Biography

Takaoki Onishi, baritone, is a native of Japan. He was the Inaugural First Prize winner of the IFAC-Juilliard singing Competition. The prize provided him full scholarship to attend The Juilliard School. Upon graduation, he joined the prestigious Ryan Opera Ensemble of lyric Opera of Chicago. He made his debut there as Father Arguedas in the World premiere of BEL CANTO (televised on PBS). He remained with the company for three years, singing many roles.

Each season, Mr. Onishi sings a wide variety of opera, concerts and recitals in the US, Japan and Europe.

He sang the title role in EUGENE ONEGIN at the Seiji Ozawa Festival, conducted by Fabio Luisi, and he made his Vienna debut at the Musikverein, in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. He made his debut with the NHK Symphony in FIDELIO and returned for the New Year’s Eve Gala. He has also sung several times at Carnegie Hall.

During the pandemic, he sang a wide variety of repertoire in Japan, including Argante in RINALDO (Bach Collegium), Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony, the Herald in LOHENGRIN, Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony, Ben in THE TELEPHONE and a tour of Beethoven’s 9th.

Recent repertoire includes Brahms’ A German Requiem (conducted by Sebastian Weigle), Marcello in LA BOHEME, Kothner in DIE MEISTERSINGER, the title role in DON GIOVANNI, Achilla in GIULIO CESARE, and MESSIAH with Bach Collegium Japan.

Mr. Onishi has won Top Prizes in many vocal competitions, including Opera Index, Gerda Lissner, Giulio Gari, and at the Premiere Opera International Competition, he received both First Prize and the special Dmitry Hvorostovsky Prize, in honor of that great singer.