Praised for his “charisma and vocal elegance” by Das Opernmagazin, multi-award winning New Zealand baritone Julien Van Mellaerts is highly sought after as both a recitalist and on the operatic stage.
A graduate of the Royal College of Music International Opera School, and recipient of the coveted Tagore Gold Medal, he won first prize in both the prestigious Wigmore Hall International Song Competition and the Kathleen Ferrier Awards. In 2024 he was awarded the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation Laureate, recognising his enterprise and success both on and off the stage.
Julien has had great success in recent role and house debuts at the Verbier Festival, Salzburg Mozartwoche, Opéra National de Lorraine, Opera Holland Park and New Zealand Opera. Further recent debuts include Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera with Wellington Opera; Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro at the Palermo Classica International Festival; Petrucci in Lucrezia Borgia at Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville; Baritone soloist in Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall in London and a recital of Schubert at Salle Bourgie in Montreal. This summer marks the sixth season of Opera in Song at Opera Holland Park, a series of operatically themed recitals, co-directed with Dylan Perez.