Julian Tovey

Lecturer

Biography

Julian Tovey was born in North Yorkshire, England. He studied at Exeter College, Oxford and the University of St Andrews. He trained at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.

He made his debut at La Scala, Milan as the protagonist in Lorin Maazel’s opera 1984 in a production by Robert Lepage. He sang the title role in Wozzeck in St Gallen and performed in productions of Salome at the Netherlands Opera and the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. His debut in the United States was as Orest in Elektra in performances with the New York Philharmonic at the Lincoln Center.

Other operatic work has included Trinity Moses in The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Israeli Opera), Donner Das Rheingold (Canadian Opera Company, Vlaamse Opera, L’Opera National du Rhin, Tyroler Festspiele), Conte Almaviva Le Nozze di Figaro (Garsington Opera), Bonze in Anthony Minghella’s production of Madam Butterfly (English National Opera), Belcore L’Elisir d’Amore (Oporto) and Escamillo Carmen and Zweite Kamerad Der Silbersee ( Wexford Festival).

Julian has sung in several world premieres includng the role of protagonist in Vacchi’s Lo Stesso Mare at Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari, Theseus in Rushton’s Birds, Barks, Bones at the Cheltenham International Festival and Bermel’s Natural Selection with the RLPO.

He has wide experience in the world of musicals and operetta. He sang the title role in Ludwig II: Sehnsucht nach dem Paradies for three years (the most expensive musical to date in Germany) and recorded it for Universal Records. Other work has included Obolski Das Feuerwerk (Wiesbaden), Eisenstein Die Fledermaus and Danilo Die Lustige Witwe (Oporto) and Captain and Maximilian Candide (RLPO and Konzerthaus, Vienna).

Concert work has included appearances with the RSNO, RLPO, Northern Sinfonia, Huddersfield Choral Society and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Abroad Julian has sung with Wurtemberg Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the Community of Valencia, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.

He has appeared in recital in Tokyo, Munich (Residenz), Amsterdam and at the International Bodensee Festival.