Tobias Nilsson (Counter-tenor)

Born: 1975 - Gothenburg (Göteborg), Sweden

The Swedish counter-tenor, Tobias Nilsson, spent his early years there. He studied music at the Hvitfeldtska Gymnasiet high school and is a qualified church musician and organist (Ersta & Sköndal University College 1998, University College of Music, Gothenburg University 2002) but throughout his student career specialised mainly in singing. His teachers includes Mikael Bellini, Kai Wessel and MariAnne Häggander. He has also attended master-classes taken by Barbara Schlick, Michael Chance, Emma Kirkby and Andreas Scholl.

Tobias Nilsson is much in evidence as an oratorio and cantata soloist. He concentrates mainly on Baroque music, but has also given premiere performances of new compositions.

During Bach Year 2000 Tobias Nilsson performed a Bach programme at a festival in Albenga, Italy. In 2001 he created the part of Télème in Nya Utomjordiska's production of J.B. Lully's Acis et Galatée, and he has also taken part in several other operatic productions. In the summer of 2003 he and lutenist Anders Ericson went on a tour comprising more than ten concerts and with Monteverdi and Schütz among the composers represented. During 2004 he appeared in two productions at the Gothenburg Opera, namely as vocal soloist in the ballet production RE: Baroque, and as the Falcon in R. Strauss's opera Die Frau ohne Schatten, directed by Yannis Houvardas. In the summer of 2005 he spent most of his time with two vocal ensembles, ensemble ART and Lamentabile Consort.

Tobias Nilsson has also been active in several vocal groups, specialising in Renaissance music, and he has a long list of CD credits.

Tobias Nilsson's programme for autumn 2005 includes George Frideric Handel's Dixit Dominus and Messiah (both together with Göteborg Baroque and J.S. Bach's cantata for solo alto Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust (BWV 170).

Source: Tobias Nilsson Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (September 2005)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

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Works

Links to other Sites

Tobias Nilsson - countertenor (Official Website) [Swedish/English]