Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
I work internationally in the fields of artistic leadership, higher education, performance, casting and cultural policy. Since 2018 I have served as Artistic Leader of the Dutch National Opera Academy (DNOA), the joint Master's programme in opera of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. During this time the Academy has strengthened its national and international profile through a distinctive programme of performance-led education, strategic artistic partnerships and consistently excellent student outcomes. Recent graduates have progressed to leading opera companies and Young Artist Programmes, including the Paris Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Zürich and the Wiener Staatsoper. Alongside my work at the DNOA, I serve as Opera Advisor to Arts Council in Ireland and as Casting Consultant to Stichting Omroep Muziek, where I work with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Groot Omroepkoor on the casting, engagement and contracting of international vocal soloists for concert performances and broadcasts. Alongside these roles, I continue to perform internationally as a tenor. Recent engagements include Opéra national du Rhin, the Opéra Royal de Versailles, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin and the Saarländisches Staatstheater, where I recently made my role debut as Mime in Wagner's Siegfried. I am also regularly invited to serve on the juries of international singing competitions, give masterclasses and provide career consultation for emerging professional singers.
Casting Consultant for the vocal soloists appearing in the AVROTROS Vrijdagconcert subscription series at TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, and the Sunday Morning Concert Series at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. Working closely with internationally renowned conductors and the artistic management of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Groot Omroepkoor, I am responsible for the artistic planning, casting and engagement of international vocal soloists. The role involves identifying and securing artists through the major international agencies, balancing artistic, financial and scheduling considerations, and developing casts that best serve the musical and artistic ambitions of each project.
Providing independent expert advice to Arts Council Ireland on matters relating to opera. The role includes the critical evaluation of artistic work and organisations, the preparation of detailed written assessments, advice on policy and strategic development, and the evaluation of funding applications. It draws on an extensive knowledge of the artistic, aesthetic, public policy and operating environments of opera in Ireland and internationally, together with the ability to provide objective, evidence-based advice.
Appointed Artistic Leader of the Dutch National Opera Academy (DNOA) in December 2018, the joint Master's programme in opera of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. Provide the Academy's artistic, educational and strategic leadership, shaping its vision, programming and long-term development. Responsibilities encompass artistic policy, governance, financial oversight, curriculum development, programming, casting and the appointment of creative teams, together with the development of strategic partnerships with organisations including the Residentie Orkest and the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. Under my leadership the Academy has further strengthened its national and international profile through a distinctive programme of performance-led education, successful accreditation, expanded artistic partnerships and consistently excellent student outcomes, including an overall National Student Survey (NSE) satisfaction score of 4.9/5 (2026). Recent graduates have progressed to leading international opera companies and Young Artist Programmes, including the Paris Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Zürich and the Wiener Staatsoper.
As a performer Paul McNamara’s has appeared in opera houses throughout Germany and Austria performing roles such as Wagner’s Claudio (Das Liebesverbot), Erik, Tannhäuser, Loge, Tristan, Siegfried, Mime and Parsifal. In addition to operas by Berg, Braunfels, Schillings, Schreker, Strauss, Korngold and Zemlinsky, his extensive repertoire also includes work by Cavalli, Monteverdi, Mozart, Weber, Meyerbeer, Leoncavallo, Tchaikowsky, Janáček, Britten, Previn, Penderecki and John Adams. He has been heard at major venues including Venice’s Teatro La Fenice, Teatr Wielki – the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, and with the Salzburg Festival at the Beijing Music Festival. A keen recitalist, concert appearances have taken him to many of the world’s leading venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, the Pierre Boulez Saal Berlin, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and New York’s Carnegie Hall as well as to the Telemann Festival in Hamburg with Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Recent engagements include appearances with the Nederlandse Reisopera, the Berliner Staatsoper, Saarländisches Staatstheater Saarbrücken, the Opéra Royal de Versailles and Opéra national du Rhin, Strasbourg.