Christopher Ainslie Countertenor
Recipient of INDEPENDENT OPERA Postgraduate Voice Fellowship and Sponsored Artist Voice Fellowship
Christopher Ainslie began singing as a chorister in Cape Town, his home city. He moved to London in 2005 to study at the Royal College of Music. He now studies privately with Mark Tucker, Paul Farrington and Audrey Hyland.
His performance in the title role of Poro in the 2007 London Handel Festival was highly acclaimed. Other roles include in 2009 the Voice of Apollo in Britten's Death in Venice for Opéra de Lyon; in 2008 the premier of Birtwistle's The Minotaur at the Royal Opera House; Arsace in Handel's Partenope in les Azuriales Opera Festival; the title role in Handel's Rinaldo in Latvia and Cupid in Blow's Venus & Adonis in Brugge. In 2007 Christopher performed Medoro (Orlando) for INDEPENDENT OPERA at Sadler's Wells, later revived in concert at Wigmore Hall in 2008, and in 2006 Alessandro (Tolomeo Rè d'Egitto) for the London Handel Festival and Arsamenes (Xerxes) at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Oratorio performances include Handel's Solomon, Messiah, Belshazzar and Saul; Bach's Matthäus Passion and Johannes Passion and Vivaldi's Gloria.
Christopher is the winner of the Michael Oliver Prize in the 2007 Handel Singing Competition, and recipient of the Hulbert Award through the London Handel Society.
Christopher is grateful for the support of the Richard Carne Trust, the Hulbert Award through the London Handel Society and INDEPENDENT OPERA at Sadler’s Wells.
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