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Previous Winners: Marcus Farnsworth

“Career wise, it’s been non-stop since the Wigmore Competition in 2009. I can’t believe it’s been two years already, the time has just flown past! I have just graduated from the opera school at the Royal Academy of Music (I was literally in week one of that course when the competition took place). Despite being in full time study, my professional engagements have been stacking up and this is due in no small way to the competition.

Recital wise I have been very busy, and with a wide range of pianists; Julius Drake, Graham Johnson, Iain Burnside, Simon Lepper, as well as continuing my work with my regular colleagues James Baillieu and Elizabeth Burgess. I have appeared at the Wigmore several times in the last two years, and next year I will be appearing in the Britten Festival with Julius Drake and Malcolm Martineau, as well as in a concert performance of Dido and Aeneas with the Early Opera Company. I have given recitals all over the country, including the Aldeburgh, Buxton, Newbury and Oundle Festivals, as well as the Oxford Lieder Festival.

I have been equally busy in opera and concert of late. I’m currently touring a new production of Greek by Mark-Anthony Turnage with Music Theatre Wales. Later this year I will be performing the title role in Britten’s Owen Wingrave at the International Chamber Music Festival in Nuremberg, and looking further ahead I will be performing Novice’s Friend in a new production of Billy Budd for English National Opera, as well as concert performances as Kilian in Der Freischütz with the LSO and Sir Colin Davis, and as Sid in Albert Herring with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Steuart Bedford.

I have also had the great pleasure of working with the Academy of Ancient Music this year. I performed in their St John Passion with the choir of Kings College Cambridge, and we have recently completed a tour which included Bach Cantata 82 Ich habe Genug. I shall be appearing with them again this summer at the Three Choirs Festival in Worcester. I have also appeared with Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort in the St John Passion, and I shall be performing the Matthew Passion with them later this year in Lausanne.

This is the sort of career that I have always dreamed of; a balance of opera, concert and recital work, encompassing a broad range of music and working with really first rate colleagues. I can’t thank the Wigmore Hall enough for the part they have played in helping me start out on this path.”

Marcus Farnsworth

 

Marcus Farnsworth is represented by Maxine Robertson Management. For further information on Marcus please see his biography on his agent's website