Named by the Critic’s Circle as Young Talent of the Year (2022-23), Ossian Huskinson is a bass-baritone to watch. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, where he was one of the esteemed Bicentenary Scholars, he studied there for four years with Mark Wildman and Iain Ledingham, before graduating in 2021. His recent performance at the Tenor Viñas Finals 2024 earned him Fifth Prize, as well as the Mozart Prize. He was also one of the final round participants for the Neue-Stimmen competition 2022, and a finalist of the Paris Opera Competition 2023. He now joins the incredible roster of singers at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as one of their Jette Parker Artists.
At the Academy, Ossian was one of the soloists for the Kohn Foundation Bach Cantata series, in addition to being a member of the Academy Song Circle. Ossian made his principal debut with Royal Academy Opera performing the role of King René in the Royal Academy Opera’s Spring 2019 production of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta in a performance which was described as “resonant and richly musical”. Other roles at the Academy include Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Le Philosophe in Massenet’s Chérubin, and Bottom in a socially distanced production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Ossian made a great impression in Garsington Opera’s 2021 Summer Festival as one of their Young Artists, where he sang Zaretsky (in addition to chorus and covering the role of Gremin) in Eugene Onegin, and was awarded the Simon Sandbach award in recognition of his contribution to Garsington Opera’s productions. He returned to Garsington in 2022, performing as Pluto in John Caird’s extraordinary five-star production of Monteverdi’s Orfeo, conducted by Laurence Cummings, which has since been shortlisted by the Royal Philharmonic Society for their Opera and Music Theatre Award. Ossian performed with Garsington again in 2023, as Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos, and also in 2024 as Jupiter in Rameau’s Platée, making his fourth consecutive Summer with them.
A regular performer at English National Opera, he made his debut there in 2021, performing the role of Bob Becket in their brand new production of HMS Pinafore, and Harashta the Poacher in their production of The Cunning Little Vixen. He spent two years there as a Harewood Young Artist, and has sung Sciarrone in Tosca, Angel in Heggie’s It’s a Wonderful Life and Speaker in The Magic Flute as part of their programme.
An international artist, Ossian has made his debut with Deutsche Oper Berlin, guesting in roles such as Ufficiale (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Carceriere (Tosca), and as Pietro in a brand new production of Simon Boccanegra, directed by Vasily Barkhatov and conducted by Jader Bignamini. He has also sung the role of Seneca in Ted Huffman’s iconic production of L’incoronazione di Poppea with Opéra de Toulon
Outside of opera, Ossian is also a well-established performer of oratorio, and has performed in numerous concerts across the UK and Europe, including Bach’s St Matthew Passion with Lincoln Cathedral, Handel’s Messiah with Lincoln Cathedral and Huddersfield Choral Society, Bach’s St John Passion with Jonathan Willcocks at the Leith Hill Music Festival, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with the Chichester Singers, Verdi’s Requiem with Exeter Choral Society and The Royal Philharmonic, and Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 as part of the Beethovenfest in Bonn.
Ossian is pleased to be represented by James Black at James Black Management
He is also extremely grateful to Mascarade Opera for their continued support of his professional development.
