# Tim Mead

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**Tim Mead** (born 1981) is an English [countertenor](/source/Countertenor).

## Life and career

Tim Mead was born in Chelmsford, [Essex](/source/Essex) and began singing as a treble in the choir of [Chelmsford Cathedral](/source/Chelmsford_Cathedral).[1] He was educated at [King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford](/source/King_Edward_VI_Grammar_School_(Chelmsford)) and the Junior Department of [Trinity College of Music](/source/Trinity_College_of_Music) where he studied cello and piano. He was an undergraduate at [King's College, Cambridge](/source/King's_College,_Cambridge), where he was a [choral scholar](/source/Choral_scholar) studying [musicology](/source/Musicology). After graduating, he won a number of scholarships for post-graduate studies at the [Royal College of Music](/source/Royal_College_of_Music) where he studied with [Robin Blaze](/source/Robin_Blaze).[2]

Mead has performed with many leading interpreters including conductors [Howard Arman](/source/Howard_Arman), [Harry Bicket](/source/Harry_Bicket), [Ivor Bolton](/source/Ivor_Bolton), [William Christie](/source/William_Christie_(musician)), [Stephen Cleobury](/source/Stephen_Cleobury), [Marcus Creed](/source/Marcus_Creed), [Laurence Cummings](/source/Laurence_Cummings), Christian Curnyn, [Alan Curtis](/source/Alan_Curtis_(harpsichordist)), [Ottavio Dantone](/source/Ottavio_Dantone), [Paul Goodwin](/source/Paul_Goodwin_(conductor)), [Emmanuelle Haïm](/source/Emmanuelle_Ha%C3%AFm), [Thomas Hengelbrock](/source/Thomas_Hengelbrock), [Vladimir Jurowski](/source/Vladimir_Jurowski), [Bernard Labadie](/source/Bernard_Labadie), [Raymond Leppard](/source/Raymond_Leppard), [Nicholas Kraemer](/source/Nicholas_Kraemer), Alessandro de Marchi, [Nicholas McGegan](/source/Nicholas_McGegan), [Marc Minkowski](/source/Marc_Minkowski), [James O'Donnell](/source/James_O'Donnell_(organist)), [Antonio Pappano](/source/Antonio_Pappano), [Hans-Christoph Rademann](/source/Hans-Christoph_Rademann), [Andreas Spering](/source/Andreas_Spering), [Masaaki Suzuki](/source/Masaaki_Suzuki) and [Jos van Veldhoven](/source/Jos_van_Veldhoven). He has collaborated with opera directors including [David Alden](/source/David_Alden), [Robert Carsen](/source/Robert_Carsen), [Doris Dörrie](/source/Doris_D%C3%B6rrie), Stephen Langridge, [David McVicar](/source/David_McVicar), [Katie Mitchell](/source/Katie_Mitchell), Ole Anders Tandberg, [Deborah Warner](/source/Deborah_Warner) and [Chen Shi-Zheng](/source/Chen_Shi-Zheng).[3]

He has appeared with ensembles including [Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment](/source/Orchestra_of_the_Age_of_Enlightenment), the [Academy of Ancient Music](/source/Academy_of_Ancient_Music), [The English Concert](/source/The_English_Concert), [Les Arts Florissants](/source/Les_Arts_Florissants_(ensemble)), [Le Concert d'Astrée](/source/Le_Concert_d'Astr%C3%A9e), [Les Musiciens du Louvre](/source/Les_Musiciens_du_Louvre), [Concerto Köln](/source/Concerto_K%C3%B6ln), [Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin](/source/Akademie_f%C3%BCr_Alte_Musik_Berlin), [Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble](/source/Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble), [Accademia Bizantina](/source/Accademia_Bizantina), [Bach Collegium Japan](/source/Bach_Collegium_Japan), the [Netherlands Bach Society](/source/Netherlands_Bach_Society), Combattimento Consort Amsterdam, [RIAS Kammerchor](/source/RIAS_Kammerchor), and the [Pygmalion Ensemble](/source/Pygmalion_(ensemble)).

