Opera Scotland

Tom Hawkes Suggest updates

Born London, 21 June 1938.

Died London, 11 March 2023.

English director.

Tom Hawkes studied in London at the Royal Academy of Music. He was Artistic Director of Phoenix Opera and Director of Productions for Handel Opera, for whom he directed ten productions at Sadler's Wells Theatre. He also directed five operas for ENO at the London Coliseum.

Other engagements in Britain include Welsh National Opera, Opera Holland Park, English Music Theatre and productions in Northern Ireland. For Crystal Clear Opera he directed The Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte, Madam Butterfly and Carmen.

He worked for many years with the English Bach Festival, directing operas by Purcell (Dido and Aeneas); Handel (Alceste, Teseo, Riccardo Primo); Rameau (Castor et Pollux, Platée); Gluck (Orphée et Euridice, Alceste) and Mozart (Mitridate, Idomeneo).

Abroad, he worked at Belgian National Opera and Opera Theatre of St Louis. His productions were also seen elsewhere in the USA and in Eire, Canada, Trinidad, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.