Who is Nicholas Jones?
I’m an Aussie tenor living and working in Paris (the one in France, not Texas). I do modern music, I do old music, I do some weird stuff in between. I’m a big fan of coffee, wine, croissants, throwing frisbees and patting dogs.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
If I woke up tomorrow and couldn’t sing, I’d be opening my own cafe in a heartbeat. Before opera took over my life, I used to work in specialty coffee. The thing I’ve realised since is that making coffee and making music/theatre are kind of similar – they’re essentially about hospitality. A long (often invisible) amount of work culminates in presenting your customer with a ‘product’ and hoping they enjoy it.
Who inspires you and why?
With absolute sincerity, I’m inspired every day by the people I rehearse and perform with – my colleagues and friends. It’s the kind of job where people you already think are excellent will turn up for work 2 hours early to practice because they “weren’t happy with yesterday”. If it weren’t for the fact I’m surrounded with folks like this, I’d never have reached the level I’m at now.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I know people have been saying this for 200 years, but I truly believe that opera has more to offer than ever before. So much of the singing we hear every day has been processed to within an inch of its life. Pop stars lip-syncing at expensive stadium concerts, and influencers on TikTok whose ‘candid’ bedroom performances are autotuned – it’s become commonplace.
In many ways, opera is one of the few live performance art forms that remain unaltered and incredibly vulnerable. But it doesn’t take a fine arts post-grad to see that it has a somewhat “dusty” reputation. I’ve had the privilege of being involved some very weird and wonderful things that have charmed first-timers and upended expectations of what our work can offer.
These are the sort of projects that really switch me on, and whenever I get the chance to do something like a Kurt Weill double-bill at the back of a pub, it reminds me that we can really do something unique and affect people’s lives.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
At the moment, I cherish the opportunities to come back to Australia (though I dread the long flights). The quality of the light in a Sydney summer, the salty smell of the sea breeze, the sounds of the birds in the tree outside your window, the happy conversation with staff at your local pub. Honestly, if I’m away for long enough, I find myself looking up YouTube videos of Australian birdsong and getting a bit emotional! But also, Florence. I absolutely love Florence.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
When friends come to stay in Paris, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre take a back seat to more important priorities – bread, cheese, and wine. The best croissant in Paris is almost certainly at La Maison d’Isabelle, and it’s 1.20€. So we’ll catch the métro down to the 5th arrondissement for a mind bending pastry or two, and grab a baguette to take home (where we can offend the French by covering it in Vegemite).
Right next door to the bakery is an excellent cheese shop called Fromagerie Laurent Dubois, and it’s a must visit. They’ll even vac seal any cheese you’re taking home, which keeps Australian customs officers happy. From there, we’ll walk north up to the Seine and find a spot at L’ÉNquece wine bar, and have Hervé pick us out a glass or two of delicious organic wine.
What are you currently reading?
I’m currently nibbling on Virgil’s Aeneid, which is the basis for the opera I’m currently working on – Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas for Opera Australia. I don’t think Purcell would have pictured our version in 1688, with its death-defying acrobatic feats. But opera was still relatively new back then!
What are you currently listening to?
The Offline podcast.
Happiness is?
Making my wife coffee-in-bed on a Saturday morning on my La Marzocco
What does the future hold for you?
As soon as Dido & Aeneas finishes in Sydney, I’m back to Opéra National de Paris to commence rehearsals for Manon – alongside one of my tenor heroes Roberto Alagna! June will bring the opportunity for a long overdue holiday with my wife, along with a couple of adventures across regional France for a music festival and a friend’s wedding. Then I’ll be back in Australia to work with State Opera of South Australia on a new production (yet to be announced), followed by a concert with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs of a very rarely heard gem – Tippec’s Child of Our Time.
Nicholas stars as Aeneas in Opera Queensland’s production of Dido & Aeneas in association with Circa – which will be presented by Opera Australia in the Joan Sutherland Theatre – Sydney Opera House from 13 – 29 March 2025. For more information, visit: www.opera.org.au for details.
Image: Nicholas Jones (supplied)