Philip Smith Baritone
Recipient of INDEPENDENT OPERA Postgraduate Voice Fellowship (Royal Northern College of Music)
One time zoologist and National Otter Surveyor of England, Philip hung up his waders to study singing with Barbara Robotham at the Royal Northern College of Music where he sang Figaro Le Nozze di Figaro, Forester Cunning Little Vixen and Ramiro L’Heure Espagnole, he completed his singing studies in 2008 graduating with distinction. He is the recipient of a number of awards and is a Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme alumnus. Philip was also awarded an Independent Opera/Royal Northern College of Music Postgraduate Voice Fellowship in 2008. He continues to have lessons with Robert Dean.
He regularly performs in concerts and recitals across the UK and mainland Europe. In 2009 he performed at the Uzerche International Festival (France), in Krakow (Poland) and the Making Music Malta 2009 Festival. In the UK he took part in recitals for the 2009 Leeds Lieder+ Festival and the Aldeburgh Festival where he appeared in a recital of Britten Song Cycles with Malcolm Martineau, a concert that was broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Recent oratorio performances include Belshazzar’s Feast (Walton), Five Mystical Songs (Vaughan Williams), A Child of Our Time (Tippett), Petite Messe Solennelle (Rossini) and Dream of Gerontius (Elgar).
Philip also appears regularly on the opera stage. This year he has appeared as Sid in Albert Herring, a production directed by Keith Warner, at the Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte, Montepulciano and was a member of the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus. Since leaving college he has performed with Longborough Festival Opera, Opera by Definition, Manchester Camerata, Opera Minima, Ensemble 10/10, Edinburgh Studio Opera and understudied for Glyndebourne on Tour.
Philip was a Samling Scholar and made his Wigmore Hall debut in their showcase concert in December 2010. Future plans include the release of a recording of Britten Songs with Malcolm Martineau, his return to the Montepulciano Festival to sing Arlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos, cover Figaro Le Nozze di Figaro for Scottish Opera, and Sid Albert Herring for the Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen.
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