English tenor Andrew Tortise received an extensive musical education early on as a choirboy at Wells Cathedral before earning his degree in vocal studies at Trinity College, Cambridge. In 2004 he made his operatic debut as Apollo in Handel’s Semele at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris; the following year saw his Salzburg Festival debut, where he performed Marzio in Mozart’s Mitridate. Tortise was subsequently engaged to perform with the Opéra National de Lyon (Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea), the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels (Mernier’s Frühlings Erwachen), the Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam (Janácek’s The Makropulos Affair and Britten’s Billy Budd), Welsh National Opera (Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), and the Glyndebourne Festival, where he appeared in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Tortise has performed in concert with the Philharmonia and the London Symphony Orchestra under Colin Davis. He has collaborated on several projects with John Eliot Gardiner and has performed in Handel’s Messiah with Richard Egarr and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment as well as with the Concert Spirituel and Hervé Niquet; with Marc Minkowski he has also appeared in Handel’s Acis and Galatea. Tortise has also earned a reputation as a lieder singer and has performed in recital with Malcolm Martineau as part of the Aldeburgh Festival. Tortise’s engagements during the 2011-12 season have included Britten’s Gloriana at the Royal Opera House in London, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Gabrieli Consort, Handel’s Saul with the Estonian Chamber Choir, and Britten’s Les Illuminations, appearing as soloist with the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra.
March 2012