In September 2016 Mead sang in Bach's [Mass in B minor](/source/Mass_in_B_minor) as part of [The BBC Proms](/source/The_Proms).[4]

Mead is a founding member of The Prince Consort.[5] The consort have recorded works by [Ned Rorem](/source/Ned_Rorem), [Brahms](/source/Brahms) and [Stephen Hough](/source/Stephen_Hough).

## Opera roles

Mead's opera roles to date have included:[6]

- Boy/Angel 1 in [George Benjamin](/source/George_Benjamin_(composer))'s "[Written on Skin](/source/Written_on_Skin)" ([Theatre du Capitole](/source/Theatre_du_Capitole), [Mostly Mozart Festival](/source/Mostly_Mozart_Festival) and [Bolshoi Theatre](/source/Bolshoi_Theatre) )
- Endimione in [Francesco Cavalli](/source/Francesco_Cavalli)'s *[La Calisto](/source/La_Calisto)* ([Bayerische Staatsoper](/source/Bayerische_Staatsoper), Teatro Real, Madrid)[7]
- Paggio in Cavalli's *[Ercole amante](/source/Ercole_amante)* (De Nederlandse Opera)[8]
- Arsamene in Cavalli's *[Il Xerse](/source/Il_Xerse)* ([Opera de Lille](/source/Opera_de_Lille), [Théâtre de Caen](/source/Th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre_de_Caen), [Theater an der Wien](/source/Theater_an_der_Wien))
- Innocent in [Harrison Birtwistle](/source/Harrison_Birtwistle)'s *[The Minotaur](/source/The_Minotaur_(opera))* ([Royal Opera, London](/source/Royal_Opera,_London))
- Oberon in [Benjamin Britten](/source/Benjamin_Britten)'s "[A Midsummer Night's Dream](/source/A_Midsummer_Night's_Dream)" (Glyndebourne Festival Opera, [Opera Philadelphia](/source/Opera_Philadelphia) and [Bergen National Opera](/source/Bergen_National_Opera))
- Voice of Apollo in [Benjamin Britten](/source/Benjamin_Britten)'s "[Death in Venice](/source/Death_in_Venice)" ([English National Opera](/source/English_National_Opera) and [Dutch National Opera](/source/Dutch_National_Opera))
- Ometh in [John Casken](/source/John_Casken)'s *Golem* (Opera de Rennes and [Angers-Nantes Opéra](/source/Angers-Nantes_Op%C3%A9ra))
- Ulisse in Corselli's *Achille in Sciro* (Teatro Real, Madrid)
- Orfeo in [Gluck](/source/Gluck)'s *[Orfeo ed Euridice](/source/Orfeo_ed_Euridice)* ([Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin](/source/Akademie_f%C3%BCr_Alte_Musik_Berlin))
- Admeto in [Handel](/source/Handel)'s *[Admeto](/source/Admeto)* ([Göttingen International Handel Festival](/source/G%C3%B6ttingen_International_Handel_Festival) and [Edinburgh International Festival](/source/Edinburgh_International_Festival))[9]
- Amadigi in Handel's *Amadigi* (Early Opera Company)
- Dardano in Handel's *Amadigi* (Garsington Opera)
- Trasimede in Handel's *Admeto* ([Handel Festival, Halle](/source/Handel_Festival,_Halle))
- Ottone in Handel's *[Agrippina](/source/Agrippina_(opera))* ([Opéra de Lille](/source/Op%C3%A9ra_de_Lille), [Opéra de Dijon](/source/Op%C3%A9ra_de_Dijon) and [Vlaamse Opera](/source/Vlaamse_Opera))[10]
- Ezio in Handel's *[Ezio](/source/Ezio_(Handel))* (London Handel Festival)[11]
