfreund.de |
| Staatstheater Wiesbaden – Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – SIXTUS BECKMESSER |
| "Thomas de Vries makes his debut in the role of the fossilized town clerk Sixtus Beckmesser, at times charismatically brilliant, then again annoying virtuous. He masterly succeeds in singing the Beckmesser-coloraturas, that, technically, are a challenge with plenty of stumbling blocks. He presents himself strictly conformist thinking, academically conservative, a character that sticks to the rules. In the terribly difficult Prügelfuge he is very convincing. His lecture in the banquet hall is tragically funny – instead of „Morgenlich leuchtend“ he sings „Morgen ich leuchte“, or „Wonnig entragend“ „Wohn‘ ich erträglich“ or even „herrlich ein Baum“ „häng‘ ich am Baum“. Here, Thomas de Vries proves his fine sense for nuances and masterly amuses the audience." |
IOCO
ioco.de |
| "His opponent Beckmesser is Thomas de Vries with a Franz Liszt hairstyle, which provokes a put-on artist habitus; he demands more of the others than he himself is able to give. His versatile baritone voice grants the role some attractive facets. He is not just the silly old bleating uncle, it is perfectly clear that this ideologically ossified man can get really dangerous. He plays fantastically – his song with the jingling Beckmesser harp in the third act, in which he misses almost every tone is so hilarious it makes you laugh yourself to tears. One of the greatest scenes in the entire production is the one, in which he climbs through Sachs’ window to steal the text of the Prize Song." |
Klassik begeistert
klassik-begeistert.de |
| "As an antipode we can see Sixtus Beckmesser. Here, Thomas de Vries almost found his destination as bass baritone. With his clear, almost sharp voice he overwhelmed his opponents and was brillian,t especially in his grotesque attempts to do justice to the master singing, as in the failed minnelied of the 2nd act." |
Klassik begeistert
klassik-begeistert.de |
| Staatstheater Wiesbaden – Tannhäuser – BITEROLF |
| "Among the Master Singers the magnificent Thomas de Vries as Biterolf stood out. Once again, he proved how convincingly he can portray a character." |
Der Opernfreund
deropernfreund.de |
| Staatstheater Wiesbaden – Salome – BUSSPREDIGER |
| "In spite of his short appearance, as a fantastic penitential preacher, the baritone and chamber singer Thomas de Vries remains a lasting memory due to his expressiveness." |
Kulturfreak
kulturfreak.de |
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| ON STAGE |
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Maifestspiele Wiesbaden – Ring – ALBERICH
© Karl und Monika Forster |
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Staatstheater Wiesbaden – Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – BECKMESSER
© Karl und Monika Forster |
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