Jeremy Kleeman

Bass Baritone

Winner of the 2019 Australian International Opera Award, Bass Baritone Jeremy Kleeman is a graduate of the prestigious Opera Studio at the Royal College of Music, London.  His recent performances in Australia have been his debuts with both Opera Queensland and West Australian Opera in the title role of a new production of Le nozze di Figaro, St. Matthew Passion with Melbourne Bach Choir, Hayllar Tours Chamber Music weekend at Spicers Hidden Vale, Queensland, and Opera in Gippsland.

Now based in London, Jeremy once again returns to Australia this year to perform the roles of Captain Corcoran (HMS Pinafore) and the Sergeant of Police (Pirates of Penzance) and the title role in Le nozze di Figaro for State Opera South Australia, Guglielmo (Cosi fan tutte) for Opera Queensland, and Bach’s St. John Passion for Melbourne Bach Choir.

A ‘versatile and charismatic’ performer, Jeremy has created several roles in world premiere productions. Notably, Magus in Alan Curtis and Michael Gow’s baroque pastiche Voyage to the Moon (Musica Viva/Victorian Opera) for which his performance was nominated for both Helpmann and Green Room awards, Mr. Jeffries/Reverend Stratton in Elliot Gyger and Pierce Wilcox’s adaptation of Oscar and Lucinda (Sydney Chamber Opera), Toby Raven in George Palmer’s adaptation of Cloudstreet (State Opera of South Australia), and Albert the Pudding in Calvin Bowman and Anna Goldsworthy’s adaptation of The Magic Pudding (Victorian Opera).

In Europe, Jeremy performed Traveller in the Moscow premiere of Britten’s Curlew River, sang Bass soloist in Bach Cantatas 33, 164 and 77 with London Handel Players at Tilford Bach Festival, featured as an Apostle in London Philharmonic Orchestra’s presentation of Elgar’s Apostles and appeared in recital with soprano Alexandra Flood and pianist Rudi Spring at the Tromsø Northern Lights Festival.  At the Royal College of Music, Jeremy performed Don Inigo Gomez in Ravel’s L’heure espagnole and Ernesto in Haydn’s Il mondo della luna for which Music Ohm wrote, ‘Jeremy Kleeman offers an incredibly warm, smooth and secure bass-baritone as Ernesto’.

In Australia, Jeremy has appeared on the concert platform with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Royal Melbourne Philharmonic and Melbourne Bach Choir amongst others and has performed operatic roles including Walter Furst in Guillaume Tell (Victorian Opera), Second Elder in Handel’s Susanna (Handel in the Theatre), Collatinus in Kip William’s daring production of The Rape of Lucretia (Sydney Chamber Opera/Victorian Opera/Dark MoFo Festival), Famigliari/Tribuno in L’incoronazione di Poppea (Pinchgut Opera), Badger/Parson in The Cunning Little Vixen (Victorian Opera), and the title role in The Marriage of Figaro (Opera Australia Touring).

Earlier career highlights include his Brisbane Baroque Festival debut as Teobaldo in Handel’s Faramondo and appearances with Victorian Opera as Lord Valton in I puritani, Jonas Fogg in Sweeney Todd, Mother in Kurt Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins, Rapunzel’s Prince in Into the Woods, Marquis D’Obigny in La traviata and as a featured vocalist in Assembly at Melbourne and Sydney Festivals (with Chunky Move).

Jeremy was an inaugural member of Victorian Opera’s Master of Music (Opera Performance) program in collaboration with the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, attended the Lisa Gasteen National Opera School and has been a Joseph Sambrook Opera Scholar with Melba Opera Trust.  Jeremy has also been supported by the Dame Heather Begg Memorial Award, Australian Music Foundation, Ian Potter Cultural Trust, Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award and the Basil Coleman Opera Award.