William Purefoy

William Purefoy with a reputation consolidated by successful appearances in the UK with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Hanover Band, The English Concert and The Sixteen. William Purefoy is also generating a strong international following, with recitals and operatic appearances in Austria, Germany and Switzerland and made his début at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2008.

A graduate of Magdalen College, Oxford and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, he was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and a winner of the NFMS Young Concert Artists Award.

His international operatic engagements have included Ottone L’Incoronazione di Poppea for Theater Basel, Ptolemy Guilio Cesare and Dr Nice Evening Hymn for the Staatsoper Hannover, while highlights of his UK appearances include Sir Philip Sydney in Harle’s Angel Magick (directed by David Pountney at the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms), Apollo in Mozart’s Apollo and Hyacinth for Opera Theatre Company, Ascanio Mozart’s

Ascanio in Alba and the Handel roles Athamas Semele, Lychas Hercules and Arsace Partenope for the Buxton Festival. In addition he appeared as Ernesto Il Mondo Della Luna for Garsington Opera, while for Scottish Opera he sang Andronico Tamerlano and Antonio Gesualdo.

His many recordings to date have included Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G Minor (Hickox/Chandos), Boyce’s Ode for Saint Cecilia’s Day and David’s Lamentation Over Saul and Jonathan (Hanover Band/ASV Gaudeamus), Rosie Blood (John Harle Terror and Magnificence/Decca Argo) and the role of Spirit Dido and Aeneas (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Chandos).

He has given recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Barbican and Purcell Room as well as in Innsbruck and Graz.