Biography
Born in London, Tenor Thomas Elwin studied at the Royal Academy of Music. A former boy-chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Thomas performed extensively as a treble soloist both in the UK and abroad, at venues including Tokyo Opera City, Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, on Classic FM, BBC2 and Radio 3. An alumnus of the Solti Accademia Bel Canto and the Verbier Academy, Thomas was a member of the opera studio at Oper Stuttgart for the 2014/15 season and has subsequently returned as a guest artist.
Whilst at the opera studio at Oper Stuttgart in Thomas performed roles in seven operas, including Officer (Ariadne auf Naxos), Kuska (Khovanshchina), Adballo (Nabucco), Borsa (Rigoletto) and jumping in to sing the final two performances as Ferrando in a new production of Cosi Fan Tutte. He returned as a guest artist for further performances of Ferrando, Nathanael (Les contes d’Hoffmann), Kuska (Khovanschina) and Borsa (Rigoletto).
Recent and future performance include Borsa for English National Opera and Opera North (where he will also cover the Duca), Belmonte (Die Entufuhrung aus dem Serail) in a new production by Sigrid Herzog at the Vorarlberg Landestheater as well as Ferrando for English Touring Opera and for Teatro Barocco at the Schlosstheater Laxenburg, covering the role of of Lysander / A Midsummer Night’s Dream as well as covering and singing Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) for English National Opera, Telemaco / Il Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria for The Grange Festival, Sam Kaplan / Street Scene for Oper Köln, Lensky / Eugene Onegin and Malcolm / Macbeth for West Green Opera, Jacquino / Fidelio for the Vorarlberg Landestheater Bregenz, Nemorino / L’Elisir d’Amore for Into Opera and Wild Arts Opera and Arturo / La Straniera in a concert performance with Chelsea Opera Group. In 2023 he jumped into sing Alfredo / La traviata at the St Endellion Festival and recorded the role for a new film version for Opera Glassworks in 23/24 which was released on Sky Arts in 2025. A regular at English Touring Opera he has performed Tippett’s Boyhood’s End, Rodolfo/La bohème and Gennaro / Lucrezia Borgia. In 2022 he made his Glyndebourne Festival debut singing Oronte / Alcina. He has been an associate artist of Classical Opera Company where roles have included Fracasso / La Finta Semplice.
On the concert platform Thomas has performed extensively as a soloist in the UK and across Europe. Highlights have included Bach Passions (both arias and as Evangelist) in St. Alban’s Abbey, the LutherKirche in Bad Canstatt and in Zaragoza, Messiah at Liederhalle Stuttgart with the International Bach Akademie, with the Ulster Orchestra, Odense Symphony Orchestra in Denmark, in Manchester Cathedral and at the Leith Hill Festival, Dove ‘For an Unknown Soldier’ at Wells Cathedral, Britten Serenade at Kings Place, London and in the Duke’s Hall with Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra. Further performed repertoire includes Messa di Gloria (Puccini), Jephtha (Handel), Nocturne (Britten), Elijah (Mendelssohn) and Creation (Haydn). He made his debut in the BBC Proms festival in 2017 and his debut with the Munich Philharmonic in the 2018/19 season performing the Mozart Requiem as well as at the Mozartiana Festival, Gdansk. Recent and future engagements include Mahler 8 at the Cheltenham Festival, Pärt with Voces 8 at the Cité de Musique, Paris, Messiah with the Hallé Orchestra, Ulster Consort and Odense Symphoniker, Dies Natalis with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Verdi Requiem with the Royal Choral Society and in Canterbury Cathedral, Britten Serenade at Cadogan Hall and the Dream of Gerontius at Smith Square, London.
Thomas has an extensive recital repertoire, including performances of works by Schumann (Dichterliebe), Strauss, Britten (Winter Words), Tippett (Heart’s Assurance) and Liszt (Petrarch Sonnets). Appearances include a Christmas Lieder programme at the Oxford Lieder Festival, Verdi and Wagner songs with Song in the City, at the Austrian Cultural Forum with the Royal Academy Song circle and a solo recital as part of the Masters series at the Gresham Centre. He has released recital recordings of Bellini and Donizetti songs and his most recent recording, La Vase Brisé, has received critical acclaim.
Whilst at the Royal Academy, Thomas was a Leverhulme foundation award holder. Further scholarships and awards included a Kathleen Trust award, the Sally Ferrey Scholarship, the Drapers company scholarship and support from a number of generous private supporters, for which Thomas is very grateful.
Thomas lives in London and enjoys films, most sports and following the mixed fortunes of West Ham United.
