JAMES GILCHRIST
The English tenor James Gilchrist began his working life as a doctor, and whilst studying and practising medicine began working as a solo singer with many of Britain's leading choirs in Britain and abroad. In 1996 he turned to a full-time career in music and currently studies with Janice Chapman and Noelle Barker.
James has a large concert repertoire and, as well as singing with choral societies throughout Great Britain, has appeared with many of Britain's leading orchestras, including the English Chamber Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia and Northern Sinfonia. He has received critical acclaim in particular for his performances of Bach and Händel. Recent appearances have included Haydn Creation in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Elijah in St David's Cathedral, Solomon in Buxton, Mozart Requiem in the Barbican with the English Chamber Orchestra, Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) in Italy with The Kings Consort, Messiah in Oslo, Purcell odes in the Wigmore Hall and Lisbon, and Bach Magnificat (BWV 243) with The Sixteen in Spain.
On the opera stage James has played Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte, Scaramuccio in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos for Richard Hickox, Gomatz in Mozart's Zaide in Istanbul, and appeared in Vaughan Williams Sir John in Love the Barbican and on BBC Radio 3.
As a recitalist James has recently performed Britten and Schubert for BBC Northern Ireland and music by Howard Ferguson for Radio 3 as part of the composer's 90th birthday celebrations. He gave a recital in the Preggio festival in Italy, and appeared with Stephen Varcoe and Della Jones in St John's Smith Square in a recital of Percy Grainger music.
James has recorded Rachmaninov Vespers with King's College, Cambridge for EMI, Schütz with the Sixteen for Collins Classics, Rameau Cantatas and St Mark Passion (BWV 247) for ASV, Grainger songs for Chandos and Kuhnau Sacred Music with The Kings Consort for Hyperion.
Most recently James has sung a recital with Malcolm Martineau, a BBC Lunchtime recital, Quint in Britten's Turn of the Screw for New Chamber Opera , Bach passions with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Berlioz L'Enfance du Christ with Richard Hickox and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, with whom he returns next year as Septimius in concert performances of Theodora. With Richard Hickox and the Philharmonia Orchestra he has performed Britten's Gloriana, he has toured with Bach Collegium Japan, performed with Ivor Bolton at the Lufthansa Festival and sung in the premiere of Tavener's Total Eclipse in London with the Academy of Ancient Music. He continues touring Europe and America with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra in their Bach Pilgrimage project. He also has just performed with the Oslo Philharmonic in a world premiere of Apocalypsis Joannis by Knut Nystedt.
Future plans include Britten's War Requiem in King's College Chapel and Monteverdi Vespers and Messiah with The Sixteen. He makes his Salzburg début under Sir John Eliot Gardiner in Israel in Egypt and his début with Ivor Bolton and the IPO in Israel in Händel's Solomon.
Source – Collegium Instrumentale Brugense Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2001)
