Richard Strivens

Bass

NEWS May 2005 - Opening the Bury St Edmunds Festival 2005, THE IVORY TREE celebrates the building of the new spire of St Edmundsbury Cathedral. Richard is creating the role of Abbot Samson in the world premiere of Judith Bingham's The Ivory Tree. This wonderful and mystical music drama interweaves the stories of St Edmund, the ninth century teenage King of East Anglia, played by Tim Garrard (counter tenor), The Ivory Carver (Robert Rice, baritone) who created the Bury Cross from 8th Century sacred walrus ivory in the 12th Century and the then Abbot, Samson.

Abbot Samson's words are taken from the contemporary chronicles of Chaplain Jocelyn, which Judith Bingham has set giving a vivid impression of Samson's devout and troubled nature at the time he heard about the fall of Christian Jerusalem .

"Richard Strivens was splendid in The Apostles, and so right for the part." (Jesus)
(ELGAR The Apostles - Windsor & Eton Choral Society - March 2005)

"Bass, Richard Strivens, as this oratorio's Jesus, provided several of the huge emotional highlights of this whole presentation, especially his response to Peter's declaration, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God' - a heartfelt climatic moment among so many."
(ELGAR The Apostles - Windsor & Eton Choral Society - March 2005)

"...impressed with a performance of moving sincerity."
(Verdi Requiem - South Chiltern Choral Society - March 2003)

"...displayed rich sonority and great sensitivity as Jesus."
(BACH St Matthew Passion - Good Friday 2003)

Richard Strivens was born in Thanet, graduated from Oxford University in Chemistry. He studied at the National Opera Studio, the Royal Northern College of Music, the Britten-Pears School, and EurOperaStudio, Milan.

He has sung Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress for English Touring Opera, Don Giovanni for Ryedale Festival Opera, Strojník in Vec Makropulos for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Colline in La Bohème for Scottish Opera on Tour, Masetto in Don Giovanni for Cologne Opera and Tergisto in Pallavicino’s Messalina at the Batignano Festival in Italy. Other operatic roles include Mozart’s Figaro, Ryedale Festival and Count for Pimlico Opera, Simone (La finta semplice) for the Classical Opera Company, Dikoj (Kát’a Kabanová), Vermeer (The Second Mrs Kong), Collatinus (The Rape of Lucretia), Hel Helson (Paul Bunyan), Noah (Noye’s Fludde), the bass roles in The Martyrdom of St Magnus for The Opera Company, Tiridate (Radamisto); Zoroastro (Orlando) and Ariodate (Serse) with the Cambridge Handel Opera Group; Le Gouverneur (Le Comte Ory), Zuniga (Carmen) at Clonter Opera Farm and Don Quichotte. He appeared as Giovanni in Channel 4’s Don Giovanni Masterclass with Sir Thomas Allen.

Concerts include The Dream of Gerontius, St David’s Cathedral Festival; The Apostles at Eton College with Ralph Allwood, Bach Ich habe genug, St Matthew Passion, Christmas Oratorio with the Nicholas Cleobury and the Britten Sinfonia; Bach Magnificat with the Northern Sinfonia and Nicholas McGegan; Strauss Deutsche Motette and Messiah with the Joyful Company of Singers; The Creation, St John and St Matthew Passions; Purcell Jehova quam multi sunt omnes at the St Endellion Festival; Rossini Stabat Mater, Canterbury and Guildford Cathedrals; Verdi Requiem, Bridgewater Hall; Elijah, Ein deutsches Requiem, Saint-Saëns Christmas Oratorio, York Minster; Berlioz L’enfance du Christ.

Richard has worked for the Glyndebourne Education Department on Misper and The Second Mrs Kong and Don Giovanni workshops, he also sang in Norwich Theatre Royal Don Giovanni Schools’ Project run by Peter Wilson and Howard Moody. On tour with Scottish Opera, he worked with local schools on La Bohème and for ENO sang Barney in The Silver Tassie, for the composer’s orchestral workshop with Paul Daniel. For The Opera Group Richard worked with Frazer Trainer on The Martyrdom of St Magnus workshops.