We are delighted to welcome back Roddy Williams, one of the most popular baritones of his generation, in a recital of English Song. His repertoire encompasses music from the Baroque to the contemporary, in the opera house, on the concert platform and in recital. He has enjoyed close relationships with Opera North and Scottish Opera, and is particularly associated with the baritone roles of Mozart. In autumn 2007 he gave highly acclaimed performances of Papageno/The Magic Flute for English National Opera which he successfully reprised in 2009 and in 2008 sang in La bohème at Covent Garden. He has also sung world premieres of operas by, among others, David Sawer, Sally Beamish, Michael van der Aa, Robert Saxton and Alexander Knaifel.
He has worked with orchestras throughout Europe, including all the BBC orchestras in the UK, and his many festival appearances include the BBC Proms, Edinburgh, Cheltenham and Aldeburgh. Recent and future engagements include Count/Le nozze di Figaro for Scottish Opera, Ned Keene/Peter Grimes for ROH, Goryanchikov/From the House of the Dead for Opera North and Pollux in Rameau’s Castor and Pollux for English National Opera, as well as concerts with Le Concert Spirituel, Manchester Camerata, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Hallé, Britten Sinfonia, King’s College Cambridge, the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Rias Kammerchor, Orquesta Sinfonica de Euskadi, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Bach Collegium Japan, City of London Sinfonia in the 2011 BBC Proms, London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Britten War Requiem with the Maggio Musicale and Semyon Bychkov in Florence.
He is also an accomplished recital artist who can be heard at venues and festivals including the Wigmore Hall, the Perth Concert Hall, Howard Assembly Room, the Musikverein, Vienna and on Radio 3, where he has participated on Iain Burnside’s Voices programme. He has an extensive discography and his recordings of English song with Iain Burnside have received particular acclaim.
He is also a composer and has had works premiered at the Wigmore and Barbican Halls, the Purcell Room and live on national radio.