Iestyn Davies debuts at Lyric Feb 29, sings with Baroque Band in March
On the heels of his critically acclaimed debuts last fall at the Met (in Rodelinda) and at Carnegie Hall, British countertenor Iestyn Davies – named 2010’s Royal Philharmonic Young Artist of the Year – makes his Lyric Opera debut in Chicago on February 29 in a new production of Handel’s Rinaldo. The Baroque master’s depiction of the First Crusade will be conducted by Harry Bicket and directed by Francisco Negrin. Davies, a rising star on the international music scene, and “One of the most glorious countertenor voices in the world today” (Independent, UK), sings the role of Eustazio.
While in Chicago, Davies headlines three concerts, singing Handel with the Baroque Band under the direction of Harry Bicket. The concerts, on March 9, 10, and 14, are each at different venues. The Handel arias include “O Lord Whose Mercies,” “Their Land Brought Forth Frogs,” “Up the Dreadful Steep Ascending,” and “Sento amor” from Partenope.
Davies’ resplendent fall 2011 season saw the release of his most recent recording, Porpora Cantatas – a solo album on the Hyperion label that was already a sensation in Europe when it was released in the States, and which led the UK’s Observer to praise his “awesome technique and flawless tone.” In Davies’ Met debut in Rodelinda, he brought a “potent and beautifully balanced voice to Unulfo” (New Yorker), and Classical Review applauded him for “negotiating the never-ending runs in Sono I colpi della sorte and the tricky intervals in Fra tempeste funeste with both precision and a delectable lilt.” At Carnegie Hall on December 15, he performed a program of works by Britten, Purcell, and Bach, as well as the world premiere of folksong arrangements by composer Nico Muhly, securing Davies’ soaring reputation as “Today’s most exciting British countertenor” (Observer, UK).
Iestyn Davies: 2011-12 engagements
Feb 29; Mar 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, & 24
Chicago, IL
Handel, Rinaldo (Eustazio)
Lyric Opera of Chicago
March 9
Chicago, IL
Hyde Park Union Church
Recital: “The White Rabbit”
Handel: Arias from Oratorios & Partenope, Cantata Splenda l’alba in oriente
Baroque Band / Harry Bicket
March 10
Chicago, IL
Music Institute of Chicago
Recital: “The White Rabbit”
Handel: Arias from Oratorios & Partenope, Cantata Splenda l’alba in oriente
Baroque Band / Harry Bicket
March 14
Chicago, IL
Symphony Center / Grainger Ballroom
Recital: “The White Rabbit”
Handel: Arias from Oratorios & Partenope, Cantata Splenda l’alba in oriente
Baroque Band / Harry Bicket
April 3
Austria, Vienna
Bach: St John Passion
Theater an der Wien
April 6
London, England
St John’s, Smith Square
Bach: St. John Passion
May 4
Santa Cruz, Spain
Auditorium Adán Martín
Vivaldi: Cessate, omai cessate, RV684; Stabat Mater, RV621
Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife
May 7
London, England
Wigmore Hall
Britten, Purcell, and Bach
Recital with Malcolm Martineau, piano
May 17
Göttingen, Germany
Handel: Esther
Göttingen International Handel Festival / Laurence Cummings
June 17
Leipzig, Germany
Bach: Mass in B minor
Leipzig Bachfest / Harry Bicket
Aug 4
Belgium
A Caldara: Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo (Amor Terreno)
Accademia Bizantina / Ottavio Dantone
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