Shenyang came to swift international attention as the winner of the 2007 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition with numerous impressive debuts to follow. While his early career focused principally on Rossini, Mozart and Handel roles, recent seasons have brought a range of acclaimed debuts in the dramatic bass-baritone repertoire including Don Pizarro (Fidelio) with both Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel and Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under Paavo Järvi and Jochanaan (Salome) with Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Alexander Liebreich.
Garnering considerable acclaim in the Wagnerian repertoire, Shenyang has since debuted as Gunther (Götterdämmerung) with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under Jaap van Zweden (released on Naxos), Klingsor (Parsifal) at La Monnaie under Alain Altinoglu, Kurwenal (Tristan und Isolde) at Glyndebourne Festival and the BBC Proms, conducted by Robin Ticciati, as Heerufer (Lohengrin) at Opéra national de Paris under the baton of Alexander Soddy and as Wotan in Wagner’s Das Rheingold in concert with Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and conductor Sun Yifan.
Highlights of his 2024/2025 season include a return to Metropolitan Opera as Sprecher (Die Zauberflöte) under Evan Rogister in the acclaimed production by Simon McBurney and a house debut at Dutch National Opera as Varlaam in Kirill Serebrennikov’s new production of Boris Godunov with Vasily Petrenko conducting Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. In concert, Shenyang presents a new commission by Yao Chen at the National Centre of the Performing Arts Beijing under Jia Lu, and Aaron Zigman’s Émigré under Yu Long with both Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and China Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Beijing Music Festival as well as a return to Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach.
Recent highlights on concert stage include Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death with Helsinki Philharmonic and Klaus Mäkelä, Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex with Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons, Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette with Berliner Philharmoniker under Daniel Harding and Verdi’s Messa da Requiem with Orchestre national de Lyon conducted by Simone Young and at Bergen International Festival under Ed Gardner. In addition to Mahler’s Symphony No.8 with Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest under Marc Albrecht and Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with both the Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin and New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Alan Gilbert, last season Shenyang sang the world-premiere of Aaron Zigman’s Émigré with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and subsequently New York Philharmonic, both conducted by Yu Long.
A strong champion of the vocal treasures of his homeland, Shenyang created the title role in Tan Dun’s Buddha Passion at Dresdner Musikfestspiele with subsequent performances with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony and London Philharmonic orchestras under the composer’s own baton. He performed and recorded Xiaogang Ye’s orchestral song cycle The Song of the Earth for Deutsche Grammophon (Yu Long). Other recordings feature A Lost World, a showcase of Schubert songs and duets together with soprano Susanna Phillips and pianist Brian Zeger released on Delos. A recipient of the Alice Tully Vocal Arts Award for his commitment to Lieder, last season Shenyang presented his beautifully curated programme Variations of Jade – The Journey of Tang Poetry at the Macau International Music Festival, Shanghai Symphony Hall and Wigmore Hall receiving praise from audiences and press alike, the Guardian writing “Shenyang communicated emotions vividly, the voice velvet and phrasing always elegant, even in the impassioned outbursts.”
