VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: SONGS OF TRAVEL

Roderick Williams is an opera singer, accomplished recital artist and composer. He works regularly with major British opera companies such as Opera North, Royal Opera House, Scottish Opera and more – he is especially well known for his Baritone Mozart roles. In addition, he tours internationally throughout the year regularly performing in Australia, America and Canada and Europe.  This Guardian interview in anticipation of his performance at The Last Night of The Proms in 2014 reveals his joyful, personable character. As our Singer-in-Residence, Williams has performed multiple concerts with us, initially with a performance of Howard Skempton’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. He also played a key role in our collaborative singing and composition project Schubert in Schools, working in partnership with pianist Christopher Glynn, and schools and Music Hubs in Barking, Clapham, Doncaster, Milton Keynes, Nottingham and Sheffield.

Chris is a Grammy award-winning pianist, praised for his ‘breathtaking sensitivity’ (Gramophone), ‘irrepressible energy, wit and finesse’ (The Guardian) and ‘revelatory performances’ (BBC Music Magazine).

Chris grew up in Leicester, read music at New College, Oxford, and studied piano with John Streets and Malcolm Martineau. He was awarded the accompaniment prize in the 2001 Kathleen Ferrier competition, the 2002 Geoffrey Parsons Award, the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and the 2003 Gerald Moore Award.

He is regularly heard on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM and has recorded many acclaimed and ground-breaking albums for labels including Signum, Hyperion, Decca, DG, Coro, Chandos and Somm. He has premiered works by many leading composers and collaborated with a wide variety of organisations from the Richard Alston Dance Company to Streetwise Opera. Read more.