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A Programme of English & French Song – John Upperton (Tenor) David Roblou (piano)
Saturday 20th June 2015 at 11:00 am

Songs by Quilter, Howells, Nightingale, Bridge, Fauré, Duparc and Souberbielle

Refreshments

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available available from 10.15am

Artist Information

John Upperton

Tenor

John Upperton was born in Co. Durham, he read Music at Liverpool University as a first study pianist and continued as postgraduate singer at the Royal College of Music in London where he was awarded both the French and the Italian prizes. John has a large and varied repertoire.

He has appeared with ROH, ENO, Garsington and Birmingham Opera, at QEH, and Purcell Room in Janáček’s Zápisník Zmizelého, recorded in 2010. A gradual move into heavier repertoire includes Idomeneo, Tito, Pollione, Florestan, Edgardo, Otello, Macduff, Radamès, Don Carlo, Énée, Werther, Hoffmann, Rodolfo, Cavaradossi, Luigi, Calàf, Turiddu, Gregor Věc Makropulos, Chairman Mao, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser, Siegmund, both Siegfrieds  Tristan, Herodes, Bacchus, Apollo, Peter Grimes, Aschenbach and Walter The Passenger.

His concert repertoire includes Liszt’s Tre Sonetti di Petrarca, Dvořák and Poulenc song cycles, Les nuits d’été, Dies Natalis, Duparc songs and Simon Milton’s Fallen Idols (world première), Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, Dream of Gerontius, The Kingdom, Verdi’s Requiem, Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass, Lord’s Prayer, Eternal Gospel, and Das Lied von der Erde. http://operagent.com/artists/johnupperton

This encompasses not only mainstream tenor roles such as Tito (La Clemenza di Tito), Pollione (Norma) Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Florestan (Fidelio), Siegmund (Die Walküre), Herod (Salomé), Cavaradossi (Tosca), Calàf (Turandot) and Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana) but also lesser-known roles such as The Centurion in Dibdin’s The Ephesian Matron, Fulbert (Heloïse and Abelard), Molqi (Death of Klinghoffer) and Chairman Mao (Nixon in China).

David Roblou

Piano

David Roblou began his career as an organist, specialising in late C19, early C20 and contemporary music including Judith Bingham’s earliest pieces. His transfer to harpsichord led to the career in Early Music for which many know him best. However, his involvement with singers (and indeed dancers) from the outset led to work in all musical forms: chamber music, oratorio and opera.

The foundation of Midsummer Opera (MD from 1985, Artistic Director from 2000) led to his conducting touring companies in the 90s, including much “mainstream” as well as baroque repertoire. His repertoire now includes over 60 operas from c1600 to world premieres of Alison Bauld, Simon Milton, Naji Hakim, Veronique Souberbielle and Robert Hugill, plus ballet, oratorio and orchestral works of all periods, touring the UK, Europe and the Americas.

He has conducted Le Nozze di Figaro (rare complete performances) in Holland and Dido and Æneas in Tallinn, Estonia. More recently he has conducted the  B minor Mass for the Bath Bach Festival and in Bologna, Water Music by both Handel and Telemann at the Bridgewater Hall, and Purcell in Budapest and for the Brighton Festival. He has given world and UK premières on both harpsichord and piano, including Simon Milton’s Saturn, twice round the Sun.

As coach he has guested at ROH and ENO, taught at GSMD for 30 years,

Hamburg Hochschule, the Centre for Early Music Performance and Research (University of Birmingham), gives masterclasses internationally and is consulted by singers enjoying careers worldwide.



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