Hailed as “a gifted tenor” (China Daily), Lucas van Lierop is a versatile singer, performing in operas, oratorios, and song recitals. He has performed with many premiere ensembles and artistic organizations, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Concertgebouw Orkest, the Dutch National Opera, Stuttgart JSB Ensemble, Helikon Opera Moscow, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Lucas is a graduate of the prestigious Dutch National Opera Studio in Amsterdam, where he worked under the guidance of Rosemary Joshua. Highlights of roles performed while in the studio include Joe Cannon in John Adams’ Girls of the Golden West, directed by Peter Sellars; and Heinrich der Schreiber in Christof Loy’s production of Wagner’s Tannhäuser, conducted by Marc Albrecht.  

This season Lucas will perform Vierter Richter in the Reisopera’s new production of Das Wunder der Heliane, Monostatos in the Dutch National Opera’s revival of Die Zauberflöte, and will make his German debut as Ein Junger Diener in Elektra, at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Last season he performed Der Schneider in the Dutch National Opera’s new production of Königskinder, was critically acclaimed for his role as Pong in a new production of Turandot, and also performed Ein Wirt in the Dutch National Opera’s revival of Der Rosenkavalier. He finished his season performing Dein ist mein ganzes Herz at the annual Young Patron’s Gala. Previous seasons at the DNO have seen him performing Spoletta in Tosca, Don Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro, and creating the role of Man Ray in Willem Jeths’ Ritratto.

In early 2022 he debuted Orphée, as part of the Opera Forward Festival’s world premiere of 
O | A | E, receiving universal critical acclaim. A mixed-media opera in which he was the sole singer, Lucas also played guitar and performed with recorded electronics.

Concert appearances include The Prince in Abrahamsen’s The Snow Queen, conducted by Kent Nagano; Ein Jüngling in Schreker’s Die Gezeichneten, conducted by Markus Stenz; Handel’s Messiah with the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest; Olindo in Het pand der goden with the Concertgebouw Orkest, as well as Durante’s Magnificat and Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore with the Groot Omroepkoor and the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest. Other concert appearances include Bach Cantata 149 with Helmuth Rilling and the Stuttgart JSB Ensemble, Handel’s Messiah with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Yale Symphony Orchestra. Solo concert performances have included Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin at SongFest’s Hidden Valley Winter Festival, Mu Renzhi from the Chinese Opera White-Haired Girl at the Chinese National Centre for the Performing Arts, and Moon from an excerpt of the Chinese Opera Poet Li Bai, at Lincoln Centre.

Born in Hilversum, the Netherlands, Lucas began singing as a boy soprano with the Vancouver Bach Children’s Choir. He completed his Masters in Vocal Performance at McGill University, in Canada, studying under the guidance of Sanford Sylvan. In 2017 he completed his Masters of Musical Arts at Yale University, where he studied under the guidance of professors Richard Cross. Lucas’ studies at Yale University were graciously sponsored by the Stephen and Denise Adams Scholarship Fund.