Andrew Ashwin, baritone
The largest ovation of the night was earned by
baritone Andrew Ashwin for a top notch reading of "Junius." This young performer, with his robust,
focused voice and a strapping presence, seems on the verge of a major career.
(James Sohre, Opera Now /
video:
Britten:
3 excerpts from The Beggar's Opera
(also on youtube)
Strauss: Lieben, Hassen, Hoffen, Zagen (Ariadne
auf Naxos) NEW 9/08
Puccini: O Mimì, tu più non torni (La Bohème) (with Keith Ikaia-Purdy) (also on youtube)
Sullivan:
I am
the very model of a modern Major General (The Pirates of Penzance) (also on youtube)
Sullivan:
We are called gondolieri (The Gondoliers) (with Keith Ikaia-Purdy) (also on youtube)
Donizetti:
Duet Malatesta - Pasquale (Don
Pasquale) (with Jéremie Lesage)
Schubert:
Du bist die Ruh (with Justus Frantz) (also on youtube) NEW 2/08
Schubert:
Gute Nacht (Winterreise) (with Justus Frantz) (also on youtube) NEW 2/08
Schubert:
Lindenbaum (Winterreise) (with Justus Frantz) (also on youtube) NEW 2/08
Korngold:
Das schlafende Kind (also on youtube)
audio:
Britten:
Lucretia,
I'm sick of that name! (The Rape
of Lucretia) NEW 3/08
Britten:
Romans,
arise! See what the Etruscans have done! (The Rape of Lucretia) NEW 3/08
Britten:
In peace I have found my image (Owen
Wingrave)
Händel:
Behold, by Persi's hero made
(Belshazzar)
Händel:
To pow'r immortal (Belshazzar)
Händel:
Like as the smoke vanisheth (Let
God arise) NEW 5/07
website:
Andrew grew
up in the north-east of
In
the season 2007/2008 he made a highly successful debut at the Frankfurt Opera
as Junius within a new production by Dale Duesing of The Rape of Lucretia.
In February 2008 he sang Schubert’s Winterreise with renown pianist and
conductor Justus Frantz.
In
the season 2008/2009 he will be member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he has sung in the gala concert opening
the season and will be heard as Morales in a new production of Carmen,
Marullo in Rigoletto, Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos, Papageno in the
version for children in Die Zauberflöte and other both
smaller and middle-sized roles.
In
October 2008 he sang Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte for the
opening of the Bad Urach Festival /
In
February 2009 he will be making his debut with Opera Ireland as Mercutio in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.
From
2006 until June 2008 he was member of the prestigious Zurich Opera Studio and
could be heard at the Zurich Opera House in various operas, including a new
production of Ariadne auf Naxos, as Mackheath in Britten's
Beggar's Opera and in the role of the Forester in an adaptation
for children of Leos Janácek's The Cunning Little Vixen.
During
summer 2007 he sang arias and duets in open air gala concerts in front of
German castles in
A
CD on the Naxos with Handel Chandos anthems in which Andrew sings
alongside James Bowman and a DVD of Ariadne auf Naxos with Christoph
von Dohnányi have been released in 2007.
During
the season 2005/2006 he took part at the Flanders International Opera Studio in
the city of
On
stage Andrew has played both Figaro and Count Almaviva in The
Marriage of Figaro, the title role in Don Giovanni,
Papageno in The Magic Flute, Marcello in La Bohème,
Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Mr Trulove in The Rake’s
Progress and Micha in The Bartered Bride. Extracts include Dr Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Don
Cassandro in La Finta Semplice and Dr Dulcamara in L'Elisir
d'amore.
He
has appeared as soloist with choirs including Hertfordshire Chorus (Brahms Requiem,
2004), Cirencester Choral Society (Samson, 2002), Winchester
Music Society (King Arthur, 2004), Newcastle Bach Choir (Belshazzar,
2005), English Baroque Choir (Dixit Dominus, 2004), Ely Choral
Society (St John Passion, 2004), Southend Bach Choir (Messiah,
2003), Leighton Buzzard Choral Society (Duruflé Requiem, 2005),
Birmingham University Singers (Israel in Egypt, 2004), Arun
Choral Society (Mozart Requiem, 2005) and St Ives
Choral Society (Duruflé Requiem, 2004). In December 2004
Andrew was delighted to return to
He
has also appeared with the acclaimed
In
Summer 2004 Andrew was awarded with distinction the Licentiate of the Royal
Schools of Music Diploma in Performance, and at the Royal College of Music he
was sponsored by the John Lewis Partnership and the Anthony Saltmarsh Award.
Recently
Andrew performed a series of solo recitals in Cambridgeshire and
He
has performed in master classes with David Owen Norris, Sarah Walker, Peter
Harvey and Iain Burnside at the Royal College of Music, and he is
delighted to have been coached by the distinguished pianists Malcolm Martineau
and Roger Vignoles.
Andrew
has worked as soloist alongside many internationally renowned singers, and has
sung under the baton of Bernard Haitink, Christoph von Dohnányi, Maurizio
Barbacini and Carlo Rizzi.
November
2008