GILES DAVIES/ BASS-BARITONE / ACTOR
"Giles Davies was a fine young (ish) Point, with white facial makeup and a first class voice. Although he was brisk and sprightly, he let his dialogue breathe". 'The Yeomen of the Guard', Kentish Opera. Sullivan Society Newsletter (2023)
"Others who are also excellent in role include Giles Davies as sixteenth-century jester Jack Point. He is able to give genuine poise and depth to this part, especially in his dialogue, and his Act Two scene with Wilfrid Shadbolt (Graham Stone) is one of the highlights of the show, being both witty and poignant". The Yeomen of the Guard, Kentish Opera. London Theatre 1 (2023)
Giles Davies studied at the Purcell School of Music and on a scholarship with Norman Bailey at the RCM, where he won the Lieder Competition.
As a child actor, he appeared at the Royal Opera House as Hans in Massenet's 'Werther' and as Puck in Britten's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', alongside appearances in the LWT TV Series 'Drummonds'.
He was also a prizewinner in the Royal Overseas League, Tillett Trust and English Singers and Speakers Competitions. Since then, his concert and Opera engagements have taken him across the globe, in repertoire from all periods, including a Millenium Cruise in 2000 on the QE2 to Australia, Hong Kong and the far East.
He has recorded for the BBC, Capriol Films, Naxos, Chandos, Divine Art Records, Boo Productions, and on numerous film soundtracks.
These have included Steve Coogan’s ‘The Parole Officer’, ‘Muppet Treasure Island’, Mike Batt’s ‘Watership Down’ and sessions with Hans Zimmer.
For Music Theatre Wales at the Linbury Theatre, Covent Garden, he created the title role of Edgar Drake in The Piano Tuner by Nigel Osborne, for which he received critical acclaim in the National Press. ("Commanding", "Outstanding", "Sympathetic", "Smooth and richly toned").
Roles have included Figaro in Rossini’s ‘Barber of Seville’ (Scottish Opera, European Chamber Opera, English Pocket Opera), Don Bartolo (Scherzo Ensemble), Dr Kolenaty in Janacek’s ‘Makropoulos Case’ (Scottish Opera) Schaunard in Puccini’s La Boheme’ (Holland Park, Castelward, SO), Marcello in ‘La Boheme’ (ECO), Masetto and Leporello (DGOS and ECO), Dandini in Rossini’s ‘La Cenerentola’ (Epoc), Figaro ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ (Holland Park Opera) Guglielmo in ‘Cosi fan Tutte’ (London Opera Players), Don Bartolo (Beechwood Opera), Papageno in ‘Die Zauberflote’ (Epoc / Opera Brava), Sir Richard Cholmondeley in ‘The Yeomen of the Guard’, Strephon in ‘Iolanthe’ and the Major in ‘Patience’ (Carl Rosa Opera), Colonel Calverley in ‘Patience’ (King’s Head with CCO) Lord Chancellor in ‘Iolanthe’ (Buxton / CCO), Dr Falke in ‘Die Fledermaus’ (Chichester Festival Theatre / Carl Rosa Opera), Schlendrian in Bach’s ‘Coffee Cantata’, Saul in Charpentier’s ‘David et Jonathas’, and Seneca in Monteverdi’s ‘L’incorronazione di Poppea’, (Suffolk Villages Festival), Elviro and Ariodates in Handel’s ‘Xerxes’ (NCO, Oxford and OTC, Ireland), ‘Pimpinone’ by Telemann (British Embassy, Paris), Besso in Cavalli’s ‘Giasone’, (Megaron, Athens), and Ferryman in ‘Curlew River’, Ananias in ‘The Burning Fiery Furnace’ and Father in ‘The Prodigal Son’ in Britten’s complete Church Parables (Opera du Rhin, Strasbourg).
