Charles Humphries

As a soloist Charles Humphries has worked with numerous distinguished conductors and directors including Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Richard Hickox, Paul McCreesh, Robert King, Rinaldo Allessandrini, Nicholas McGegan, James O'Donnell, Trevor Pinnock and Lars Ulrik Mortensen. Mr. Humphries' engagements last season included concerts of music by Henry Purcell at the Chapel Royal throughout the UK and Europe; recitals and concerts in the Larvik Early music festival, Norway; he continues his relationship with the National Opera of Lithuania performing the Alto role in JS Bach's 'Saint Johannes Passion' (co-production with Le Chatelet, Paris); a return to the Lufthansa Festival of Music, London, solo roles in Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 and La Spozolizio a Venetian reconstruction for the marriage of the Lagoon to the Doge in Venice. He made his debut in China last autumn with JS Bach's B minor Mass and he also performed the title role in a performance of Vivaldi's Il Guistino' in Latvia. Mr Humphries sang the solo role in Handel's 'Israel In Egypt' on a tour of Paris and Brussels with The Kings Consort and appeared in concert at the National Philharmonic concert hall, Vilnius, singing the song cycle 'Der Cornet', by Frank Martin, under the distinguished director, Donatus Katkus, for solo Alto and orchestra. Future engagements include Lute song recitals of Spanish and English music throughout Lithuania, Italy and London, concerts of Bach and Vivaldi cantatas at the Nida Sacred Music festival and a programme of early German works for chamber ensemble throughout Europe. He will return to the Haapsalu festival, Estonia, for Handel's Theodora and he will make his debut at the 3 choir's festival this summer at Worcester Cathedral before flying to the Seychelles to give recitals and concerts at the Seychelles International Music festival (SIMF). Past operatic engagements have included the role of Delfa in Cavalli's Giasone at the Megaron in Athens and the title role of Pompeo in Pompeo Magno at the Varazdin Festival of Baroque Music in Croatia; Lichas in Hercules at the Hans-Otto Theater, Potsdam; Lucio Silla in Lucio Silla at the Handel Festival Karlsruhe; Tamerlano (Tamerlano); The Sorceress (Dido and Aeneas); Ptolomeo in Giulio Cesare with the Norwegian National Opera; and Hamor in Hndel's Jephtha with the English National Opera. Future plans are also being discussed concerning Handel's Ezio in 2009.Mr. Humphries' discography includes Handel's Jephtha and Judas Maccabaeus (K & K Verlagsanstalt)Messiah (Capriccio), Vivaldi Cantatas (ASV), Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers, as well as the various Venetian reconstructions with the Gabrieli and King's Consorts. Archival performances include Handel's Judas Maccabaeus recorded for Slovenian television, Cavalli's Pompeo Magna and music by Purcell for Croation television and Buxtehude's "Membra Jesu Nostra" for Lithuanian television. As well as his singing, Mr Humphries is the Director of Baroque Music at theSIMF and offers lectures and master classes on the music of his period. Over the past few months he has developed and secured future relationships and master classes with the Conservatoires of the Seychelles, Lithuania and nearer to home, South West Music School, a specialist music programme for young talented musicians.