View source for Tim Mead

{{Short description|English opera singer}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Tim Mead
| image              = Tim Mead sitting.jpg
| caption            = Mead in 2015
| birth_date         = {{birth year and age|1981}}
| birth_place        = [[Chelmsford]], [[Essex]], UK
| education          = [[King Edward VI Grammar School (Chelmsford)|King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford]], Junior Department of [[Trinity College of Music]], [[King's College, Cambridge]] and [[Royal College of Music]]
| occupation         = {{plainlist|*
[[Countertenor]]
}}
| awards             =
| relatives          =
}}
'''Tim Mead''' (born 1981) is an English [[countertenor]].
==Life and career==
Tim Mead was born in Chelmsford, [[Essex]] and began singing as a treble in the choir of [[Chelmsford Cathedral]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Mead-Tim.htm|title=Tim Mead (Counter-tenor) - Short Biography|publisher=bach-cantatas.com/|accessdate=1 September 2016}}</ref> He was educated at [[King Edward VI Grammar School (Chelmsford)|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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://operauk.com/mead.html/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215211057/http://www.operauk.com/mead.html|url-status=dead|title=Biography at Musicmakers website|archivedate=15 December 2010}}</ref>
Mead has performed with many leading interpreters including conductors [[Howard Arman]], [[Harry Bicket]], [[Ivor Bolton]], [[William Christie (musician)|William Christie]], [[Stephen Cleobury]], [[Marcus Creed]], [[Laurence Cummings]], Christian Curnyn, [[Alan Curtis (harpsichordist)|Alan Curtis]], [[Ottavio Dantone]], [[Paul Goodwin (conductor)|Paul Goodwin]], [[Emmanuelle Haïm]], [[Thomas Hengelbrock]], [[Vladimir Jurowski]], [[Bernard Labadie]], [[Raymond Leppard]], [[Nicholas Kraemer]], Alessandro de Marchi, [[Nicholas McGegan]], [[Marc Minkowski]], [[James O'Donnell (organist)|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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Mead-Tim.htm|title=Tim Mead (Counter-tenor) - Short Biography|website=www.bach-cantatas.com|access-date=25 February 2021}}</ref>
He has appeared with ensembles including [[Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment]], the [[Academy of Ancient Music]], [[The English Concert]], [[Les Arts Florissants (ensemble)|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 Proms|The BBC Proms]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07qc2gd|title=Prom 63: Bach - Mass in B minor, 2016, BBC Proms - BBC Radio 3|publisher=|accessdate=1 September 2016}}</ref>
Mead is a founding member of The Prince Consort.<ref>The Prince Consort. [http://theprinceconsort.com/biog.html Ensemble biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918113822/http://www.theprinceconsort.com/biog.html |date=18 September 2011 }}</ref> The consort have recorded works by [[Ned Rorem]], [[Brahms]] and [[Stephen Hough]].
==Opera roles==
Mead's opera roles to date have included:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tim-mead.com/about/|title= Biography at artist's website|publisher=|accessdate=1 September 2016}}</ref>
* Boy/Angel 1 in [[George Benjamin (composer)|George Benjamin]]'s "[[Written on Skin]]" ([[Theatre du Capitole]], [[Mostly Mozart Festival]] and [[Bolshoi Theatre]] )
* Endimione in [[Francesco Cavalli]]'s ''[[La Calisto]]'' ([[Bayerische Staatsoper]], Teatro Real, Madrid)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bayerische.staatsoper.de/309-ZG9tPWRvbTQmaWQ9MjczMCZsPWRl-~popups~k_biographie.html/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630224340/http://www.bayerische.staatsoper.de/309-ZG9tPWRvbTQmaWQ9MjczMCZsPWRl-~popups~k_biographie.html/|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 June 2012|title=Haus: Bayerische Staatsoper|first=Bayerische|last=Staatsoper|accessdate=1 September 2016}}</ref>
* Paggio in Cavalli's ''[[Ercole amante]]'' (De Nederlandse Opera)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.operatoday.com/content/2009/01/amsterdam_hercu.php/|title=Opera Today : Amsterdam Hercules Dazzlingly In Love|publisher=|accessdate=1 September 2016}}</ref>
* Arsamene in Cavalli's ''[[Il Xerse]]'' ([[Opera de Lille]], [[Théâtre de Caen]], [[Theater an der Wien]])
* Innocent in [[Harrison Birtwistle]]'s ''[[The Minotaur (opera)|The Minotaur]]'' ([[Royal Opera, London]])
* Oberon in [[Benjamin Britten]]'s "[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]" (Glyndebourne Festival Opera, [[Opera Philadelphia]] and [[Bergen National Opera]])
* Voice of Apollo in [[Benjamin Britten]]'s "[[Death in Venice]]" ([[English National Opera]] and [[Dutch National Opera]])
* Ometh in [[John Casken]]'s ''Golem'' (Opera de Rennes and [[Angers-Nantes Opéra]])
* Ulisse in Corselli's ''Achille in Sciro'' (Teatro Real, Madrid)
*Orfeo in [[Gluck]]'s ''[[Orfeo ed Euridice]]'' ([[Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin]])
