Originating from County Durham, John Upperton read Music at Liverpool University as a first study pianist and continued as postgraduate singer at the Royal College of Music. His solo appearances include the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Garsington Festival Opera and Birmingham Opera. His Queen Elizabeth Hall debut was the role of Pirro in Rossini’s Ermione to great critical acclaim), and his Purcell Room debut was with Janáček’s Zápisník Zmizelého, for which he made a special study of the Czech language; he recorded it in 2010.
Over the last 10 years he has made the transition to more heroic roles such as Idomeneo, Tito, Pollione, Florestan, Edgardo, Otello, Macduff, Radamès, Rodolfo (Luisa Miller), Riccardo, Don Carlo, Énée, Werther, Don José, Dick Johnson, Cavaradossi, Luigi, Calàf, Turiddu, Canio, Hermann, Gregor (Věc Makropulos), Boris (Kat’a Kabanová), Lohengrin, Tannhäuser, Siegmund, both Siegfrieds, Tristan, Herodes, Bacchus, Apollo, Peter Grimes, Aschenbach, Chairman Mao, Lazarus (The Gospel according to the other Mary) and Walter (The Passenger).
A keen recital singer, his repertoire includes Liszt’s Tre Sonetti di Petrarca, Dvořák and Poulenc song cycles, Les nuits d’été, Dies Natalis, Duparc songs 7 Frühe Lieder, Wesendonck Lieder and Simon Milton’s Fallen Idols (world première), On the concert platform, his appearances include Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, The Kingdom, Spirit of England, King Olaf, Verdi’s Requiem, Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass, Lord’s Prayer, Eternal Gospel, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.
John Upperton – Repertoire List
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