Steve Davislim
Tenor
Steve Davislim, among the leading tenors of his generation, is acclaimed throughout the world on both concert and operatic stages for his beautiful lyric voice, strong stage presence and remarkable agility.
His repertoire embraces works from the baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary periods and he has worked with conductors including Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Bernard Haitink, Philippe Herreweghe, Lorin Maazel, Christian Thielemann and Sir Georg Solti. His recordings range from Szymanovsky’s Symphony No.3 to Handel’s Rodelinda to a DVD of Berg’s Lulu..
This year, Steve also returns to Australia to perform recitals and appear with the Sydney Symphony under Simone Young in Das Rheingold.
Press
A perfectly balanced tenor…Davislim possesses a superbly powerful lyric voice, perfectly balanced in all registers with a touch of blithe dramatic expression in delicate passages. Particularly impressive was the way in which he immediately swung into completely different emotional moods from song to song: employing supple lines, delicate then powerfully lively to express Schubert’s ‘An Mignon’ then suddenly fulminant in ‘Der Musensohn’.
Martin Preisser | Tagblatt (Switzerland) | 8 January 2019
Missa Solemnis, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden
The splendid tenor voice (Steve Davislim) rose mellifluously with lyric brilliance.
Gerhard Hoffmann | Online Merker | 1 December 2018
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Simone Young
In Benjamin Britten’s orchestral song cycle Les Illuminations, setting poetry by Arthur Rimbaud, Steve Davislim sang with a noble sound of rich bloom and a natural feel for expressive gesture and stylistic poise.
Peter McCallum | Sydney Morning Herald | 15 August 2018
Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Reviewed at Teatro di San Carlo,
…Tenor Steve Davislim was her attractive fiancé Belmonte, singing the role of ardent lover with a mellow and rich tone. Davislim was handsome and elegant and brought out also the thoughtful side of a role which is demanding for deep breath and firm tone control.
Lorenzo Fiorito | Bachtrack | 31 October 2017
Winterreise, Adelaide Festival 2017,
…Davislim’s performance was mesmerising: it was a rare opportunity to be so close to such brilliance.
Greg Elliot | In Daily | March 2017
Bruckner’s Te Deum, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Riccardo Muti
The tenor gets most of the duties here and Steve Davislim assayed the challenging high tessitura with security, displaying a plangent tone and expressive poise.
Lawrence A.Johnson | Chicago Classical Review | 24 June 2016,
The Rake’s Progress, Finnish National Opera, Helsinki
…Helsinki scores well…with the assured elegance of Steve Davislim’s Tom. The tenor’s singing has ease and depth, sophistication and communicative grace. More than anybody else involved, Davislim seems to have understood that Stravinsky’s neoclassicism was just a vehicle for expressing something he passionately wanted to say.
Shirley Apthorp | Helsinki Financial Times | March 2016
Beethoven 9, Orchester Wiener Akademie
…Tenor Steve Davislim was elegant and secure, which is a long shot from the usual taxed-sounding, dying-swan-like efforts one gets to hear from tenors in this work.
Forbes Magazine | Sept 2015
Turbulent Heart, Melba Recordings
…as powerfully sure in the lower notes and as he is shining in the highest… add to this exemplary French diction and phrasing, an expressive use of rubato, a warm tone colour, a natural musicality.
OPÉRA (France) | February 2010 | Gérard Condé
Benjamin Britten Folksong Arrangements, Melba Recordings
I would simply add that Davislim, Young and Melba Recordings have (remarkably) excelled themselves; this release is worth several times its weight in gold.
Music and Vision Daily (U.K.) | 19 April 2009 | Howard Smith
Winterreise, Melba Recordings
I found this a spell-binding and compulsive performance
SA-CD.NET (UK) | 14 February 2009 | John Miller
Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail, MET New York, April 2008
Steve Davislim made a very fine house debut as Pedrillo, singing with an appealing tenor and lively stage presence…
The New York Times | 28 April 2008 | Vivien Schweizer
Idomeneo Mozart, La Scala
Steve Davislim sang a beautifully poised and cleanly tuned Idomeneo, unfazed by the challenge of Fuor del mar.
The Telegraph | 10 December 2006 | Rupert Christiansen
