It has been announced that the Australian tenor Steve Davislim has died after succumbing to serious illness while working in Germany earlier this year. He was 57.

Steve Davislim, 1967 – 2024

Born in Penang, Malaysia, in 1967, Davislim moved with his parents to Tasmania soon after. They then moved to Melbourne where he later gained his Bachelor of Music at the Victorian College of the Arts. He studied voice under Dame Joan Hammond, graduated with honours and went on to sing with the Victoria State Opera for three years.

Davislim undertook further studies in Italy, Greece (with John Modenos), Germany and Switzerland, where he spent two years studying Lieder interpretation with the accompanist Irwin Gage at the International Opera Studio of the Zurich University of the Arts. His professional career began as a principle ensemble member of Zurich Opera in 1994, sisnging roles including Count Almaviva in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Achilles in Offenbach’s La belle Hélène, Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Ferrando in Così fan tutte and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni.

Davislim also appeared at the Salzburg Festival, the Hamburg Opera, the Berlin Staatsoper,...