Austrian-Australian tenor Gerard Schneider is stepping into the role of Don José in State Opera South Australia’s new production of Bizet’s Carmen at Her Majesty’s Theatre this month. Equally at home in German, French and Slavic repertoire, Schneider speaks to us about the unexpected path that led him from musical theatre and marketing into opera, his affinity for Dvořák, and how his own experience of otherness informs his portrayal of the Basque Don José. He sees the character not as a “simpleton soldier”, but as a profoundly human man undone by poor self-control, a need for approval and a series of wrong decisions. Read on for the full interview with Gerard Schneider.
You’re an Austrian-Australian tenor with a wide-ranging career. When did you start singing? What influenced your decision to move into opera? Any musical family?
Though they weren’t musicians themselves, I came from a very supportive family of music lovers. Singing was always a part of my life growing up, but not really in a major way.
I then went to a specialist high school for musical theatre in Perth, John Curtin, and had major success in musical theatre in the years after I finished school. But in the end, I decided it wasn’t for me. I wanted to do other things with my life. I didn’t feel compelled by musical theatre in the way I later came to be compelled by opera.
When did you decide to make singing, and in particular opera, your career?
I moved into account management and marketing and ended up getting a job at State Opera in 2010 to do some marketing and design work. I was roped into singing as part of Moby Dick because they needed climbers to climb the rigging. I was asked if I could sing a small solo — “A whale, it’s a white whale!”
I really caught the bug singing opera and thought perhaps it was something I’d like to try and do. I was encouraged by my voice teacher, Jon Weaving. I subsequently won the Guildhall Prize at the Australian Singing Competition, which led me to Guildhall School, the National Opera Studio, Mozarteum, Juilliard, and the Salzburg Festival Young Artist Program.
I’m now a member of the Soloist Ensemble at Oper Frankfurt, where I’ve been for the past eight years. I’ve learned so much there and had so many amazing opportunities alongside developing my worldwide career.
I’m now a member of the Soloist Ensemble at Oper Frankfurt, where I’ve been for the past eight years. I’ve learned so much there and had so many amazing opportunities alongside developing my worldwide career.
Your bio highlights an “affinity for Dvorak.” Which of his works first unlocked that connection for you, and what is it about his writing for the tenor voice that feels like home?
I began work on my first Prince in Rusalka nearly ten years ago, and I felt a connection to the music and language that I hadn’t really experienced since encountering operetta and French grand opera.
What attracted me to the Prince is that, as well as having some of the most amazing music you can imagine — some of the most lyrical and beautiful lines, mixed with some really beautiful and soul-wrenching dramatic passages — you also have a man who is very conflicted. You have moments of great romance, but you also have moments of great suffering.
What attracted me to the Prince is that, as well as having some of the most amazing music you can imagine — some of the most lyrical and beautiful lines, mixed with some really beautiful and soul-wrenching dramatic passages — you also have a man who is very conflicted. You have moments of great romance, but you also have moments of great suffering.
And of course it ends with what I feel is the best death scene for a male role, perhaps after Rodrigo in Don Carlo. I genuinely felt moved by Rusalka and have gone on to sing the role of the Prince more than 80 times. I’ve also had the chance to sing many of Dvorak’s other works. Maybe companies recognise how much I love his music.
You’re described as equally at home in German, French and Slavic repertoire. Do you approach those traditions with different vocal colours, languages and acting styles, or do you look for a core “Schneider sound” that transcends nationality?
Different languages and styles also call for different articulation, and composers from each tradition demand certain qualities from voices.
When I was younger I really vied for authenticity in language and style — perhaps to my detriment. Authenticity and clarity are both traits I still believe in, but forging one’s individual voice is very important in my opinion. The “Schneider Core,” as you call it. [laughs]
You’ve established yourself as a “leading interpreter” of three major repertoires. Was that a deliberate career strategy, or did it evolve from the roles you were offered, and how do you keep the stylistic boundaries clear in your own technique?
In the end, the career strategy question was partially my choice and my direction, which I made along the way with my allies — my management, my coaches and teachers — but also as a result of market forces and where the industry sees me. Those two things together helped me find the right pathway.
It just so happens that I have quite a wide range of capacity, but I did very quickly find what I enjoy the most, and that is predominantly the French repertoire, the German repertoire and the Slavic repertoire. I enjoy Italian and sing Italian gladly, but I find it’s a bit more of an uphill battle to find the style and the linguistic elements.