* Admeto in [[Handel]]'s ''[[Admeto]]'' ([[Göttingen International Handel Festival]] and [[Edinburgh International Festival]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/sandh/2009/Jul-Dec09/eif18_3008.htm/|title=Seen and Heard International review by Simon Thompson|first=Bill Kenny Seen and Heard|last=International|publisher=|accessdate=1 September 2016}}</ref>
* Amadigi in Handel's ''Amadigi'' (Early Opera Company)
*Dardano in Handel's ''Amadigi'' (Garsington Opera)
*Trasimede in Handel's ''Admeto'' ([[Handel Festival, Halle]])
* Ottone in Handel's ''[[Agrippina (opera)|Agrippina]]'' ([[Opéra de Lille]], [[Opéra de Dijon]] and [[Vlaamse Opera]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.concertclassic.com/journal/articles/actualite_20111013_3989.asp/|title=Concertclassic.com review by Luc Hernandez|publisher=|accessdate=1 September 2016}}</ref>
* Ezio in Handel's ''[[Ezio (Handel)|Ezio]]'' (London Handel Festival)<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/mar/17/classicalmusicandopera1?INTCMP=SRCH/ Guardian review by Erica Jeal] ''The Guardian'' (London) 17 March 2005.</ref>
* Flavio in Handel's ''[[Flavio]]'' ([[Early Opera Company]])
* Cesare in Handel's ''[[Giulio Cesare]]'' ([[Glyndebourne Festival Opera]])
* Tolomeo in Handel's ''Giulio Cesare'' ([[Deutsche Oper am Rhein]] and [[English National Opera]])
* Idelberto in Handel's ''[[Lotario (Handel)|Lotario]]'' ([[Kammerorchester Basel]])
* Hamor in Handel's ''[[Jeptha]]'' ([[Opéra National de Paris]])
* Orlando in Handel's ''Orlando'' ([[Scottish Opera]]<ref>[http://commandopera.com/2011/02/11/tim-mead-interview/ Interview for COMMANDOpera]</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/16/orlando-scottish-opera-review?INTCMP=SRCH/ Guardian review by Kate Molleson] ''The Guardian'' (London) 16 February 2011.</ref> and [[Chicago Opera Theater]])
* Riccardo in Handel's ''[[Riccardo Primo]]'' ([[Opera Theatre of St. Louis]])
* Oronte in Handel's ''[[Riccardo Primo]]'' (Kammerorchester Basel)
* Rinaldo in Handel's ''[[Rinaldo (opera)|Rinaldo]]'' ([[Bach Collegium Japan]])
* Goffredo in Handel's ''Rinaldo'' (Glyndebourne Festival Opera)
* Eustazio in Handel's ''Rinaldo'' (Glyndebourne Festival Opera)<ref>[http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/review-23967191-rinaldo-glyndebourne---review.do/ London Evening Standard review by Barry Millington]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''Evening Standard'' (London) 5 July 2011.</ref>
* Bertarido in Handel's ''[[Rodelinda (opera)|Rodelinda]]'' (English National Opera and Mercury Baroque, Houston)
* David in Handel's ''[[Saul (Handel)|Saul]]'' ([[Opera North]])
* Athamas in Handel's ''[[Semele]]'' ([[Opera Philadelphia|Philadelphia Opera]] and [[British Youth Opera]])
* Siroe in Handel's ''[[Siroe]]'' (Oper der Zeit)
* Melo in Handel's ''[[Sosarme]]'' (London Handel Festival)
* Shepherd in [[Monteverdi]]'s ''[[L'Orfeo]]'' ([[English National Opera]] and [[Handel and Haydn Society]], Boston)
* Ottone in Monteverdi's ''[[L'incoronazione di Poppea]]'' ([[Opéra National de Lyon]], English National Opera, [[Norwegian National Opera and Ballet]], Opéra de Lille and Opéra de Dijon)
* Apollo in [[Mozart]]'s ''[[Apollo et Hyacinthus]]'' (Classical Opera Company)
* Farnace in [[Mozart]]'s ''[[Mitridate]]'' (Classical Opera Company)
* Jalal in Julian Philips ''Varjak Paw'' (The Opera Group)
* Clearte in [[Agostino Steffani]]'s ''Niobe'' (Royal Opera, London and [[Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg]])
* Licida in [[Vivaldi]]'s ''[[L'Olimpiade]]'' ([[Garsington Opera]])
* Akhnaten in [[Philip Glass]]'s ''[[Akhnaten (opera)|Akhnaten]]'' ([[Vlaamse Opera]])
==Recordings==
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),<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101106122058/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalcdreviews/8097239/Handel-Flavio-CD-review.html Telegraph review by Rupert Christiansen] ''The Telegraph'' (London) 29 October 2010</ref> ''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|date=September 2016}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://tim-mead.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.intermusica.co.uk/mead Intermusica Artists' Management Ltd.]
* [http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/features/editor-s-picks/i-must-be-mad-to-play-orlando-1.1085445/ ''I must be mad to play Orlando'' (Glasgow Evening News 16/2/11)]
* [http://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?VID=3055/ Boy Soloist]
* [http://allofbach.com/en/bwv/bwv-244/ St Matthew Passion on ''All of Bach'', featuring Tim Mead as the alto soloist]
*[http://www.londonclassicalconcerts.co.uk/artists/TimMead.html Tim Mead's London Concert List]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mead, Tim}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Alumni of King's College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Music]]
[[Category:21st-century British male opera singers]]
[[Category:British performers of early music]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Operatic countertenors]]
[[Category:People educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford]]
[[Category:Choral Scholars of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge]]