# Nicholas Clapton > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nicholas_Clapton > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nicholas_Clapton.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Clapton > Source revision: 1323991558 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|English singer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Nicholas Clapton | image = Nicholas Clapton in Kotor 2001.jpg | alt = | caption = Nicholas Clapton performing in Kotor, Montenegro 2001 | image_size = | landscape = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|09|16}} | birth_place = | origin = | death_date = | death_place = | genre = | occupation = | instrument = | years_active = | label = | associated_acts = | website = }} '''Nicholas Clapton''' (born 16 September 1955) is an English [countertenor](/source/countertenor), singing-teacher and author. == Life and career == Clapton was born in [Worcester](/source/Worcester%2C_England), England, and read music at [Magdalen College, Oxford](/source/Magdalen_College%2C_Oxford). He studied singing with David Mason and Diane Forlano, and made his professional debut at the [Wigmore Hall](/source/Wigmore_Hall) in 1984. In the following year, he was a double prize-winner at the Concurso "Francisco Viñas"{{Cite web|url=http://www.tenorvinas.com/ca/19841985|title = 1984/1985 | Concurs Tenor Viñas}} in [Barcelona](/source/Barcelona), and in 1987 won the English Song Award.see Musical Times, vol 128, no 1734 (August 1987), p443 Clapton is particularly known for countertenor roles in contemporary opera, the heroic [castrato](/source/castrato) repertoire of the eighteenth century, and romantic art song (in partnership with the pianist Jennifer Partridge). He has performed in major [opera house](/source/opera_house)s and [concert hall](/source/concert_hall)s around the world, and has given over forty world premières (including six operas). Unusual events in his career have included: a [Purcell](/source/Henry_Purcell) concert in that composer's tercentenary year in a former Palace of Culture in [Siberia](/source/Siberia); playing three different reincarnations of the great castrato [Farinelli](/source/Farinelli); and accompanying himself on the [castanets](/source/castanets) in [Simon Holt](/source/Simon_Holt)'s ''Six Caprices''. In concert and oratorio, as well as major works by [Bach](/source/Bach) and Handel, Clapton's repertoire includes [Wagner](/source/Wagner)'s ''[Wesendonck Lieder](/source/Wesendonck_Lieder)'', [Elgar](/source/Elgar)'s ''[Sea Pictures](/source/Sea_Pictures)'', [Vaughan Williams](/source/Vaughan_Williams)' ''[Five Mystical Songs](/source/Five_Mystical_Songs)'' and the [Verdi ''Requiem''](/source/Giuseppe_Verdi). Having taught for several years at [Trinity College of Music](/source/Trinity_College_of_Music) in London, Nicholas Clapton was also a professor of Singing at the [Royal Academy of Music](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Music) until 2015. He gave classes at the [Dartington](/source/Dartington) International Summer School for over twenty years, and until 2013 was a visiting professor at the [Zeneakadémia](/source/Zeneakad%C3%A9mia) in [Budapest](/source/Budapest). He has also taught in [Prague](/source/Prague), [Belgrade](/source/Belgrade) and the Netherlands. His 2004 biography of [Alessandro Moreschi](/source/Alessandro_Moreschi) was chosen by the ''Tablet'' magazine as one of its Books of the Year for 2005; (it was re-issued in a larger second edition as ''Moreschi and the Voice of the Castrato'' in 2008{{Cite web|url=https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/on-our-shelves/book/9781905791422/moreschi-and-the-voice-of-the-castrato|title=London Review Bookshop}}). In June 2005 Clapton became a Doctor of Liberal Arts of the Liszt Ferenc Music University, Budapest. In 2006 he presented the documentary ''Castrato'' for [BBC Four](/source/BBC_Four) television, and curated the exhibition ''Handel and the Castrati'' at the [Handel House Museum](/source/Handel_House_Museum), London.{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4853432.stm|title = Singing in the pain|date = 29 March 2006}} His second book, ''Budapest, City of Music'', was published in March 2009.{{cite web |url=https://www.hauspublishing.com/travel-writing/budapest-by-nicholas-clapton/ |title=Budapest - Haus Publishing |website=www.hauspublishing.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121173512/https://hauspublishing.com/travel-writing/budapest-by-nicholas-clapton/ |archive-date=2021-01-21}} == Discography == * [Gerald Barry](/source/Gerald_Barry_(composer)): ''The Intelligence Park'' (NMC)[http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/n/nmc00122a.html] and ''The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit'' (Largo) * [Maurice Duruflé](/source/Maurice_Durufl%C3%A9): ''Requiem'' (CRD) * [Nicola LeFanu](/source/Nicola_LeFanu): ''Canción de la Luna'' (Naxos) * [Nicola Porpora](/source/Nicola_Porpora): ''Cantatas'' (Hungaroton) == References == {{Reflist}} * [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20060406/ai_n16195905 article about castrati, quoting Clapton] * Clapton, Nicholas: ''Moreschi, the Last Castrato'' (Haus Publications, Life and Times series, London, 2004) {{ISBN|1-904341-77-2}} == External links == * [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4853432.stm article about ''Handel and the Castrati'' at the Handel House Museum, London, curated by Nicholas Clapton] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Clapton, Nicholas}} Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:Writers from Worcester, England Category:English male singers Category:Operatic countertenors Category:Academics of the Royal Academy of Music Category:Academics of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Category:Musicians from Worcester, England --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nicholas Clapton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Clapton) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Clapton?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.