BIOGRAPHY
Sean Panikkar continues “to position himself as one of the stars of his generation…
His voice is unassailable—firm, sturdy and clear, and he employs it with maximum
dramatic versatility” [Opera News]. The tenor is lauded by the public and press
alike for his impressive vocal agility, impeccable musicianship, and a keen dramatic
sense throughout a broad range of principal roles on leading international operatic
stages.
Highlights of the 2023-24 season include a debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent
Garden in a new production of Das Rheingold directed by Barrie Kosky and led by
Music Director Sir Antonio Pappano, a new production of Die Fledermaus directed
by Barrie Kosky at the Bayerische Staatsoper under the baton of Music Director
Vladimir Jurowski, a new production by Peter Sellars of The Gambler at the
Salzburger Festspiele, a new production of Œdipus Rex staged by Wayne McGregor
at Dutch National Opera, and a revival at the Metropolitan Opera of Pulitzer
Prize–winning composer Kevin Puts’ hit new opera, The Hours.
Last season, Sean Panikkar bowed in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of The Hours
in a new production by Phelim McDermott led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, made his
Bayerische Staatsoper debut as Laertes in Brett Dean’s Hamlet in the company’s
new production by Neil Armfield conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, and joined the
Komische Oper Berlin for a new production by Marco Štorman of Luigi Nono’s
Intolleranza 1960 conducted by Gabriel Feltz. Additionally, he returned to both the
Wiener Staatsoper for a revival of the Simon Stone production of Wozzeck led by
Philippe Jordan and to English National Opera for a revival of Calixto Bieito’s
production of Carmen conducted by Kerem Hasan. Symphonic performances
included Stravinsky’s Œdipus Rex with Juraj Valčuha leading the Houston Symphony
and Bruckner’s Te Deum with both Xian Zhang and the New Jersey Symphony as
well as with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Highly prized as an interpreter of contemporary music on leading international
stages, the American tenor of Sri Lankan heritage achieved a break-out success in
his 2018 Salzburger Festspiele debut as Dionysus in a new production of Henze’s
The Bassarids directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski under the baton of Kent Nagano.
He was no less critically acclaimed for the role of Gandhi in Philip Glass’ Satyagraha
directed by Phelim McDermott at Los Angeles Opera and English National Opera.
Sean Panikkar created the role of Adam in the world premiere of Giorgio Battistelli’s
CO2 for a debut at Teatro alla Scala conducted by Cornelius Meister and directed by
Robert Carsen, bowed at the Komische Oper Berlin in a new production of Henze’s
The Bassarids directed by Barrie Kosky under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski, and
returned to the Salzburger Festspiele for a new production by Jan Lauwers of
Intolleranza 1960 conducted by Ingo Metzmacher.
Additional highlights include the title role of Œdipus Rex at the San Francisco
Symphony in a production by Peter Sellars conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen; the
title role of Jack Perla’s Shalimar the Clown for a world premiere at Opera Theatre of
Saint Louis; and the role creations of Wendell Smith in Daniel Sonenberg’s The
Summer King in a co-production of Pittsburgh Opera and Michigan Opera Theatre
and Agent Henry Rathbone in a co-production of David T. Little’s JFK at Fort Worth
Opera and Opéra de Montréal.
He has bowed at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in Weill’s Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt
Mahagonny directed by Ivo van Hove and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen and
additionally appeared in Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick at Pittsburgh Opera, Kevin Puts’
Silent Night at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, in a new production of Menotti’s
rarely produced The Last Savage at the Santa Fe Opera, and, in what has become one
of his signature roles, Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, for Lyric Opera of Kansas City,
Fort Worth Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Opera Colorado.
Symphonic performances include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Juraj Valčuha
and the Minnesota Orchestra and with Christopher Warren-Green and the Charlotte
Symphony Orchestra, Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint
Louis Symphony, The Tristan Project with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Michael Christie and the Phoenix
Symphony, and Handel’s Messiah with Ragnar Bohlin and the San Francisco Symphony.
Sean Panikkar is a member of Forte, the operatic tenor group combining voices from
different cultures into one incredible sound. The trio was created and debuted on
America’s Got Talent having never met until only days before their first audition.
During the 2013 season of the popular variety show, Forte was seen and heard by
tens of millions of television viewers in national broadcasts on NBC. Their self-titled
debut recording on Columbia Records was released in November 2013 and a follow-
up recording, The Future Classics, was released in 2015.
An alumnus of San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellowship, Sean Panikkar holds his
Bachelor and Master degrees in Voice Performance from the University of Michigan.
