Lithuanian baritone Kostas Smoriginas previously appeared at WNO as Figaro Le Nozze di Figaro (2010) a role he also sang at San Francisco Opera. He has appeared over 70 times as Escamillo Carmen in performances at the Staatsoperememberlin, Salzburg Easter and Summer Festivals, Semperoper Dresden, Opera North UK, and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. Past successes include the roles of Masetto, Leporello and the title role Don Giovanni at Aix-en-Provence Festival, Opera de Bordeaux, Opera de Toulouse and Santiago de Chile. Other roles include Mephistofeles Faust, title role Eugene Onegin, Marcello La Boh e, Guglielmo Cosi fan tutte, and Dandini/Alidora La Cenerentola. He has been heard on recordings of Simon Boccanegra (Pietro) with Dmitry Horostovsky, and Carmen (Escamillo) with Simon Rattle. Future engagements include Escamillo at Santa Fe Opera and Welsh National Opera, as well as The Bells with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons. March 2014