Adrian Thompson trained at the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he is now a professor. Operatic credits include the title rôle in Peter Grimes, Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte), Skuratov (The House Of The Dead) and Canio (Pagliacci) (Frankfurt); Snout (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) (Teatro alla Scala); Valzacchi (Der Rosenkavalier) (Covent Garden); Rev. Adams (Peter Grimes) (Geneva); title rôle (The Diary of One who Disappeared) (Aix-en-Provence); Mr Upfold (Albert Herring), Triquet (Eugene Onegin), School Teacher (The Cunning Little Vixen) (Glyndebourne); Monostatos (The Magic Flute) (English National Opera and Opéra National du Rhin).

An experienced recitalist, he has appeared throughout Britain and Europe. In the contemporary field he has given many first performances of works by British and European composers.