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The English counter-tenor, William Purefoy, ia a graduate of Magdalen College Oxford and Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and a winner of the NFMS Young Concert Artists Award.
With an established reputation in the UK, including performances with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Hanover Band, The English Concert and The Sixteen, William Purefoy is also frequently to be seen internationally with concerts, recitals and operatic appearances in New Zealand, America, France, Austria, Germany and Switzerland, and his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2008.
His international engagements have included Truth in Triumph of Time and Truth in Triumph of Beauty and Deceit in Kahlsruhe, a new play Le 6ème in Continent at the Bouffes du Nord in Paris, Arsamene in Serse for New Zealand Opera, Ottone in L’Incoronazione di Poppea for Theater Basel, Ptolemy in Guilio Cesare and Dr Nice in Evening Hymn for Staatsoper Hannover, while highlights of his UK appearances include Sir Philip Sydney in Harle’s Angel Magick (directed by David Pountney at the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms), Xerxes and Orlando for Iford Arts, Apollo in W.A. Mozart's Apollo and Hyacinth for Opera Theatre Company and Classical Opera Company, Ascanio in W.A. Mozart's Ascanio in Alba, and George Frideric Handel’ roles Athamas in Semele, Lychas in Hercules, Arsace in Partenope and Hamor in Jephthe for Buxton Festival. In addition he appeared as Ernesto in Il Mondo Della Luna for Garsington Opera, while for Scottish Opera he sang Andronico in Tamerlano and Antonio in Gesualdo and he has appeared frequently at Shakespeare's Globe.
His many recordings to date have included Arvo Pärt’s Stabat Mater (Theatre of Voices/Harmonia Mundi), Dietrich Buxtehude Scandinavian Cantatas (Theatre of Voices/Da Capo), Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G Minor (Richard Hickox/Chandos), Boyce’s Ode for Saint Cecilia's Day and David's Lamentation Over Saul and Jonathan (The Hanover Band/ASV Gaudeamus), Rosie Blood (John Harle Terror and Magnificence/Decca Argo) and the role of Spirit in Dido and Aeneas (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Chandos). He was featured in the television series In Search of Shakespeare and the film Young Victoria and has given recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Barbican and Purcell Room as well as in Innsbruck and Graz.
Future plans include Hamor in Jephthe for the Boston Handel and Haydn Society and a new play Gabriel at Shakespeare's Globe. |
