Ian Partridge is one of Britain’s leading lyric tenors. His wide repertoire encompasses the music of Monteverdi, Bach and Handel, the Elizabethan lute songs, German, French and English songs and first performances of new works. He appears regularly as soloist with major choirs and orchestras in Britain and throughout the rest of the world, and in recitals he is frequently accompanied by his sister, Jennifer Partridge.

Ian Partridge’s phenomenal list of recordings includes Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin (first choice in BBC Radio 3’s Building a Library), Schumann’s Dichterliebe and Liederkreis Opus 39, Britten’s Serenade, Vaughan Williams’s On Wenlock Edge, Warlock’s The Curlew, three discs of English 20th century songs, Romantic Songs for voice and guitar with Jakob Lindberg, Schubert’s Winterreise with Richard Burnett on a period piano, and, with The Sixteen Choir and Baroque Orchestra, conducted by Harry Christophers, the complete set of Handel’s Chandos Anthems, Purcell’s The Fairy Queen and the part of the Evangelist in Bach’s St John Passion.

The Thames Television production of Benjamin Britten’s St Nicolas, with Ian Partridge in the title role, won the Prix Italia. He made his operatic debut at Covent Garden singing the role of Iopas in Berlioz’ Les Troyens, conducted by Sir Colin Davis and subsequently recorded by Philips.

Ian Partridge continues to collaborate with the actress Prunella Scales, with whom he has shared over 300 performances of An Evening with Queen Victoria all over the world. He has also enjoyed taking masterclasses on Lieder, English Song and Early Music at venues as diverse as Aldeburgh, Vancouver, Ravinia, Trondheim, Versailles and Helsinki. He is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, and was awarded the CBE in 1992 for services to music.

September 2002