So as I’ve gotten older, I’ve streamlined my career and found what suits me best and what sells me best as well, because that’s a very important element of this industry. You can’t always choose what you want to sing. Sometimes the industry chooses for you.
So as I’ve gotten older, I’ve streamlined my career and found what suits me best and what sells me best as well, because that’s a very important element of this industry. You can’t always choose what you want to sing. Sometimes the industry chooses for you.
You’re singing Don José in State Opera South Australia’s performances of Bizet’s Carmen in October. Tell us about the character, who is described as a “simpleton soldier” in the press release.
I would not describe Don José at all as a simpleton soldier. I guess I have to speak to the marketing department about that. [laughs]
In the end, I find Don José is a very human character. He’s a person who perhaps doesn’t have the best self-control, and perhaps has a flawed relationship with his family and his own history. He obviously has anger issues. Had he lived his life differently, perhaps studied some Marcus Aurelius or Epictetus and had some therapy, he could have been a completely normal human being.
He obviously has anger issues. Had he lived his life differently, perhaps studied some Marcus Aurelius or Epictetus and had some therapy, he could have been a completely normal human being.
But by coming into Carmen’s sphere, he fell into a trajectory, in which his own worst traits were able to come to the fore. And these elements are what unfortunately led to the downfall of both him and Carmen.
Don José is often described as a “good man gone wrong.” How do you locate the humanity in him without excusing his actions, and where do you draw the line between sympathy and accountability?
I think that the way you find this kind of “good man gone wrong” characteristic is by recognising that Don José begins the story wanting to be an honourable and good man, wanting to be a good son, wanting to perhaps be a good husband one day to Micaëla or another woman, wanting to do his duty. For one reason or another, unfortunately, he falls off that path and is unable to reclaim himself.
He is very led by Carmen. He really does want her approval, and he’s willing to do anything to seek it. This kind of pleasing or approval-seeking behaviour doesn’t really work for anyone, unfortunately, let alone Don José.
By the end of the opera, he’s lost everything. He’s lost his honour, he’s lost his family, and he’s eventually losing Carmen. And I think that at the bottom, he feels like he doesn’t have any reproach beyond possessing Carmen. When they have a scuffle that results in him losing his temper, without even realising what he is doing, he murders her and comes to instantly regret it. I’m unsure as to what happens to Don José in the sequel, but I can’t imagine it’s good.
When they have a scuffle that results in him losing his temper, without even realising what he is doing, he murders her and comes to instantly regret it. I’m unsure as to what happens to Don José in the sequel, but I can’t imagine it’s good.
You’re Austrian-Australian, which is a specific cultural identity. How has moving between European and Australian opera scenes shaped your musical instincts, and do you feel you bring a different perspective to Don José because of that dual background?
Being Austrian-Australian, I feel, is a bit of a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because I have linguistic advantages. Obviously I speak good German. My family history is also French, so my French is not entirely terrible. But one of the negatives that comes with those advantages is that there’s a part of me that never feels at home, no matter where I am.
But one of the negatives that comes with those advantages is that there’s a part of me that never feels at home, no matter where I am.
When I’m in Australia, I feel somewhat other. When I’m in Europe, I definitely feel other. I’ve been able to take that with me, and in some ways it is a badge of pride, because I’m very proud of my Australian heritage, and I’m very proud of being Austrian.
An element I could bring in is that, obviously, being from Navarre, José is Basque, and he is a kind of Spanish-French hybrid. In the same way, being Austrian, especially from the Swiss border, I am a kind of German hybrid, because we don’t speak strict German. In the same way, in Australia we don’t speak strict English. We’re all these kind of patois speakers of the primary languages. And I think that’s something that I can bring to José as well — this kind of otherness.
An element I could bring in is that, obviously, being from Navarre, José is Basque, and he is a kind of Spanish-French hybrid. In the same way, being Austrian, especially from the Swiss border, I am a kind of German hybrid
Don José sits squarely in the French canon, yet your career leans heavily into German and Slavic roles. What drew you back to French opera now, and does singing Dvorak or Wagner change how you tackle Bizet’s phrasing and drama?
Though my career does lean heavily into Slavic and German, that’s also because of my place in my theatre in Frankfurt. That is what I am readily used for, as well as the French repertoire.
French is actually where I’ve had many of my major successes, whether it be in La Juive or in the title role of Werther. Since I’ve been able to forge a very strong artistic identity in French repertoire, Don José is the next logical step. And I’m at the point in my career and in my development as a singer where I can approach this challenging role, hopefully with some control and some ability, and still give a convincing portrayal.
