Robert Rice

Baritone

"Thank you so much for your wonderful singing on Saturday. We all greatly enjoyed working with you and your performance was full of intensity and drama and dignity." - Christus (St Matthew Passion) York Minster / Philip Moore (March 2009)

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. Having been 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.

As a concert artist Robert undertakes a wide variety of repertoire. Highlights of a busy 2008 have included Haydn’s Seasons in Hereford, Bach's St Matthew Passion in Oxford and London, Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem at King's College, Verdi's Requiem in London and Messiaen's La Transfiguration at the BBC Proms and the Royal Festival Hall. This season he has sung Abelard in Elizabeth Maconchy's Héloïse et Abélard at LSO St Luke's, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Vaughan Williams' Five Tudor Portraits, Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610, and Peter in Elgar's The Apostles at Westminster Cathedral.

His 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 The Pilgrim's Progress (Sadler's Wells/Hickox), Sailor Dido and Aeneas (Chatelet/McCreesh), Herakles The Birds, Tempter The Martyrdom of St Magnus (both for The Opera Group), title role Darwin's Dream (RAH), King Eight Songs for a Mad King (South Bank). He created the Ivory Carver in Judith Bingham's The Ivory Tree (St Edmundsbury Cathedral).

Robert has recorded Judas 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.