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The English baritone, Robert Rice, was a choral scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, and a postgraduate at the Royal Academy of Music under Mark Wildman. He continued his studies with Richard Smart and Sheila Barnes.
Among the younger generation of British baritones, Robert Rice has established a reputation as an insightful interpreter of challenging repertoire. He is a valued collaborator and creator of roles in modern chamber opera and music theatre, as well as a concert singer of distinction. As a concert artist he undertakes a wide variety of repertoire. Recent concerts have included several performances of J.S. Bach’s St John Passion (BWV 245), Caantata BWV 82 Ich habe genug and Mass in G minor (BWV 232), Dvorak’s Stabat Mater and Orff’s Carmina Burana. This season (2012-2013) he sings Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem in Birmingham Symphony Hall, plus Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle and L.v. Beethoven’s Mass in C. In recital he has recently collaborated with pianist Will Vann at the London English Song Festival and York Late Music, and with guitarist Erich Schachtner in Bavaria.
Robert Rice’s stage work often involves contemporary music: he has toured Bosnia, Scotland and England with Opera Circus, appearing as Hasan in Nigel Osborne’s well-received Differences in Demolitions, and in their previous production Arcane, with music by Paul Clark. Further stage appearances include Demas in The Pilgrim’s Progress (Sadler’s Wells/Richard Hickox), Sailor in Dido and Aeneas (Chatelet/Paul McCreesh), Herakles in The Birds, Tempter in The Martyrdom of St Magnus (both for The Opera Group), title role in Darwin’s Dream (RAH), King in Eight Songs for a Mad King (South Bank). He created the Ivory Carver in Judith Bingham’s The Ivory Tree (St Edmundsbury Cathedral).
Robert Rice has recorded Judas in The Apostles with Canterbury Choral Society and the Philharmonia Orchestra. He is also featured on Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with the Southern Sinfonia and the Rodolfus Choir, and the Dufay Collective’s The Play of Daniel. His recording of Cornelius’ Die Drei Könige (The Three Kings) with the choir Polyphony is a favourite on both Classic FM and BBC Radio 3 whenever Christmas approaches. A skilled arranger of vocal music in many genres, he is published by Novello & Co. Ltd. |
