Richard was born in Solihull and studied Performance Arts at Middlesex University and singing at the Guildhall School of Music. He has sung in many productions with English National Opera and Opera North.

Other companies include D’Oyly Carte Opera (he has sung most of the bass-baritone roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan Savoy Operas), Carl Rosa Opera, Crystal Clear Opera, London Opera Players, Heritage Opera, Opera della Luna, and Pavilion Opera, where his roles have included Leporello in ‘Don Giovanni’, Figaro and Dr Bartolo in ‘The Marriage of Figaro’, Dulcamara in ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’, King Philip in ‘Don Carlos’, the title role in ‘Gianni Schicchi’, Reb Mordcha in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ for Grange Park Opera and the BBC Proms with Bryn Terfel, Scarpia in ‘Tosca’, Sir Roderic Murgatroyd in ‘Ruddigore’, and Major General Stanley in ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ for St Albans Chamber Opera, Amonasro in ‘Aida’ for South Downs Opera, Banquo in ‘Macbeth’ for Opera South East and Pavilion Opera, Harvey in Ethel Smyth’s ‘The Wreckers’ and Lord Capulet in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ for Arcadian Opera.

He created the role of Roy in ‘The Arsonists’, a new opera commissioned by Heritage Opera and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra by Alan Williams and Ian MacMillan, which is the first opera written to be sung specifically in a South Yorkshire dialect! Richard has a busy concert schedule, including recitals, oratorios, and cabarets.