Joseph Bolger – Countertenor Curriculum Vitae [email protected] +44 (0)7722 330160
Opera Ormonte Elpidia/Handel Opera Settecento, London Handel Festival 2016 Edward The Masque of Alfred/Arne Doha Baroque Ensemble, Qatar 2016 Prince Arthur Early Morning/Bowler Size Zero Opera/Royal Opera House workshops 2015 Edward The Masque of Alfred/Arne Linden Baroque 2015 Various Excerpts of new opera by Elena Langer Welsh National Opera, The Vale Festival 2014 Guest (c) The Killing Flower/Sciarrino Music Theatre Wales 2013 Andronico Tamerlano/Handel New Chamber Opera 2013 Refugee Flight/Dove Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama 2013 Othniel (c) Joshua/Handel Opera North 2013 Spirit (c) Dido & Aeneas/Purcell Opera North 2013 Soloist Baroque Around the Block Armonico Consort Tour 2012 Soloist Too Hot to Handel Armonico Consort Tour 2012-2014 The Sandman The Sandman/Bowler Size Zero Opera, Tête à Tête Festival 2012 Turio Cajo Fabricio/Hasse Ensemble Serse, London Handel Festival 2012 Soloist Exposure/Laura Bowler The Royal Opera House, Linbury Theatre 2011 Emira Siroe/Hasse Ensemble Serse, London Handel Festival 2011
Concert Soloist Appearances Solomon/Handel Bristol University Baroque Ensemble 2015 Lute Song Recital Duo Seraphim, Brighton Early Music Festival 2015 Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne/Handel Amadé Players, London Handel Festival 2015 Messiah/Handel Lincoln Cathedral Choir 2014 St. Matthew Passion/Bach Armonico Consort 2014 The Fifth Continent/Patterson Portsmouth Choral Union 2014 Messiah/Handel Guildford Philharmonic 2012 The Choice of Hercules/Handel Badinerie, Dora Stoutzker Hall 2012 Castrato Arias Badinerie, The National Museum of Wales 2011
Competitions 2nd Prize The John Kerr Award for English Song 2014 1st Prize The Eileen Price Lieder Prize, RWCMD 2011
Education MA Opera Distinction Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama 2011-2013 MMus Vocal Studies Merit Royal Academy of Music, London 2009-2011 BA (hons) Music First Class Pembroke College, University of Oxford 2006-2009
Web & Media www.josephbolger.co.uk
Biography
Joe’s affective voice and elegant musicianship have seen him develop a reputation as a versatile countertenor in repertoire from Dowland to Dove. Opera roles include Andronico (Handel/Tamerlano) for New Chamber Opera, cover Othniel (Handel/Joshua) and Spirit (Purcell/Dido & Aeneas) for Opera North, Refugee (Dove/Flight) for RWCMD and cover Guest (Sciarrino/The Killing Flower) for Music Theatre Wales. At the London Handel Festival he has appeared as Turio (Hasse/Cajo Fabricio) and Emira (Hasse/Siroe) with Ensemble Serse. He also created the title role in Laura Bowler’s The Sandman for Size Zero Opera at the Tête à Tête festival. Future engagements include the role of Ormonte in the modern-day premiere of the Handel pasticcio Elpidia with Opera Settecento at the London Handel Festival and Prince Edward in Arne’s The Masque of Alfred for Doha Baroque Ensemble in Qatar. Highlights as a concert soloist include Bach St Matthew Passion with Armonico Consort, Handel Messiah with both Lincoln Cathedral Choir and Music for Awhile under the direction of Laurence Cummings as well as the title roles in Handel’s Solomon for Bristol University Baroque Ensemble and The Choice of Hercules with Badinerie at the Dora Stoutzker Hall, Cardiff. For Portsmouth Choral Union he has performed Patterson’s The Fifth Continent and looks forward to joining them for Orff’s Carmina Burana and Dove’s Arion and the Dolphin in the summer. Joe has a particular affinity with the song repertoire, receiving 2nd Prize in the 2014 John Kerr award for English Song and 1st Prize in the 2012 Eileen Price Lieder Prize at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Duo Seraphim, his voice-lute ensemble with Richard MacKenzie made their debut in the 2015 Brighton Early Music Festival and look forward to performances for the Lake District Summer Music Festival and City Music Society in the coming year. Joe graduated with a first class honours degree in music from Pembroke College, Oxford before going on to study at the Royal Academy of Music and then the MA Opera Course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Press
“Joe Bolger was a fine prima donna, delivering the big bravura air with accuracy and brilliance.” ANDREW PORTER, OPERA, Siroe, 2011
“The Sandman himself was countertenor Joseph Bolger, who has remarkable strength across his vocal range and excellent stage presence too.” PAUL KILBEY, BACHTRACK, The Sandman, 2012
“In a strong cast, counter-tenor Joe Bolger as the Refugee and mezzo Dawn Burns as Minskwoman stood out for me as young singers to watch.” CATH BARTON. WALES ARTS REVIEW, Flight, 2013
“Singer Joe Bolger dressed ironically in Hendrix T-Shirt and jeans transported the audience church with aplomb, I was very impressed… his was an outstanding voice in a day of superb voices.” ERIC PAGE. GSCENE, Brighton Early Music Festival, 2015