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Philip Sheffield

Tenor

Philip Sheffield’s career has taken him all over the world from Buenos Aires to New York to Tokyo. Following his early career singing lyric roles he is now performing character tenor roles which highlight his vocal versatility, acting ability and intensity.

Most recently he sang the tenor solo in the Bernstein Mass which features in the Bernstein biopic Maestro. He was then invited to perform the Mass with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin in a concert hosted by Bradley Cooper.

Among his recent highlights are Živný Osud (Janáček Festival Brno); Rev. Horace Adams Peter Grimes (Oper Köln, Opéra de Monte-Carlo); Edward IV Richard III (Teatro la Fenice); Loge Das Rheingold (Grimeborn); and Grifano A la fiera di Venezia (Bampton Classical Opera).

As a character tenor notable appearances include Tichon Káťa Kabanová (Teatro Colón); Robin in Michael Berkeley’s For You (Teatro Olimpico, Rome); Dr Caius Falstaff and Rev. Horace Adams Peter Grimes (Opera Vlaanderen, Ópera de Oviedo); Čerevin From the House of the Dead (Opéra national du Rhin); Valzacchi Der Rosenkavalier (Opera North); Don Basilio Le nozze di Figaro (Glyndebourne); Harry La fanciulla del West (English National Opera); Jacob Schmidt Mahagonny (Fura dels Baus); various roles in Robert Carsen’s production of Candide (English National Opera, Théâtre du Châtelet, Teatro alla Scala and in Tokyo and Osaka); and Van Dunen Kwasi and Kwame (Opera OT, Rotterdam). World premiere performances include The Tell-Tale Heart (Royal Ballet & Opera); Claude for (Opéra de Lyon); and Der Turm (Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg).

 In this early career he performed Ferrando, Tamino, Belmonte, Lensky, Tom Rakewell and Pelléas, the latter performed at the Opéra Comique under Georges Prêtre. He quickly gained a reputation as a specialist in contemporary music and has performed leading roles in many world premieres for Opera North, Royal Ballet & Opera, Théâtre du Châtelet, Opera Vlaanderen, Opera di Roma, München Biennale, London Sinfonietta and notably as Alonso The Tempest for the Opéra national du Rhin.

On the concert platform he has performed at The Barbican, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Berliner Philharmonie. His repertoire includes Britten War Requiem and St. Nicholas, Bach St. John Passion, Elgar The Dream of Gerontius, Mahler Symphony No. 8, Rossini Stabat Mater and Verdi Requiem.

In addition to performing Philip is Artistic Director of both Opera Prelude and Hampstead Garden Opera.

Steven Swales Artist Management represents Philip Sheffield worldwide and exclusively in the UK & Ireland

Reviews

Živný / Osud / Janáček Brno Festival / 2021

“Philip Sheffield as the old Janáček shows in the short vocal interludes what a grandiose character singer he is, and above all what an actor-singer. As if lit by an inner fire, his eyes shine…”
(Bachtrack)

“Here the production is well served by Casari and Sheffield, who are similar enough vocally to make us believe that they are the same character… both handle the high-lying role with elan.”
(Opera Canada)


Edward IV / Richard III / Teatro La Fenice / 2018

“Philip Sheffield is a valiant Edward IV…”
(ResMusica)


Snout / A Midsummer Night’s Dream / Hyogo Performing Arts Center / 2016

“Maestro Sado conducted a fine musical conversation with such talented artists as Andrew Dickinson and Philip Sheffield in the play within a play”.
(Yomiuri Shimbun Newspaper)

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