His voice is unassailable—firm, sturdy and clear, and he employs it with maximum
dramatic versatility” [Opera News]. The tenor is lauded by the public and press
alike for his impressive vocal agility, impeccable musicianship, and a keen dramatic
sense throughout a broad range of principal roles on leading international operatic
stages.
Highlights of the 2023-24 season include a debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent
Garden in a new production of Das Rheingold directed by Barrie Kosky and led by
Music Director Sir Antonio Pappano, a new production of Die Fledermaus directed
by Barrie Kosky at the Bayerische Staatsoper under the baton of Music Director
Vladimir Jurowski, a new production by Peter Sellars of The Gambler at the
Salzburger Festspiele, a new production of Œdipus Rex staged by Wayne McGregor
at Dutch National Opera, and a revival at the Metropolitan Opera of Pulitzer
Prize–winning composer Kevin Puts’ hit new opera, The Hours.
Last season, Sean Panikkar bowed in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of The Hours
in a new production by Phelim McDermott led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, made his
Bayerische Staatsoper debut as Laertes in Brett Dean’s Hamlet in the company’s
new production by Neil Armfield conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, and joined the
Komische Oper Berlin for a new production by Marco Štorman of Luigi Nono’s
Intolleranza 1960 conducted by Gabriel Feltz. Additionally, he returned to both the
Wiener Staatsoper for a revival of the Simon Stone production of Wozzeck led by
Philippe Jordan and to English National Opera for a revival of Calixto Bieito’s
production of Carmen conducted by Kerem Hasan. Symphonic performances
included Stravinsky’s Œdipus Rex with Juraj Valčuha leading the Houston Symphony
and Bruckner’s Te Deum with both Xian Zhang and the New Jersey Symphony as
well as with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Highly prized as an interpreter of contemporary music on leading international
stages, the American tenor of Sri Lankan heritage achieved a break-out success in
his 2018 Salzburger Festspiele debut as Dionysus in a new production of Henze’s
The Bassarids directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski under the baton of Kent Nagano.
He was no less critically acclaimed for the role of Gandhi in Philip Glass’ Satyagraha
directed by Phelim McDermott at Los Angeles Opera and English National Opera.
Sean Panikkar created the role of Adam in the world premiere of Giorgio Battistelli’s
CO2 for a debut at Teatro alla Scala conducted by Cornelius Meister and directed by
Robert Carsen, bowed at the Komische Oper Berlin in a new production of Henze’s
The Bassarids directed by Barrie Kosky under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski, and
returned to the Salzburger Festspiele for a new production by Jan Lauwers of
Intolleranza 1960 conducted by Ingo Metzmacher.
Additional highlights include the title role of Œdipus Rex at the San Francisco
Symphony in a production by Peter Sellars conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen; the
title role of Jack Perla’s Shalimar the Clown for a world premiere at Opera Theatre of
Saint Louis; and the role creations of Wendell Smith in Daniel Sonenberg’s The
Summer King in a co-production of Pittsburgh Opera and Michigan Opera Theatre
and Agent Henry Rathbone in a co-production of David T. Little’s JFK at Fort Worth
Opera and Opéra de Montréal.
He has bowed at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in Weill’s Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt
Mahagonny directed by Ivo van Hove and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen and
additionally appeared in Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick at Pittsburgh Opera, Kevin Puts’
Silent Night at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, in a new production of Menotti’s
rarely produced The Last Savage at the Santa Fe Opera, and, in what has become one
of his signature roles, Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, for Lyric Opera of Kansas City,
Fort Worth Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Opera Colorado.
Symphonic performances include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Juraj Valčuha
and the Minnesota Orchestra and with Christopher Warren-Green and the Charlotte
Symphony Orchestra, Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint
Louis Symphony, The Tristan Project with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Michael Christie and the Phoenix
Symphony, and Handel’s Messiah with Ragnar Bohlin and the San Francisco Symphony.
Sean Panikkar is a member of Forte, the operatic tenor group combining voices from
different cultures into one incredible sound. The trio was created and debuted on
America’s Got Talent having never met until only days before their first audition.
During the 2013 season of the popular variety show, Forte was seen and heard by
tens of millions of television viewers in national broadcasts on NBC. Their self-titled
debut recording on Columbia Records was released in November 2013 and a follow-
up recording, The Future Classics, was released in 2015.
An alumnus of San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellowship, Sean Panikkar holds his
Bachelor and Master degrees in Voice Performance from the University of Michigan.