French is actually where I’ve had many of my major successes, whether it be in La Juive or in the title role of Werther. Since I’ve been able to forge a very strong artistic identity in French repertoire, Don José is the next logical step.
This production is directed by Laura Hansford and set in its original 1825 Seville. Have you worked with Laura before? What aspects of her vision or the historical setting have most influenced your physicality, accent or emotional world as José?
Firstly, I will get it out of the way by saying that Laura is a wonderful director. She has a kind of collaborative attitude that makes wanting to work for her and wanting to achieve things for her very easy. The fact that I can bring a lot of my own experience and my own identity to the part isn’t always possible in every production of opera, and it isn’t always possible with every director, so I’m very thankful.
In 1825 Seville, the average person was always surrounded by others. You lived in close quarters and lived out your daily life in close quarters, and there was often the feeling that you would never have a moment of peace or privacy. This was simply part of the lifestyle of living in one of Europe’s biggest cities in that era. Laura has really done a great job of capturing that — the idea that there’s always a pair of eyes upon you, that you’re never truly alone and you need to moderate yourself as a result.
Laura has really done a great job of capturing that — the idea that there’s always a pair of eyes upon you, that you’re never truly alone and you need to moderate yourself as a result.
What I also find very interesting about her concept is this world that looks beautiful and colourful, inhabited by drab, realistic, very human people. There’s a striking contrast between the visual beauty of the world and the reality of the people living within it. We’ve also done our best to ignore some of those old-world moral concepts and some of the preconceptions about Carmen, because we don’t want to romanticise violence against her, or paint her simply as a seductress.
We’ve also done our best to ignore some of those old-world moral concepts and some of the preconceptions about Carmen, because we don’t want to romanticise violence against her, or paint her simply as a seductress.
We did actually have a chance to work together on another opera about otherness and a broken relationship, and that was Rusalka in Opera Australia last year. Laura did amazing work on that production as well, and it’s an honour to work with her once again.
“La fleur que tu m’avais jetée” (The Flower Song) is one of the most exposed moments for a tenor in the repertoire. What are you aiming to communicate emotionally in that aria, beyond vocal beauty, and how does it change José’s trajectory in the scene?
Yes, La fleur is one of the great arias in the tenor repertoire, and I think it’s very easy to fall into the trap of making it too sentimental. We’ve got to keep in mind that this aria is a journey. It comes out of an argument where José is vexed and aggravated because he feels that Carmen doesn’t understand him.
it’s very easy to fall into the trap of making it too sentimental. We’ve got to keep in mind that this aria is a journey. It comes out of an argument where José is vexed and aggravated because he feels that Carmen doesn’t understand him.
In the lead-up to the aria, José says, essentially, “Tu m’entends” — “You will listen to me.” He feels completely misunderstood. It’s striking because they’ve only been back together for a short time, and within those first few minutes they have already had this small argument that creates a separation between them. José wants to reconnect with her, and The Flower Song becomes his attempt to do that.
He then moves from that frustration into speaking about the flower that was his only repose and his only comfort during his month in prison. He then goes on to say that there even came a time when he hated her while he was in prison, but that he came to her this evening to say one thing to her: that he loves her. And in the end, as a result of Carmen wanting freedom, that drives another wedge between them.
I think it’s very easy to fall into the trap of lyricism when you’re telling a story like this. But once you go on that journey, it doesn’t feel as exposed anymore. You feel connected to the text, connected to the concept.
I think it’s very easy to fall into the trap of lyricism when you’re telling a story like this. But once you go on that journey, it doesn’t feel as exposed anymore. You feel connected to the text, connected to the concept.
You’ll be starring opposite South Australian soprano Charlotte Kelso in the title role of Carmen. Have the two of you worked together before?
I haven’t worked with Charlotte before, so this will be my first experience working with her. She’s a wonderful artist with a wealth of experience, talent and skill, and she’s bringing a really wide range of colours to the role.
Having now finished the outline of the final scene, and having done a lot of that important early work, I’m really looking forward to fleshing out the relationship between Carmen and Don José and doing so with her over the course of the rehearsal period and performances.
State Opera South Australia Artistic Director Dane Lam said that Carmen remains one of the most recognisable stories and scores in opera, making it ideal for first-time audiences and seasoned opera-goers alike. What do you think makes it so accessible to newcomers while still rewarding for regular opera attendees?