He has toured the UK and America as Pish-Tush in The Mikado, (Carl Rosa) and also for Raymond Gubbay at the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, Symphony Hall and the Bridgewater Hall. More recently he has appeared in the roles of the Counsel for the Prosecution and James Smith in ‘Madeleine’ by David Hackbridge Johnson with Surrey Opera. In 2022, he appeared with the company in their sell out production of Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’ at the Minack Theatre, Cornwall, in the role of Leporello. Giles can also be heard on the CD ‘Prayers of the Rosary’, (2020) by Katharine Blake and the Mediaeval Baebes celebrating 25 years of the group.
He has also appeared with New Sussex Opera in their critically acclaimed productions of Offenbach’s ‘The Princess of Trebizonde’ and ‘La Belle Lurette’, and as Phantis in ‘Utopia Limited’ (Buxton Opera House).
2023 engagements have included the role of Sir John in the UK premiere of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ the musical with Surrey Opera, and Jack Point in ‘The Yeomen of the Guard’ with Kentish Opera, winners of the NODA award.
He also appeared as Sir Joseph Porter in ‘HMS Pinafore’ (Grim’s Dyke Opera), and as the Lord Chancellor in ‘Iolanthe’ (Opera Anywhere).
2024 engagements have included the King of Egypt in Verdi’s ‘Aida’ with Kentish Opera, and the revival of ‘Sense and Sensibility the musical with Surrey Opera at the Minack Theatre, Cornwall. He appeared with Kentish Opera again as the learned Judge in Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘Trial by Jury’, and made his debut with Carshalton Opera as the Baron in Viardot Garcia's Salon Operetta ‘Cinderella’. In August, he was featured on Matthew Price's Breakfast show on BBC Radio Jersey. He also performed as soloist in Haydn's 'Nelson Mass' (Thanet Chorus) and returned to Grim's Dyke Opera as the Lord Chancellor in 'Iolanthe'.
2025 engagements have included Frank in Johann Strauss's comic Operetta 'Die Fledermaus' with Kentish Opera, and with Grim's Dyke Opera as Sir Joseph Porter in 'HMS Pinafore'.
In the Spring season, he made his Cadogan Hall debut in the title role of Mendelssohn's Oratorio 'Paulus' with Counterpoint and the London Concert Choir to critical acclaim.
In the Autumn, he returned to Surrey Opera as Dr Malatesta in Donizetti's comedy, 'Don Pasquale', and as Don Alfonso in 'Cosi fan Tutte' with Carshalton Opera. He also returned to Pamoja Hall with Kentish Opera in 'Myths, Magic and Phantoms of the Opera'. Kentish Opera are winners of a NODA award again (2024) in the South East of England, for their production of Verdi's 'Aida'.
2025 engagements have included Frank in Johann Strauss's comic Operetta 'Die Fledermaus' with Kentish Opera, at the Stag Theatre, Sevenoaks, and with Grim's Dyke Opera as Sir Joseph Porter in 'HMS Pinafore'. He returned to Surrey Opera in the Autumn as Dr Malatesta in Donizetti's comedy 'Don Pasquale', and as Don Alfonso in 'Cosi fan Tutte' with Carshalton Opera. He also appeared again at Pamoja Hall with Kentish Opera in 'Myths, Magic and Phantoms of the Opera'.
He made his debut at Cadogan Hall, with Counterpoint and the London Concert Choir, in the title role of Mendelssohn's 'Paulus' in the Spring season, 2025 to critical acclaim.
Kentish Opera are NODA winners again in the South East of England, for their production of Verdi's 'Aida'.
Engagements in 2026 include returning to the role of Pish-Tush in 'The Mikado' at Buxton Opera House. He also returns to Kentish Opera as Pluto in Offenbach's 'Orpheus in the Underworld', at the Stag Theatre, Sevenoaks.
He also returns to Cadogan Hall in June for 'A Night at the Opera' with the London Concert Choir and Mark Forkgen, in scenes from Operas by Handel, Beethoven, Rossini and Tchaikovsky.
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