Events6 results
About
Described as having “all the makings of a star” in the Guardian, and hailed as “a lyric tenor clearly going places” in Opera magazine, young tenor Sam Furness was winner of the prestigious Royal Academy of Music Club Prize in 2012. Since graduating, he has sung major roles for Scottish Opera and in Santiago and Toulouse, always earning praise for his compelling acting and innate musicality.
Highlights of the current season include his role debut in the title role of Les contes d’Hoffmann for English Touring Opera, Aristea Orontea at the Wigmore Hall, Tamino Die Zauberflöte at the Turku Music Festival, Quint and the Prologue The Turn of the Screw for Northern Ireland Opera, and the title role of Albert Herring in Florence.
Engagements in the 2014/15 season included his English National Opera debut as Joe La fanciulla del West and role debuts as Števa Jenůfa (Scottish Opera) and Baron Lummer Intermezzo (Garsington Opera), as well as a recital at the Wigmore Hall. Other operatic roles to date include the title role of Albert Herring (Opera Holland Park and in a new production at the Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse); the Novice Billy Budd at the Teatro Municipal, Santiago; Jaquino Fidelio for Garsington Opera; Frederic The Pirates of Penzance for Scottish Opera; Vašek The Bartered Bride for British Youth Opera; the title role of L’Orfeo; Rinnucio Gianni Schicchi; Don Ottavio Don Giovanni; Lensky Eugene Onegin (directed by his brother Jack at the Ryedale Festival and with the Royal Academy Opera); Lysander A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Tamino Die Zauberflöte (both at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival); and Bénédict Béatrice et Bénédict with the Royal Academy Opera, conducted by Sir Colin Davis.
Oratorio repertoire includes Mozart Requiem, Bach St Matthew Passion and St John Passion, Mendelssohn Elijah, Handel Messiah and Samson, Britten St Nicholas, Verdi Requiem and Dyson Canterbury Pilgrims.