22/11/2024
John Upperton - Tenor
We're thrilled to be singing with John again, this time with some thrilling Handel and Puccini. Tickets available from [email protected]
John was born in Co Durham and read Music at the University of Liverpool before moving on to the Royal College of Music as a postgraduate singer. He now studies with David Pollard and works closely with the conductor and keyboard player, David Roblou.
Principal engagements include English National Opera since 2002 and the Royal Opera House since 2005. He made his Purcell Room debut in a solo recital of Czech music in 1999 and 2004 saw his Queen Elizabeth Hall debut singing Pirro in Rossini’s Ermione to great critical acclaim. He has performed principal roles with many other British companies and has also worked in Serbia, Israel, France and Italy.
Progressing from the classical and high bel canto roles (he has performed most of the major Mozart roles and many of those of Rossini), through the lyric tenor repertoire, John is now firmly established as a dramatic tenor. Current repertoire includes roles such as Pollione, Edgardo, Florestan, Macduff, Radamès, Rodolfo (Luisa Miller) Riccardo, Don Carlo, Otello, Enzo, Dick Johnson, Pinkerton, Calàf, Cavaradossi, Chénier Don José, Werther, Hoffmann, Max, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Siegmund, Siegfried, Tristan, Hermann, Gregor Laca (Jenůfa) (Makropulos Case), Boris (Kat’a Kabanová), Chairman Mao (Nixon in China) and Lazarus (The gospel according to the other Mary). He has also created many new roles in contemporary opera.
On the concert platform, John sings all of the standard repertoire but also The Kingdom, King Olaf, The Dream of Gerontius, The Spirit of England as well as a rare performance of Mathias’s This Worlde’s Joie. With his passion for the Czech language and music, he sings many Janáček works (The Eternal Gospel, The Lord’s Prayer, Elegy on the death of Olga and The Glagolitic Mass). Another significant work which John has sung is Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.
www.johnupperton.com
