| Christopher
Field Profile |
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| Biography Education
Awards
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| Biography | Prizewinning Australian
countertenor
Christopher Field
was born in 1977. He took his Bachelor of Music
degree in piano performance under Professor Max Cooke
before
concentrating on singing and minor studies in harpsichord. He took his
Masters at the
University of Melbourne. Currently a recipient of the Rae
and Edith
Bennett scholarship, he is studying at the Royal Academy of Music in
London with Professors David Lowe and Iain Ledingham. His operatic engagements have included the role of Polinesso in Handel’s Ariodante with Stopera and Oberon in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Co*Opera. With Opera Australia he covered the role of Eustazio in Handel’s Rinaldo and he has sung the role of Waki-tsure in Crispin-Cresswell’s The Nameless Dead with Stopera. He has sung the role of Maria Cleofas in La Resurrezione with the Australian Classical Players, J S Bach’s B Minor Mass in Perth with Collegium Musicum, and in 2002 the alto solos in Handel’s Messiah with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Melbourne Concert Hall, and with Collegium Musicum in Perth. In 2003 he was the alto soloist in Bach's St John’s Passion with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic and in the Australian premiere of Bach’s St Mark’s Passion with the Sydney Philharmonia at The Sydney Opera House. In 2004 he performd Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater for the London (UK) Handel Festival, Bach’s Mass in B minor with the Sweelinck Ensemble and the New Cambridge Singers, Messiah directed by Paul Esswood, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms with UWE Bristol and he gave a solo recital for Musica Viva Australia. Christopher Field's future engagements include the alto solos in Messiah with English Voices and the London Festival Orchestra and the role of Natura Humana in Caldara’s Christmas Oratorio at the Pamploma Festival in Spain with Ensemble Diapason. In 2005, Christopher Field will sing the countertenor role in John Adams’ El Nino and cover the role of Goffredo in Rinaldo with Opera Australia, and he will join the Kings Consort on tour next year. Christopher Field appears as countertenor soloist on a number of recordings, including two releases on Move records: the world premiere of Zelenka’s Litanies of St Francis Xavier and A Souldier’s Resolution, featuring songs and viola da gamba works by Tobias Hume with Miriam Morris. He also appears as the countertenor soloist on the recently released DVD and CD for ABC Classics of Handel’s Messiah with Cantillation and Anthony Walker. He has recently recorded three solo discs: The Noble Noyse of Musicke with the Royal Winds in Holland, a disc of Handel cantatas on the Tall Poppies label with Accademia Arcadia and a disc of English baroque music with Salut! Baroque. Christopher Field is experienced in an eclectic range of repertoire from Arne to Andriessen, performing in many festivals and with many leading ensembles. As well as a love of early music and research into authentic performance practice, he has a keen interest in contemporary Australian countertenor repertoire and hopes that composers throughout the world will explore the ethereal characteristics of the voice type. Awarded the Marten Bequest for 2001/2, Christopher Field enjoyed six months' intensive study in Europe and the UK. He performed as soloist with Swiss-based Ensemble Corund in Zurich and in the UK has given solo recitals at the Handel House Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and Hereford Cathedral. Also in England, he sings regularly with Polyphony and English Voices and has sung with the choirs of St Paul’s Cathedral, St Bride’s Fleet Street, St Etheldreda’s Ely Place, Brompton Oratory, St Peter’s Eaton Square and St George’s Cathedral Southwark. In 2005, Christopher Field sang the world premier performance of the newly-discovered Dixit Dominus by Antonio Vivaldi. Go to the calendar page for details. 8.2005
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| Education | University
of Melbourne
First Class Honours (1998) - pianoforte University of Melbourne First Class Honours (2002) - voice and harpsichord University of Melbourne Master of Music Performance (2003) - voice Royal Academy of Music, London (since 2003) - voice Teachers: David Lowe, Iain Ledingham (current), Diane Forlano, Nicholas Clapton, Merlyn Quaife, Stephen Grant, Hartley Newnham and Valerie Broad OAM |
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| Awards | 1997-1998 Semi-finalist in Young Australian of the Year Awards - Arts 1997-1999 Mabel Kent Scholarship for singing Pearis Rodger Scholarship for pianoforte performance 1998 Piano soloist - Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals, with New Monash Orchestra Harold McDonald Prize from Early Music Society of Victoria Finalist in University of Melbourne Chamber Music competition Guest presenter of WH Keith Young Memorial Scholarship at Royal South Street Competitions (Ballarat) 1999 University of Melbourne Chamber Music Competition - winner 2000 Advanced Performance Program with The Australian National Academy of Music (vocal studies) – masterclasses with Sarah Walker City of Greater Bendigo Performing Arts Scholarship Mabel Kent Scholarship for singing Dame Nellie Melba prize for singing Ormond Exhibition for top 2nd year student 2001 Marten Bequest - travelling scholarship ($18,000) for European study Mabel Kent Scholarship for singing ($4000) Mona McCaughey Scholarship in Music 2002 Mabel Kent Scholarship for singing Member of the Australian National Academy of Music (vocal program) with Sarah Walker Elise Wiedermann Scholarship for honours results 2003 Australian Postgraduate Award for postgraduate studies (University of Melbourne) Rae and Edith Bennett Scholarship for postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London 2004/5 Rae and Edith Bennett Scholarship for postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London |
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