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The English counter-tenor, Owen Willetts, began singing as a choral scholar at Lichfield Cathedral and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he spent four years studying with Noelle Barker, Iain Leadingham and David Lowe.
Owen Willetts has worked with many of the leading names in historical performance, including Laurence Cummings, Christian Curnyn, Emmanuelle Haïm, Marc Minkowski, Martin Pearlman, Howard Arman and Raphaël Pichon. He has performed concerts across the world, including: J.S. Bach's Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) and Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244); a concert of J.S. Bach solo cantatas for alto, Purcell’s Ode to St Cecilia, and W.A. Mozart's Mass in C Minor for Les Musiciens du Louvre and Marc Minkowski; George Frideric Handel's Teseo (Egeo) in Moscow; G.F. Handel's Messiah and J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248) for the Telemann Chamber Orchestra, Japan; G.F. Handel's Orlando (title role) for the Vancouver Early Music Festival (concert performance and CD recording); Alessandro Scarlatti's Penelope la Casta and G.F. Handel's Rinaldo (Eustazio) for the Lautten Compagney Berlin; G.F. Handel's Giulio Cesare (Tolomeo) for Bonn Opera House; G.F. Handel's Messiah for the Portland Baroque Orchestra and Monica Huggett; Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's Stabat Mater with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, G.F. Handel's Deborah for Laurence Cummings and the London Handel Festival; the role of Arioco in Falvetti’s Nabucco for Leonardo García-Alarcón; and G.F. Handel's Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno at The Halle Handel Festival.
On the opera stage Owen Willetts has performed the role of Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea for Christian Curnyn and the Iford Arts Festival; Anfinomus and Humano Fragilitata in Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno di Ulysses in Patria for Graham Vick and the Birmingham Opera Company; the title role in G.F. Handel's Orlando for the Halle Opera House and the Halle Handel Festival; a staged production of J.S. Bach's Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) and Purcell’s The Fairy Queen for the Dutch National Reisopera; the role of Unulfo in G.F. Handel's Rodelinda for Christian Curnyn and the Iford Arts Festival and was a soloist in Emmanuelle Haïm's tour of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen. Owen has sung the title role in G.F. Handel's Giulio Cesare for the Finnish National Opera, made his American debut to critical acclaim singing the title role in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice for Boston Baroque conducted by Martin Pearlman. He returned to America and Boston Baroque to sing the role of Arsace in G.F. Handel's Partenope; sang in a staged production of Benjamin Britten's canticles for Vladimir Jurowski and the Glyndebourne Festival; sang role the Helicon in Glanert’s Caligula for Hannover Staatsoper; Narciso in G.F. Handel's Agrippina for the Göttingen Handel Festival and the Brisbane Baroque Festival, Australia; was the voice of Farinelli in the Globe’s production of Farinelli and the King in London’s West End; Tullio in G.F. Handel's Arminio for the Karlsruhe Händelfestspiele; Andronico in G.F. Handel's Tamerlano for the Buxton Festival and Laurence Cummings, and the title role in G.F. Handel's Orlando for Heilbronn Theater, Germany.
Upcoming engagements include a concert performance of, concert performances of G.F. Handel's Giustino (Giustino) for the Lautten Compagney Berlin and the Halle Händlefestspiele; the title role in G.F. Handel's Orlando for the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, and the role of Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea for Pinchgut Opera, Sydney. |
