David Hobson (born 18 November 1960) is an Australian operatenor and composer.
Career
Born in Ballarat, Australia, Hobson sang with church and school choirs and local music groups as a child, but he was still vocally untrained when he performed as lead singer and bass guitarist with rock bands while studying at the University of Melbourne. However, despite the lack of a demonstration tape of Macbeth (see below) he was invited to join the Victoria State Opera, understudying the role of Frederic in the VSO's Joseph Papp (Broadway) version of The Pirates of Penzance[1] in 1986. This led to his becoming a member of the company's Young Artists Programme, and making his debut as Rodolfo in a Victorian country tour production of La bohème in 1987. In 1988 he made his debut with The Australian Opera (now Opera Australia) when he created the role of Lawrence in the world premiere of Brian Howard's opera Whitsunday.
He is the composer of Macbeth (a 1985 music theatre piece),[2]Remembering Rosie (2001 chamber opera), The Loch Ard Suite (for the 2002 light/sound installation Shipwrecked[3] at Warrnambool) and the award-winning 2004 orchestral score for the Australian film One Perfect Day, as well as a number of songs including Inside This Room and the title song for One Perfect Day.
Cheryl Barker and Hobson, 2014
In 1990, he reprised the role of Rodolfo, opposite Cheryl Barker as Mimì, in a new production of La bohème for The Australian Opera, directed by Baz Luhrmann; this went on to become one of the company's most successful productions. It was filmed during its 1993 return season and broadcast on ABC TV several times. Released on VHS in 1994, it was to become the first opera available on DVD (1998) and continues to be a best seller worldwide.
Many other roles have included Ernesto in Donizetti's Don Pasquale, Nadir in Bizet's The Pearl Fishers,[4] and a highly acclaimed Orphée in Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice, (the rarely performed 1774 Paris version for tenor).
Hobson is a much sought-after concert artist, frequently appearing in Musica Viva recitals, and oratorios such as Handel's Messiah,[9] and Mendelssohn's Elijah,[10] as well as opera galas, recitals and solo concerts, displaying both his extensive classical and lighter repertoires. Since 1991 he has been a regular performer at the outdoor Christmas concerts in either Sydney (Carols in the Domain)[11] or Melbourne (Carols by Candlelight)[12] and, more recently, has appeared regularly in Christmas at the House at the Sydney Opera House.[13] In February 2008 he made his debut at the Leeuwin Estate Concert Series in Margaret River with Australian sopranoYvonne Kenny,[14] and in March returned to Mildura with another regular partner, Marina Prior, to sing at the Opera by the Lock. Working around his opera, recording and TV commitments, Hobson performed a series of concerts between April and September, appearing in Melbourne and regional Victoria and, marking the release of his CD, A Little Closer, performed in two concerts in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall in November.
Hobson and bass-baritoneTeddy Tahu Rhodes' CD You'll Never Walk Alone was released in February 2009, followed in March by an extensive Australian recital tour.[15] One of the recitals was in Hobart, and a few weeks later Hobson returned for concerts with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in Hobart and Launceston.
Much of the second half of 2009 was occupied with touring for Musica Viva, while December was devoted to another performance of Handel's Messiah with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic at Melbourne Town Hall, a season of Christmas at the House in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, and an appearance at Melbourne's traditional Christmas Eve celebration Carols by Candlelight, at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, televised nationally.
Hobson's 2010 schedule began with a return to Opera in the Alps at Beechworth, with Marina Prior, and continued with a reprise performance in the title role of Candide for the Sydney Festival concert presentation of Opera in the Domain (both in January); another recital with Teddy Tahu Rhodes in Adelaide (March); and the principal role of Eisenstein – which he last performed in 2000 – in the Opera Australia production of the Johann Strauss II operetta Die Fledermaus at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, during May.[16] April saw Hobson's debut as a specialist presenter on the new pay-TV STVDIO arts channel.
Hobson followed the Fledermaus season of traditional operetta with something completely different when he appeared at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in his stagework Am I Really Here? in June 2010[17] and a performance of Zender's contemporary interpretation of Schubert's Winterreise at the Brisbane Powerhouse in July.[18] The CD album Singing for Love, a compilation of work by Hobson and Yvonne Kenny, was released in 2010 before their nationwide concert tour.[19] A busy and varied year concluded with a series of concerts in four states, including three performances in Brisbane for the 25th anniversary season of Spirit of Christmas at QPAC and a regulation appearance at Melbourne's Carols by Candlelight.
Hobson's 2011 schedule included a West Australian Opera concert performance of Die Fledermaus in Perth;[20] a flying visit to New Zealand in March;[21] a third concert appearance with the Victoria Welsh Choir in June;[22] his role debut as Count Danilo in Opera Australia's new production of Lehár's The Merry Widow,[23] followed immediately by another national concert tour with Teddy Tahu Rhodes[24] and performances of Handel's Messiah with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.[25] There was another compilation CD, The Best of David Hobson and more solo concerts in several states.
Hobson was mentor to model and TV host Erika Heynatz when they won the Seven Network reality singing show, It Takes Two in 2006, and returned in the 2007 season to partner celebrity Mimi Macpherson. In late 2007 Hobson appeared in Dancing with the Stars Series 7, with he and his mentor, Karina Schembri, finishing in third place. In 2008 he resumed his more familiar role of mentor to win It Takes Two Series 3, with Julia Morris.[30][31]
In 2000, Hobson became the Inaugural Patron of the Ballarat Arts Foundation, and continues in that capacity.[32]
At the end of March 2008, Musica Viva Australia announced Hobson's appointment as the Musica Viva in Schools Ambassador for a programme to raise an awareness of the importance of music education in Australian schools.[33]
In 2019, Hobson made a guest appearance on The Wiggles, performing a reworked version of Funiculì, Funiculà alongside fellow Australian opera singer (and current Red Wiggle) Simon Pryce.[34]
Private life
Hobson's early life was spent in Ballarat with parents Kathleen and Phil and siblings Anne, Jane, Ruth and Fiona.
He met his wife, ballerina Amber Simpson, when they performed together in 1992 in L'italiana in Algeri. They married in 1997. They have two children; daughter Madi (born 1998) and son Sam (born 2001).[35][36]
Discography
Several of Hobson's operatic performances are available on DVD, and his CD albums include Inside This Room (a collaboration with David Hirschfelder), Cinema Paradiso (film songs), Tenor and Baritone (with Anthony Warlow), The Exquisite Hour (a collection of French art songs) and The Promise (his arrangements of an eclectic selection of songs from musicals, pop, etc., and two of his own compositions), which achieved Gold status within three weeks of release in November 2007. His 2008 album, A Little Closer, covers classic pop songs and features two more of his compositions. His CD Enchanted Way, featuring mainly Celtic folksongs of the British Isles, was released in 2010.
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016.[40]
Year
Nominee / work
Award
Result (wins only)
1993
David Hobson
Operatic Performance of the Year
Won
Other awards and nominations
The Handel Society International Recording Prize Nomination ~ Handel Arias 2003[41]
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