I’m delighted to announce our recording of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas has been honoured with the Premio Abbiati del Disco by the Associazione Nazionale Critici Musicali.

This recording has a wonderful cast list and is directed by David Bates and his team at La Nuova Musica. You’ll find it on the Pentatone label. Look it up, it is full of colour and energy.

You can buy it here.

Welcome to my website.

As the air turns that bit chillier here in rural coastal Wales, I return to work after a good rest and time with my family and friends.

On my piano in my studio lies a wonderful pile of new music to me. New Bach cantatas to be performed and filmed in the Netherlands next week with De Nederlandse Bachvereniging. We perform in Naarden, Breda, Utrecht and Amsterdam. John Butt is conducting and I can’t wait to put these cantatas together with this fabulous team.
I go speedily on to Dubai Opera House to perform Beethoven 9, and then to London for a semi staged Fairy Queen by Purcell with Harry Christophers and the Sixteen.
I’m also working on Sir James MacMillan’s Since it was the day of Preparation, for later in the season. Written for the Hebrides Ensemble, I’m looking forward to a tour of this piece in October, performing in Derry, London, Cumnock and Glasgow.
After that I have travels to Chicago and Kansas, and then follows a lengthy period of touring throughout Europe up to Christmas. More anon.

*image courtesy of Jess Shurte

I’m in the middle of a run of appearances with Grange Park Opera.  We are performing Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.  It’s a comedy, and the audiences are really lapping up this production, directed by Stephen Medcalf. Sir Bryn Terfel is in the title role and I play the posh old Simone, trying to get his hands on a new inheritance, along with the rest of his greedy family members. The BBC Concert Orchestra are playing in the pit, and are wonderful. Gianluca Marciano conducts.

Also, I have a lovely opportunity to sing the role of Zoroastro, from Handel’s Orlando, again.  This time in the Barbican Centre, London.  With Maestro Laurence Cummings at the helm, directing the Academy of Ancient Music. This is on June 30^th starting at 4pm. Do join us.

I have an appearance at the Buxton international Festival with The English Concert and Kristian Bezuidenhout in July, and also more filmed recordings of our next Nederlands Bachvereniging’s Allofbach series in September. Also, I’m learning a new piece to me by James MacMillan, Since it was the day of Preparation.  This will be sung with the Dunedin Consort and the Hebrides Ensemble. Trips to Chicago and Kansas follow that, singing Bach’s John Passion, then there will be European tours of The Messiah with many different organisations, more details to follow.

There are pictures of the Grange Park Opera production lower down, and also the Dunedin Consort new season launch.

Enjoy the warm weather!

Photo by Marc Brenner