Donald Maxwell was born in Perth, graduated in Geography from Edinburgh University and studied singing with Joseph Hislop. He made his debut with Scottish Opera thirty years ago and has since sung with all the major British Opera companies, at the BBC Proms and abroad at La Scala Milan, Vienna Staatsoper, Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, Théâtre Musical de Paris and Salzburg Easter Festival.

He has a repertoire of over 100 roles ranging from Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus to Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and including Balstrode, Iago, Wozzeck, Flying Dutchman, Rigoletto, Nick Shadow, Golaud, Faninal and Don Alfonso. He is particularly noted for his portrayal of Falstaff, which he has sung at the Edinburgh International Festival and in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Milan and Vienna and has also created several world premiers in works by Holt, Manoury, Harle, Berio and Eotvos.

Donald Maxwell’s recordings include Bottom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Falstaff in Vaughan Williams’ Sir John in Love, Carmina Burana, Kismet, and several Gilbert and Sullivan operas including a video of The Mikado. He has had a long association with the Buxton Festival since its inception, including directing The Beautiful Galathea in 1999, and is now patron of the Friends of Buxton Festival. He is Director of the National Opera Studio and Head of Opera Studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Recent performances include Baron Zeta in the Merry Widow, and Doctor Bartolo in Barber of Seville for WNO, and Krusina in The Bartered Bride for the Royal Opera House and Arms and the Cow for Opera North. Future plans include Fair Maid of Perth, Noye’s Fludde and Pimpinone for the Buxton Festival.