Andrew Radley - Countertenor
Andrew Radley specialises in the great opera roles written for the alto castrato voice by Handel and other leading composers of the 18th century and the Renaissance. He regularly sings in oratorio, particularly the works of J S Bach, and has a wide repertoire of European and American song.
Andrew read music at Clare College, Cambridge where he was a choral scholar, graduating in 2000. In September 2001 he commenced his studies at London's Royal Academy of Music, having been awarded an entrance scholarship to the postgraduate concert course. In 2003 he was awarded another scholarship to the prestigious Royal Academy Opera course where he completed his studies in 2004.
Between January and April 2004 Andrew Radley participated in an Erasmus exchange to the Paris Conservatoire (CNSMDP) studying with Pierre Mervant. He continues to study with Noelle Barker, OBE.
His operatic roles have included Gandarte in Handel's Poro for the Göttingen Handel Festival (with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin conducted by Konrad Junghänel), the title role in Handel's Flavio for the Early Opera Company conducted by Christian Curnyn (Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, and the Lichfield and Iford Festivals); Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice in the Spitalfields Festival; the title role in Handel's Tamerlano for the Cambridge Handel Opera Group; the title role of Handel's Orlando at Dartington International Summer School and Joachim in Handel's Susanna with the Early Opera Company (QEH, Cheltenham and Salisbury Festivals). Whilst at the Academy he participated in scenes from Handel's Orlando, Serse, Scipione, Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, Rimsky-Korsakov's Le Coq d'Or and Rossini's La Gazza Ladra.
Andrew Radley's recent concert engagements have included Handel's Saul with the Chester Bach Singers; Bernstein's Chichester Psalms at St John's Smith Square; a recital in the Winchester Festival; Bach's B Minor Mass at St Martin in the Fields; a concert of Handel and Scarlatti cantatas in the London Handel Festival with the Royal Academy of Music Period Orchestra, directed by Laurence Cummings; Handel's Messiah with the Hereford Choral Society; Handel's Dixit Dominus at Snape Maltings with Richard Egarr (broadcast on BBC Radio 3); Bach's St Matthew Passion with the Britten Sinfonia at Ely Cathedral, and the role of Daniel in Handel's Belshazzar at Dartington International Summer School, with Graeme Jenkins.