By coming and seeing Carmen, not only do you get, in my opinion, one of the greatest technical displays of what opera can be, but you also get one of the great emotional displays of what opera can be. When people think of opera, they think of a lady in a helmet à la Wagner, or they think of big romantic arias, or they think of the big choruses. And Carmen really captures all of that.
By coming and seeing Carmen, not only do you get, in my opinion, one of the greatest technical displays of what opera can be, but you also get one of the great emotional displays of what opera can be. When people think of opera, they think of a lady in a helmet à la Wagner, or they think of big romantic arias, or they think of the big choruses. And Carmen really captures all of that.
In the end, you have every major voice type represented, whether it be Don José, Carmen, Micaëla or Escamillo. We’re lucky enough to have a great cast bringing all those characters to life. Audiences will have the chance to hear some of the most famous and well-written music in the repertoire, with some of the most recognisable choruses, beautiful Entr’acte, orchestral passages and arias. It’s a great first-time opera, though perhaps only for mature audiences, as it’s quite dark subject matter.
Audiences will have the chance to hear some of the most famous and well-written music in the repertoire, with some of the most recognisable choruses, beautiful Entr’acte, orchestral passages and arias. It’s a great first-time opera, though perhaps only for mature audiences, as it’s quite dark subject matter.
Australian audiences know Carmen as a “greatest hits” opera, but this production emphasises tragedy over spectacle. What do you hope first-time opera-goers take away about José’s story that they might not expect from the famous music?
I would hope that audiences can take away that Don José isn’t purely this monstrous character, irredeemable, the sole point of darkness and evil in the opera. Don José is a man who, as a result of his lack of control and lack of capacity to understand himself and what he needs, made a series of wrong decisions that led to his downfall and the downfall of those around him.
In the end, we’re all closer to making the mistakes of Don José than we are to achieving greatness as one of the more heroic or high-minded characters. There is a bit of Don José or Don Giovanni, for that matter, in all of us. However, hopefully not too much.
In the end, we’re all closer to making the mistakes of Don José than we are to achieving greatness as one of the more heroic or high-minded characters. There is a bit of Don José or Don Giovanni, for that matter, in all of us. However, hopefully not too much.
You’ve performed many leading tenor roles; what makes Don José distinct in your career so far, and what has this State Opera South Australia Carmen taught you about singing, acting or collaborating that you’ll carry into future roles?
I’ve been lucky enough to sing some of the great repertoire for tenors, and Don José has been a great lesson as I move into this heavier or more dramatic repertoire. I’ve done most of the roles I’d want to sing in the lyric repertoire. You can only sing so many youthful, wide-eyed, warm-hearted characters before you become a little bored. But I still have some more lyric roles in me. I still have Alfredo in La Traviata coming, which is one I never got around to doing.
I’ve done most of the roles I’d want to sing in the lyric repertoire. You can only sing so many youthful, wide-eyed, warm-hearted characters before you become a little bored. But I still have some more lyric roles in me. I still have Alfredo in La Traviata coming, which is one I never got around to doing.
But this season really is the first step with things like Don José, followed by Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos, and eventually the heavier German repertoire. I feel that I’m ready for the challenge of Don José, and I’m very glad that I can share it with Adelaide audiences in my debut.
Finally, why should audiences come to see this production of Carmen, and what kind of experience do you hope they leave Her Majesty’s Theatre with?
Obviously, as well as being one of the best introductions to opera, it also remains one of the great operas. It’s performed all over the world for a reason: it has a very modern psychology, and the issues brought to the fore by this opera still remain relevant today.
It’s also simply a great night. In the end, it’s one of the things we can’t forget: opera must be entertainment. You will definitely have a great night, whether it stirs something in you emotionally, or whether you’re just amazed by the spectacle.
It’s also simply a great night. In the end, it’s one of the things we can’t forget: opera must be entertainment. You will definitely have a great night, whether it stirs something in you emotionally, or whether you’re just amazed by the spectacle.
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We thank Gerard Schneider for this interview
KEY INFO FOR STATE OPERA SOUTH AUSTRALIA CARMEN
WHAT: State Opera South Australia’s Bizet’s Carmen
WHEN: 7:30pm on 17, 20, 22 and 24 October 2026
WHERE: Her Majesty’s Theatre, ADELAIDE
HOW: Purchase your tickets here
HOW MUCH: Ticket prices are as follows:
- Full price tickets range from $79 to $199 + booking fee.
- Concession discounts are also available.
- Under 30s can purchase C Reserve tickets for $35 + booking fee
