Roderick Williams
b. 1965
British
Summary
Image © Benjamin Ealovega
Roderick Williams is one of this country’s most sought-after baritones and is constantly in demand on the concert platform and in recital, encompassing a repertoire from the baroque to world premieres. In 2016 he won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Singer of the year award.
As a composer he has had works premiered at the Wigmore and Barbican Halls, the Purcell Room and live on national radio. Recent commissions include a major work, World without End, for the RIAS Kammerchor and BBC Singers, Per ardua ad astra to celebrate the 2018 centenary of the RAF, Now Winter nights for VOCES8, Death be not proud for The King’s Singers, and orchestrations of English songs including A Shropshire Lad for the Hallé Orchestra. In 2023 he writes a new work for the 250th anniversary celebrations of Amazing Grace, first written in 1773 by the Rev. John Newton in Olney, Buckinghamshire.
He was Artistic Director of Leeds Lieder + in April 2016 and was Artist in Residence with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra between 2020-2022 as well as ‘singer-in-residence’ for Music in the Round in Sheffield, presenting concerts and leading on dynamic and innovative learning and participation projects that introduce amateur singers, young and old, to performing classical song repertoire. He is currently the Composer in Association of the BBC Singers. He was awarded an OBE for services to music in June 2017.
Biography
Roderick Williams is one of this country’s most sought-after baritones and is constantly in demand on the concert platform and in recital, encompassing a repertoire from the baroque to world premieres. In 2016 he won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Singer of the year award.
As a composer he has had works premiered at the Wigmore and Barbican Halls, the Purcell Room and live on national radio. Recent commissions include a major work, World without End, for the RIAS Kammerchor and BBC Singers, Per ardua ad astra to celebrate the 2018 centenary of the RAF, Now Winter nights for VOCES8, Death be not proud for The King’s Singers, and orchestrations of English songs including A Shropshire Lad for the Hallé Orchestra. In 2023 he writes a new work for the 250th anniversary celebrations of Amazing Grace, first written in 1773 by the Rev. John Newton in Olney, Buckinghamshire.
He was Artistic Director of Leeds Lieder + in April 2016 and was Artist in Residence with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra between 2020-2022 as well as ‘singer-in-residence’ for Music in the Round in Sheffield, presenting concerts and leading on dynamic and innovative learning and participation projects that introduce amateur singers, young and old, to performing classical song repertoire. He is currently the Composer in Association of the BBC Singers. He was awarded an OBE for services to music in June 2017.