Richard Suart

Richard Suart (born 5 September 1951) is an English opera singer and actor, who has specialised in the comic roles of Gilbert and Sullivan operas and in operetta, as well as in avant-garde modern operas. He is probably best known for his numerous portrayals of Ko-Ko in The Mikado.

Suart has often performed with English National Opera, as well as other opera companies throughout the UK, Europe and North America. He has also recorded extensively and performed on the concert platform.

Suart was born on 5 September 1951 in Blackpool, Lancashire. He was educated at Sedbergh School (1965–69) and later studied at St John's College, Cambridge (1971–74) and the Royal Academy of Music (1974–77).

He is chiefly known as a stage performer, but his concert work has included baritone leads in Benjamin Britten's Saint Nicolas, and Monteverdi's Vespers, and a song recital of works by Ravel, Ibert and Mussorgsky at the Wigmore Hall in 1979 as well as some concert performances of his operatic roles.

In 2004 Suart was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music.

Suart's early operatic roles were with the English Music Theatre Company and the Opera Factory. The Guardian found his Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte in 1980 "memorably characterised". Since then, Suart has divided his stage appearances among operas in the regular repertoire, avant-garde modern operas, and the "patter" roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas.

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