Tim Mead (born 1981) is an English countertenor.

Tim Mead
Mead in 2015
Born1981 (age 42–43)
EducationKing Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, Junior Department of Trinity College of Music, King's College, Cambridge and Royal College of Music
Occupation

Life and career

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Tim Mead was born in Chelmsford, Essex and began singing as a treble in the choir of Chelmsford Cathedral.[1] He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford and the Junior Department of Trinity College of Music where he studied cello and piano. He was an undergraduate at King's College, Cambridge, where he was a choral scholar studying musicology. After graduating, he won a number of scholarships for post-graduate studies at the Royal College of Music where he studied with Robin Blaze.[2]

Mead has performed with many leading interpreters including conductors Howard Arman, Harry Bicket, Ivor Bolton, William Christie, Stephen Cleobury, Marcus Creed, Laurence Cummings, Christian Curnyn, Alan Curtis, Ottavio Dantone, Paul Goodwin, Emmanuelle Haïm, Thomas Hengelbrock, Vladimir Jurowski, Bernard Labadie, Raymond Leppard, Nicholas Kraemer, Alessandro de Marchi, Nicholas McGegan, Marc Minkowski, James O'Donnell, Antonio Pappano, Hans-Christoph Rademann, Andreas Spering, Masaaki Suzuki and Jos van Veldhoven. He has collaborated with opera directors including David Alden, Robert Carsen, Doris Dörrie, Stephen Langridge, David McVicar, Katie Mitchell, Ole Anders Tandberg, Deborah Warner and Chen Shi-Zheng.[3]

He has appeared with ensembles including Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Academy of Ancient Music, The English Concert, Les Arts Florissants, Le Concert d'Astrée, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Concerto Köln, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble, Accademia Bizantina, Bach Collegium Japan, the Netherlands Bach Society, Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, and the RIAS Kammerchor.

In September 2016 Mead sang in Bach's Mass in B minor as part of The BBC Proms.[4]

Mead is a founding member of The Prince Consort.[5] The consort have recorded works by Ned Rorem, Brahms and Stephen Hough.

Opera roles

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Mead's opera roles to date have included:[6]

Recordings

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Mead has a wide-ranging and growing discography including the multi-award-winning recording of Bach's Matthäus Passion with Pygmalion under Raphaël Pichon (Harmonia Mundi, 2022), Gramophone Award nominated recordings of Handel's Flavio with the Early Opera Company under Christian Curnyn (Chandos, 2010),[15] Bach's B minor Mass with Arcangelo under Jonathan Cohen (Hyperion, 2014) and a DVD of Britten's Death in Venice with English National Opera under Edward Gardner, directed by Deborah Warner (Opus Arte, 2014) and the BBC Music Magazine Awards nominated recording of Handel's Brockes Passion (AAM Records, 2019). Mead's solo albums include Beauteous Softness with La Nuova Musica (Pentatone, 2023), Sacroprofano with Arcangelo (Alpha Classics, 2023), Songs & Dances with Les Musicens de Saint Julien (Alpha Classics, 2018) and Bach solo cantatas with La Nuova Musica (Harmonia Mundi, 2017). He is featured on two recordings as a treble chorister soloist.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "Tim Mead (Counter-tenor) - Short Biography". bach-cantatas.com/. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Biography at Musicmakers website". Archived from the original on 15 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Tim Mead (Counter-tenor) - Short Biography". www.bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Prom 63: Bach - Mass in B minor, 2016, BBC Proms - BBC Radio 3". Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  5. ^ The Prince Consort. Ensemble biography Archived 18 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Biography at artist's website". Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  7. ^ Staatsoper, Bayerische. "Haus: Bayerische Staatsoper". Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Opera Today : Amsterdam Hercules Dazzlingly In Love". Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  9. ^ International, Bill Kenny Seen and Heard. "Seen and Heard International review by Simon Thompson". Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  10. ^ "Concertclassic.com review by Luc Hernandez". Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  11. ^ Guardian review by Erica Jeal The Guardian (London) 17 March 2005.
  12. ^ Interview for COMMANDOpera
  13. ^ Guardian review by Kate Molleson The Guardian (London) 16 February 2011.
  14. ^ London Evening Standard review by Barry Millington[permanent dead link] Evening Standard (London) 5 July 2011.
  15. ^ Telegraph review by Rupert Christiansen The Telegraph (London) 29 October 2010
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