About



Nicholas Lester was born in Australia, was based in London for over two decades and is now based back in Australia.
He has dual Australian/British citizenship.

He studied at the Adelaide Conservatorium of Music and the National Opera Studio in London.

Most of his work is in the classical concert and operatic fields and work has taken him to various international locations.

During his time in London, alongside his singing career, he worked for a music charity in education settings, as a singing teacher and trained people to get their motorcycle licence too.

Last year he returned to Scottish Opera as Baron Douphol and covered Giorgio Germont-a new Verdi role for him. He also performed Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte for State Opera South Australia.

In 2026 Nicholas will be involved in several productions for State Opera South Australia. He sings Dandini in La cenerentola, Narrator in Into the Woods and multiple roles in Carmen.

Please have a look at the rest of the site for more information, and to see or listen to examples of his work.

If you are interesting in doing some work on your singing, Nicholas has a singing studio in Adelaide and would be happy to hear from you.

If you would like a current biography please contact mail@nicholaslester.com

“The strongest of all in terms of stage presence and vocal power are the two principal male protagonists. Nicholas Lester is excellent as the continually scheming Count Almaviva, who never lets his sense of position and elegance slide…”

Brett Allen-Bayes Limelight-arts.com.au

Engagements

"The way he is played by Nicholas Lester and the way those around him reacts to the events, makes it clear that he [Don Giovanni] both has an attractive personality, while clearly showing manipulative and narcissistic tendencies." (Don Giovanni - Kilden Opera, Norway)

Adrian McAllister fvn.no

“And the show’s satirical bite is greatly enhanced by having such characterful singers as Sarah Tynan, Nicholas Lester and Anthony Gregory playing the ghastly individuals who intrude into Beauty’s solitary world.” (Gluttony - Beauty and the Seven Beasts - The Opera Story)

Richard Morrison The Times

Gallery

“Nicholas Lester is an extremely suave Belcore, who asserts his tremendous baritone to great effect." (Belcore - L'elisir d'amore - West Green House Opera)

Sam Smith MusicOMH

“Nicholas Lester is a highly watchable Figaro, always the performer, the fixer par excellence, and he starts strongly in the “Largo al factotum” (Figaro - The Barber of Seville - Welsh National Opera)

Stephen Walsh The Arts Desk

Listen/Look

Soundcloud Player

“Nicholas Lester really inhabits the part of the arrogant Onegin, even his supercilious bearing tells it all. Stage presence is heightened by Lester’s resonant baritone voice, strong and masterly phrased.”

Mark Aspen Mark Aspen

“Nicholas Lester’s lyrical baritone belied the unpleasantness of his Lescaut…” (Lescaut - Manon Lescaut - Grange Festival Opera)

Dominic Lowe Bachtrack

Contact

© 2026 Nicholas Lester Contact Me