Alexander Ashworth (Baritone)

Born: March 8, 1976 - Birmingham, England

The English baritone and singing teacher, Alexander (Alex) Ashworth, studied at Bromsgrove School. He was a Choral Scholar at St John’s College, Cambridge (Class of 1998), before winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music where he studied with Mark Wildman, Clara Taylor and Julius Drake.

Since leaving the Academy, Alexander Ashworth has worked with many of Britain’s main houses, including Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Scottish Opera and Welsh National Opera. He has also made his début for Lille Opera and Icelandic Opera. Alex also sang Marcello in Puccini's La Bohème in Palestine, Otakar in Weber's Der Freischütz at the Paris Opéra Comique and Aeneas in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas for Trevor Pinnock in the Hallé Festival.

In addition, Alexander Ashworth is an accomplished interpreter of oratorio, appearing in many of London’s major venues; including The Royal Festival Hall, The Barbican and The Royal Albert Hall (for the BBC Proms). Recently he sang the role of St Joseph in Berlioz' L‘Enfance du Christ at the Cadogan Hall with Sir Colin Davis. Recent international concert experience has included the Icelandic premiere of George Frideric Handel's Israel in Egypt, (as well as a tour of Europe with the same piece for John Eliot Gardiner); Maurice Duruflé's Requiem (also John Eliot Gardiner) touring France and Spain, and Tobit in Haydn's Il Ritorno di Tobias (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Sir Roger Norrington) in Paris, which was also recorded for DVD.

Recent engagements include Messiah in Norway, in Hereford, and with David Hill and the Leeds Philharmonic; Johannes Brahms’ Requiem in Dortmund and for The Bach Choir in London; Robert Schumann’s Manfred Symphony in Leipzig; J.S. Bach's B Minor Mass (BWV 232) touring Europe and live from the Royal Albert Hall on Radio Three, and Orff’s Carmina Burana in the Faroe Islands.

Upcoming engagements include Ralph Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem with the Hallé Orchestra and David Hill, Messiah in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, A Time There Was, a new work about the life of Benjamin Britten, in Aldeburgh and J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) touring Australia with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Alex also sings on the London Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming release of Igor Stravinsky’s Œdipus Rex.

Alongside his flourishing career as a soloist, Alexander Ashworth is actively engaged in teaching. He enjoys connecting with all singers, young and old, amateur and experienced. Since 2007, he is Professor of singing at London's Royal Academy of Music (where he has been elected an ARAM and holds the LRAM alongside his DipRAM); he is a regular Visiting Professor of singing at the Söngskóllin í Reykjavík (2002-2009) and Söngskóli Sigurðar Demetz, both in Iceland. Alex is also honoured to be a Mentor on the Monteverdi Choir's Apprenticeship Scheme. He has given lectures at the Choice for Voice Conference for the British Voice Association, and was thrilled to be invited to work with the Madrid Choral Society through the Fundaçion Excelentia in Madrid this February (2014). Alex is passionate about helping people find their voices and he is as keen to learn as he is to teach.

Alexander Ashworth married Elaine Ashworth on August 20, 2011. They currently live in London.

More Photos

Sources:
Alexander Ashworth Website
Alex Ashworth profile on Facebook
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2014)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Jonathan Cohen

Bass

Member of Arcangelo:
[V-1] (2013): BWV 232

John Eliot Gardiner

Bass

V-13 (2013): BWV 232 [2^nd recording]
V-10 (2015): BWV 232 [3^nd recording]
V-11 (2015, Video) BWV 232 [4^th recording]
[V-16] (2023, Radio recording): BWV 232 [5^th recording]
[V-14] (2016, Video): BWV 244 [2^nd recording, solo]
[V-12] (2016): BWV 244 [3^rd recording, solo]
[V-15] (2021, 2-CD+Blu-ray disc): BWV 245 [4^th recording, Pilatus]

John Eliot Gardiner

Bass

Member of Monteverdi Choir:
BCP Vol. 2: CD-1: BWV 2, BWV 10, BWV 76; CD-2: BWV 21, BWV 135
BCP Vol. 4: CD-1: BWV 9, J. Kuhnau/J.S. Bach: Motet Der Gerechte kömmt um
BCP Vol. 11: CD-2: BWV 109, BWV 38, BWV 98, BWV 188
BCP Vol. 17: CD-1: BWV 143, BWV 41, BWV 16, BWV 171; CD-2: BWV 153, BWV 58
BCP Vol. 18: CD-1: BWV 65, BWV 123; CD-2: BWV 154, BWV 124, BWV 32
BCP Vol. 24: CD-1: BWV 12, BWV 103, BWV 146; CD-2: BWV 166, BWV 108, BWV 117
BCP Vol. 25: CD-1: BWV 86, BWV 87, BWV 97
V-9 (2011): BWV 225-230, BWV Anh 159
F-1 (2013): BWV 106 [2^nd], BWV 249 [1^st]
[F-8] (2018, Audio): BWV 70a, BWV 12, BWV 81, BWV 140
V-13 (2013): BWV 232 [2^nd recording]
V-10 (2015): BWV 232 [3^nd recording]
V-11 (2015, Video) BWV 232 [4^th recording]
[V-14] (2016, Video): BWV 244 [2^nd recording]
[V-12] (2016): BWV 244 [3^rd recording]

Jonathan Sells

Bass

Member of Solomon's Knot:
[VV-1] (2013, Video): Selection from BWV 248/1,3,5,6
[VV-2] (2016, Video): BWV 243a [1^st recording]
[VV-3] (2016, Video): BWV 232
[V-1] (2018): BWV 243a [2^nd recording]
[VV-5] (2019, Video): BWV 245, J. Handl: Motet Ecce quomodo moritur
[VV-6] (2022, Video): BWV 228 [no video], BWV 229, BWV 227, BWV 226, BWV 225, J.Cph. Bach: Motet Der Gerechte, ob er gleich zu zeitlich stirbt

Links to other Sites

Alexander Ashworth - Baritone (Official Website)
Alex Ashworth on Facebook
Alexander Ashworth (Bath Choral Society)