- Flavio in Handel's *[Flavio](/source/Flavio)* ([Early Opera Company](/source/Early_Opera_Company))
- Cesare in Handel's *[Giulio Cesare](/source/Giulio_Cesare)* ([Glyndebourne Festival Opera](/source/Glyndebourne_Festival_Opera))
- Tolomeo in Handel's *Giulio Cesare* ([Deutsche Oper am Rhein](/source/Deutsche_Oper_am_Rhein) and [English National Opera](/source/English_National_Opera))
- Idelberto in Handel's *[Lotario](/source/Lotario_(Handel))* ([Kammerorchester Basel](/source/Kammerorchester_Basel))
- Hamor in Handel's *[Jeptha](/source/Jeptha)* ([Opéra National de Paris](/source/Op%C3%A9ra_National_de_Paris))
- Orlando in Handel's *Orlando* ([Scottish Opera](/source/Scottish_Opera)[12][13] and [Chicago Opera Theater](/source/Chicago_Opera_Theater))
- Riccardo in Handel's *[Riccardo Primo](/source/Riccardo_Primo)* ([Opera Theatre of St. Louis](/source/Opera_Theatre_of_St._Louis))
- Oronte in Handel's *[Riccardo Primo](/source/Riccardo_Primo)* (Kammerorchester Basel)
- Rinaldo in Handel's *[Rinaldo](/source/Rinaldo_(opera))* ([Bach Collegium Japan](/source/Bach_Collegium_Japan))
- Goffredo in Handel's *Rinaldo* (Glyndebourne Festival Opera)
- Eustazio in Handel's *Rinaldo* (Glyndebourne Festival Opera)[14]
- Bertarido in Handel's *[Rodelinda](/source/Rodelinda_(opera))* (English National Opera and Mercury Baroque, Houston)
- David in Handel's *[Saul](/source/Saul_(Handel))* ([Opera North](/source/Opera_North))
- Athamas in Handel's *[Semele](/source/Semele)* ([Philadelphia Opera](/source/Opera_Philadelphia) and [British Youth Opera](/source/British_Youth_Opera))
- Siroe in Handel's *[Siroe](/source/Siroe)* (Oper der Zeit)
- Melo in Handel's *[Sosarme](/source/Sosarme)* (London Handel Festival)
- Shepherd in [Monteverdi](/source/Monteverdi)'s *[L'Orfeo](/source/L'Orfeo)* ([English National Opera](/source/English_National_Opera) and [Handel and Haydn Society](/source/Handel_and_Haydn_Society), Boston)
- Ottone in Monteverdi's *[L'incoronazione di Poppea](/source/L'incoronazione_di_Poppea)* ([Opéra National de Lyon](/source/Op%C3%A9ra_National_de_Lyon), English National Opera, [Norwegian National Opera and Ballet](/source/Norwegian_National_Opera_and_Ballet), Opéra de Lille and Opéra de Dijon)
- Apollo in [Mozart](/source/Mozart)'s *[Apollo et Hyacinthus](/source/Apollo_et_Hyacinthus)* (Classical Opera Company)
- Farnace in [Mozart](/source/Mozart)'s *[Mitridate](/source/Mitridate)* (Classical Opera Company)
- Jalal in Julian Philips *Varjak Paw* (The Opera Group)
- Clearte in [Agostino Steffani](/source/Agostino_Steffani)'s *Niobe* (Royal Opera, London and [Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg](/source/Grand_Th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre_de_Luxembourg))
- Licida in [Vivaldi](/source/Antonio_Vivaldi)'s *[L'Olimpiade](/source/L'Olimpiade)* ([Garsington Opera](/source/Garsington_Opera))
- Akhnaten in [Philip Glass](/source/Philip_Glass)'s *[Akhnaten](/source/Akhnaten_(opera))* ([Vlaamse Opera](/source/Vlaamse_Opera))

