Bass-baritone Simon Duus graduated from The Opera Academy at The Royal Danish Theatre as a student of Susanna Eken in 2011 and graduated in 2015 from the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma programme at The Royal Academy of Music (Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium) Aarhus as a student of Bodil Øland. Since then, he has studied with Rachel Andrist, Gregory Lamar and Niel Semer.
He is a member of the soloist ensemble at The Royal Danish Opera, and in season 2024/25 he sings Ortel in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Zeta in Die Lustige Witve.
Simon Duus is constantly performing at the Opera Hedeland, were he had performed Sonora in La fanciulla del West (2024), Apollo in Apollo e Dafne (production for schools, 2018), Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte (2015) and Leporello in Don Giovanni (2012).
Other roles at The Royal Opera from earlier seasons include Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Schaunard in La bohème, Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Escamillo in Carmen and Julio in The Exterminating Angel.
At The Danish National Opera he has sung Colline in La bohème (2014) and at Nordic Network for Early Opera he sang Seneca in L’incoronazione di Poppea, a performance that was later awarded with the Reumert Talent Prize.
In orchestral works Simon Duus is known for his renditions of Messiah, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Mozart’s Requiem, Songs of Travel by Vaughan Williams, Vier ernste Gesänge by Brahms, Verdi’s Requiem and Beethoven’s 9th. Recordings include Nielsen’s Maskarade (2015), Peter Heise Song Edition (2021), Heise’s King and Marshall (2021) and Tuan Hao Tan’s Hidden Letters for Figura Ensemle (2024).
Mysteries of Desire, 2021
The baritone Simon Duus (Mr. D’s assistant) demonstrated a natural talent as screen actor and his vocal effort was excellent
- Information
https://www.information.dk/kultur/anmeldelse/2021/08/excentrisk-aften-operaen-wagner-puccini-queen-conchita-wurst
… Mr. D’s personal assistant and secret lover in the form of the ever sympathetically well-singing Simon Duus … Another (highlight is) when Simon Duus turns the evergreen genius Cole Porter’s “My Heart belongs to Daddy” into a desperate gay song.
- Berlingske Tidende
https://www.berlingske.dk/scene/patriarkatet-faar-fingeren-paa-det-kgl-teater
The show works best when it sticks to the purely classical or the purely rythmical, e. g. when Simon Duus sang, in the role of the lover of Mr. D., an elegant “My Heart belongs to Daddy” by Cole Porter
- Aarskriftet Critique
http://aarsskriftet-critique.dk/2021/09/opera-begaerets-mysterier/
Antikrist, Rued Langgaard Festival, 2020
Simon Duus (bass-baritone) triumphed in Langgaard's "Antikrist" at Rued Langgaard Festival 2020 in Ribe, (Southern Jutland, Denmark) with maestro Michael Schønwandt and Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester. With majestic and inciting singers as Simon Duus (Lucifer), Mystery Mood's Echo (Trine Bastrup Møller) (...) we are led to the moment where God leaves his own death-like state and exterminates Antichrist.
– Weekendavisen
"Antikrist" demands a lot of soloists and the festival board had made sure to get a string of the most sublime
– Kristeligt Dagblad
The bass-baritone Simon Duus initiated as a thundering, red-eyed Lucifer (...) The soloists in Ribe delivered with full presence and vocal power and that transformed Langgaard's rigid universe into a great fist of raw emotion, massively heavy symbols and faith straight in the faces of the audience.
– Politiken
Don Giovanni, Immling Festival, 2019
Zerlina’s “betrayed” yet combative bridegroom Masetto (Simon Duus) scores with his fabulous voice and great talent for acting.
– Passauer Neue Presse, Kirsten Benekam
J.S. Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium, Musikkens Hus Aalborg, 2018
The bass Simon Duus had a stentorian voice and his phrases were chiseled in granite.
– Nordjyske, Tore Mortensen
Le nozze di Figaro, Royal Danish Opera, 2018
The singing was always honorable and frequently much more than that. Simon Duus was a wonderfully vivid Figaro. He successfully mapped his character’s emotional journey from love to jealousy, as well as his ingenuity in running rings around the Conte. Indeed, I’ve never heard ‘aprite un po’ quegl’occhi’ sung with such violent jealousy before. His rustic yet handsome baritone was always sung off the text and he was a highly engaging stage presence.
– operatraveller
operatraveller.com
The Exterminating Angel, Royal Danish Opera, 2018
The best thing about the Opera’s production is nonetheless the singers themselves (…) with younger rising stars like the countertenor Morten Grove Frandsen with the ever so musical Simon Duus by his side.
– Berlingske Tidende, Søren Schauser
Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Royal Danish Opera, 2018
In his roledebut as Rosina’s music teacher Don Basilio is the bass Simon Duus with the impressing physical height the silent movie star of the show. He is simply put both well-singing and a lot of fun to watch.
– Politiken, Thomas Michelsen
Die Zauberflöte, Royal Danish Opera, 2017
The entire cast was spectacular (…) Simon Duus as Papageno was absolutely hilarious and brought the show to a new level.
– cphpost, Emma Barnett
cphpost.dk
Babylon, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, 2017
Bass-baritone Simon Duus was a luxury Scribe.
– backtrack, Jenny Camilleri
bachtrack.com
Maskarade (chamber version), Royal Danish Opera, 2016
The comedic role as the valet Henrik was acted and sung tremendously well by Simon Duus.
– Viborg Stifts Folkeblad, Torben Mikkelsen
Maskarade, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, 2015
Taking on double roles, both Jakob Zethner (Watchman/Corporal Mors) and Simon Duus (Mask Seller/Tutor) sang with beautiful, rolling tone.
– backtrack, Jenny Camilleri
bachtrack.com
Maskarade (chamber version), Royal Danish Opera, 2015
Simon Duus is excellent as the charming provocateur Henrik.
– magasinetkbh, Bettina Nielsen
magasinetkbh.dk
Simon Duus delivers a satisfying performance as Henrik.
– Kristeligt Dagblad, Peter Dürrfeld
Così fan tutte, Opera Hedeland, 2015
In an opera like this one, which is above all an ensemble opera, one shouldn’t highlight one person above another when the singers both individually and as a whole did such a great job, but you have to acknowledge that the bass-baritone Simon Duus was born to play this slimy, shabby campsite daddy with an open dressing gown, hairy chest, and colorful fanny pack. Besides being entertaining, he succeeded in witholding enough authority to display his ingenious game.
– Information, Per Rask Madsen
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