The English tenor, William Knight, started his musical career as a chorister of St Paul’s Cathedral, London. He read Music at the University of York, where he was the Tenor Choral Scholar at York Minster, and at present is singing as a freelance singer in Europe.
William Knight is a core member of the Nederlands Kamerkoor and also sings with several choirs, including Collegium Vocale Gent (Director: Philippe Herreweghe), Cappella Amsterdam (Director: Daniel Reuss), Netherlands Radio Choir, Egidius Kwartet, The Sixteen (Director: Harry Christophers), Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Gabrieli Consort (Director: Paul McCreesh), BBC Singers, Chapelle du Roi, Brabant Ensemble, Capilla Cayrasco, and The Marian Consort (Director: Rory McCleery). In the Opera scene he has sung with De Nationale Opera in Amsterdam in their production of Charles Gounod's Faust, the Glyndebourne chorus in their production of Hippolyte et Aricie, the Opera Holland Park chorus in productions of W.A. Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and La rondine, and the Grange Park Opera chorus in productions of Madama Butterfly and W.A. Mozart's Idomeneo.
As a soloist, William Knight has sung the part of Zadok in George Frideric Handel's Solomon in York Minster for the University of York Choir alongside Robin Blaze, Jephte in Carissimi's Historia di Jephte for the University of York Music Department Concert Series alongside Julia Gooding, Saul in Purcell's Saul and the Witch of Endor for the Ars Nova Ensemble and Choir, the Evangelist in Wood’s St Mark Passion, and Saint Nicolas in Benjamin Britten's Saint Nicolas. He has sung as Tenor soloist in Haydn's The Seaons for Halesowen Choral Society, Monteverdi’s Vespers for the Ampleforth and Ryedale Concert Choir, G.F. Handel's Messiah, Purcell's Fairy Queen, King Arthur, and Hail, Bright Cecilia, Stainer’s Crucifixion, and Rossini’s Stabat Mater, and Petite Messe Solennelle.
Operatic roles have included Colin in Rousseau’s Le Devin du Village for University College London, Actéon in Charpentier’s Actéon for Morley College in London, Johnny Inkslinger in B. Britten's Paul Bunyan, Clem and Alfred in B. Britten's The Little Sweep, Larry and Matt in Mollicone’s The Face on the Barroom Floor, Father Confessor in Francis Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. |