## Recordings

Mead has a wide-ranging and growing discography including the multi-award-winning recording of Bach's *Matthäus Passion* with Pygmalion under [Raphaël Pichon](/source/Rapha%C3%ABl_Pichon) ([Harmonia Mundi](/source/Harmonia_Mundi), 2022), [Gramophone Award](/source/Gramophone_Award) nominated recordings of Handel's *Flavio* with the Early Opera Company under Christian Curnyn (Chandos, 2010),[15] *Bach's B minor Mass* with Arcangelo under Jonathan Cohen (Hyperion, 2014) and a DVD of Britten's *Death in Venice* with English National Opera under Edward Gardner, directed by Deborah Warner (Opus Arte, 2014) and the BBC Music Magazine Awards nominated recording of Handel's *Brockes Passion* (AAM Records, 2019). Mead's solo albums include *Beauteous Softness* with La Nuova Musica (Pentatone, 2023), *Sacroprofano* with Arcangelo (Alpha Classics, 2023), *Songs & Dances* with Les Musicens de Saint Julien (Alpha Classics, 2018) and Bach solo cantatas with La Nuova Musica (Harmonia Mundi, 2017). He is featured on two recordings as a treble chorister soloist.[citation needed]

## References

1. ["Tim Mead (Counter-tenor) - Short Biography"](http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Mead-Tim.htm). bach-cantatas.com/. Retrieved 1 September 2016.

1. ["Biography at Musicmakers website"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101215211057/http://www.operauk.com/mead.html). Archived from [the original](http://operauk.com/mead.html/) on 15 December 2010.

1. ["Tim Mead (Counter-tenor) - Short Biography"](https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Mead-Tim.htm). *www.bach-cantatas.com*. Retrieved 25 February 2021.

1. ["Prom 63: Bach - Mass in B minor, 2016, BBC Proms - BBC Radio 3"](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07qc2gd). Retrieved 1 September 2016.

1. The Prince Consort. [Ensemble biography](http://theprinceconsort.com/biog.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110918113822/http://www.theprinceconsort.com/biog.html) 18 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine

1. ["Biography at artist's website"](http://tim-mead.com/about/). Retrieved 1 September 2016.

1. Staatsoper, Bayerische. ["Haus: Bayerische Staatsoper"](https://archive.today/20120630224340/http://www.bayerische.staatsoper.de/309-ZG9tPWRvbTQmaWQ9MjczMCZsPWRl-~popups~k_biographie.html/). Archived from [the original](http://www.bayerische.staatsoper.de/309-ZG9tPWRvbTQmaWQ9MjczMCZsPWRl-~popups~k_biographie.html/) on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2016.

1. ["Opera Today : Amsterdam Hercules Dazzlingly In Love"](http://www.operatoday.com/content/2009/01/amsterdam_hercu.php/). Retrieved 1 September 2016.

1. International, Bill Kenny Seen and Heard. ["Seen and Heard International review by Simon Thompson"](http://www.musicweb-international.com/sandh/2009/Jul-Dec09/eif18_3008.htm/). Retrieved 1 September 2016.

1. ["Concertclassic.com review by Luc Hernandez"](http://www.concertclassic.com/journal/articles/actualite_20111013_3989.asp/). Retrieved 1 September 2016.

1. [Guardian review by Erica Jeal](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/mar/17/classicalmusicandopera1?INTCMP=SRCH/) *The Guardian* (London) 17 March 2005.

1. [Interview for COMMANDOpera](http://commandopera.com/2011/02/11/tim-mead-interview/)

1. [Guardian review by Kate Molleson](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/16/orlando-scottish-opera-review?INTCMP=SRCH/) *The Guardian* (London) 16 February 2011.

1. [London Evening Standard review by Barry Millington](http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/review-23967191-rinaldo-glyndebourne---review.do/)[dead link] *Evening Standard* (London) 5 July 2011.

1. [Telegraph review by Rupert Christiansen](https://web.archive.org/web/20101106122058/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalcdreviews/8097239/Handel-Flavio-CD-review.html) *The Telegraph* (London) 29 October 2010

## External links

- [Official website](http://tim-mead.com/)
- [Intermusica Artists' Management Ltd.](http://www.intermusica.co.uk/mead)
- [*I must be mad to play Orlando* (Glasgow Evening News 16/2/11)](http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/features/editor-s-picks/i-must-be-mad-to-play-orlando-1.1085445/)
- [Boy Soloist](http://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?VID=3055/)[dead link]
- [St Matthew Passion on *All of Bach*, featuring Tim Mead as the alto soloist](http://allofbach.com/en/bwv/bwv-244/)
- [Tim Mead's London Concert List](http://www.londonclassicalconcerts.co.uk/artists/TimMead.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tim Mead](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Mead) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Mead?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.