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​​Isaac Tolley is a Scottish bass-baritone who is rapidly gaining recognition as an exciting emerging talent in the operatic world, celebrated for his vocal presence and dynamic character portrayals. Currently, he is engaged at the Augsburg State Theater, where he is earning acclaim for his ability to bring new operatic characters to life.

 

This season at Augsburg, Tolley reprises his role as Bergmann in *Labyrinth*, a bold creation by Hauke Berheide and Amy Stebbins that fuses virtual reality with immersive stage design. He will also create the triple role of Ben–Stan–James in *The Last Night of the World*, Augustí Charles’ opera based on Ray Bradbury’s short story, and perform the role of Samuel in *Un Ballo in Maschera*. Additionally, he will sing the role of Doktor Ludwig Schön in Berg's Lulu at the Wilhelma Theater in Stuttgart.

 

Isaac trained at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and the Royal Academy of Music in London, supported by scholarships from the Scottish International Education Trust, the Kathleen Trust, the Mario Lanza Educational Foundation, the Caird Trust, and the Stiftung August Everding.

 

His notable past roles include the King of Scotland in Handel’s *Ariodante* and Martino in Rossini’s *L’occasione fa il Ladro*, both performed at the Prinzregententheater in Munich with the Munich Radio Orchestra. 

 

As a recitalist, Isaac has developed a deep connection with art song, having studied with Christian Gerhaher in Munich. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was selected to perform live-streamed recitals from the Royal Academy of Music in London, featuring Schubert’s *Schwanengesang*, Poulenc’s *Chansons Gaillardes*, and Strauss’ *Notturno*. Most recently, in January 2024, he performed Schubert’s *Winterreise* under the mentorship of Gerold Huber. He also regularly appears as a soloist in choral and orchestral concerts, including recent performances of Fauré’s *Requiem* with the Münchner Konzertchor.

 

Isaac was a Dunedin Consort Young Artist for the 2023–24 season and was awarded a Bayreuth Scholarship at the 2022 Richard Wagner Competition in Leipzig.

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