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The English counter-tenor, Nicholas Hariades, was born in London of Greek descent. He went to school at the Wells Cathedral School in Somerset. There he sang in the choir. After having received a Bachelor in Medical Sciences at Southampton University, he started taking voice lessons with Peter Harrison and David Wilson-Johnson. He continued with Professor Claudia Eder at the University of Mainz. He received further singing training by Michael Chance and Felicity Palmer. Currently he works with Rita Loving.
Nicholas Hariades gave his operatic debut in 1993 as Boy and Bird in Andrew Toovey’s The Juniper Tree at Broomhill Opera in Tunbridge Wells. In 1996 Nicholas Hariades made his professional debut in Germany at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden as Mago Christiano in George Frideric Handel's Rinaldo. Since then he has regularly appeared as a guest artist on several of the important stages of Europe. In 1995-1996 he sang in Wiesbaden Die Nacht and Mignon in Mauricio Kagel’s Aus Deutschland. In summer 1996 he sang Orpheus in Gluck’s Orpheus ed Euridice at the Hernsheimer Schlossfestspielen near Worms. The following year he sang Ruggiero in G.F. Handel’s Alcina at the Stadttheater Hildesheim, Angelus Novus in Ingomar Grünauer's Winterreise in Wiesbaden and Ernesto in Haydn’s Il mondo della luna in a production of Opernhaus Zürich, Switzerland. He repeated this part at the renowned Haydn Festival Eisenstadt (Austria) the following season.
In 1998 he sang Gandarte in G.F. Handel’s Poro at the Händelfestspielen Halle and Go Go in Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre at Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck. In 1999 he he had a resounding success singing the main role of Walter in Vatermord, an opera by the Chinese-Austrian composer Shih at Konzerthaus Vienna. He repeated this role the following year with Glyndebourne touring opera. In 2000 he was also re-invited by Innsbruck to sing Arsace in G.F. Handel’s Partenope at the Tiroler Landestheater. In the same year he sang Death in the German premiere of the German composer Jan Müller-Wieland’s Das Märchen der 672. Nacht at the Stadttheate Nordhausen.
In 2001 Nicholas Hariades was again in Vienna for Vatermord, this time with Musikwerkstatt Wien. Subsequently he sang at the Hans Otto Theater Potsdam Leonidas in Wilhelmine von Bayreuth’s Agenore, a role he repeated at the Glyndebourne Festival and in 2002 at the Markgräfliches Theater Bayreuth. The same year he also sang Ottone in L’incoronazione di Poppea with the Ensemble Così Facciamo in Munich. In 2003-2004 he guested as Go Go in Le Grand Macabre at Komische Oper Berlin. He also covered roles at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, among others Nireno in G.F. Handel’s Giulio Cesare and Go Go in Le Grand Macabre, a role which he portrayed to acclaim at the Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck and the Komische Oper Berlin. For the Glyndebourne Touring Opera he covered the role of Little James in Harrison Birtwhistle’s The Last Supper.
In 2005 Nicholas Hariades sang at the Theater der Jugend in Munich Sänger 2/Orfeus in the world premiere of Volker Nickel’s Orfeus under the baton of Christoph Poppen. In summer 2006 he created the role of Dionysius in the world premiere of Strom - Die Oper by the Austrian composer Johanna Doderer’s at the Wiener Festwochen, a part that has been composed for him. That led to a cover contract for Oberon in Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Vienna Volksoper in 2006-2007 season. In January and February 2008 he make his debut singing this part there as well. In 2007 he performed Puck in Purcell’s The Fairy Queen at the Vorarlberger Landestheater and once again the role of Go Go in Le Grand Macabre at the Theatre Bremen in Germany. In March 2008 he guested at Theater Brandenburg in several roles in the world premiere of Rainer Rubbert’s opera Kleist.
In addition to his opera activities, Nicholas Hariades has also enjoyed successes on the main concert stages of Europe. He has performed, among others, at Konzerthaus Vienna, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Musikhalle Hamburg, at the Winchester Cathedral and at the Festivals for Ancient Music in Schwetzingen and Utrecht. His concert repertoire encompasses music of the Baroque era, including G.F. Handel oratorios: Messiah, Saul, Jephta, etc.; J.S. Bach's Passions and Cantatas: Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) and Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244), Mass in B minor (BWV 232), etc.; as Purcell’s Odes, as well as modern repertoire such as Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. Furthermore he sings recitals in concert halls and on the radio. |
