Neil Balfour

Neil Balfour is an Indian-Scottish Baritone. He started musical life as a pianist, punk-rocker and conductor, graduating from Leeds College of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music and the National Opera Studio, before falling in love with all-things-voice to tell stories. A former Britten- Pears, Samling, Momentum and Concordia artist, he is the first opera singer to be booked by the Glastonbury Festival in the Astrolabe Tent (“I cannot believe how powerful his voice is. I have never seen opera like he does it” - Haggis McLeod, head-programmer) and the first to beatbox in an opera at Longborough Festival Opera.

Highlights in recent seasons include his American debut as Father Thumbprint for Portland Opera; Prince Yamadori Madama Butterfly and The Shoemaker (world premiere) for Welsh National Opera; Alice Through the Looking Glass (world premiere) for the London Symphony Orchestra; Jean Arp Sophie (world premiere) for Tête à Tête; a recital with Roderick Williams for Thaxted Festival and recitals about Schumann, Sondheim and Parfum for Oxford International Song Festival.

Neil is the first classical artist for sE Electronics and NORD (world-leading microphones & digital pianos), director of ArtSongStory (compelling videos of art-song). He is also in partnership with creative perfumer Christian Provenzano and VivoBarefoot shoes. His work as a voiceover artist has had over 100 million plays.