Mead is lauded for his interpretations of the great Handel counter-tenor roles, with recent highlights including Dardano in Amadigi di Gaula for Garsington Opera, Hamor in Jephtha at the Opéra National de Paris, Goffredo in Rinaldo at Glyndebourne, Athamas in Semele for Opera Philadelphia, Bertarido in Rodelinda for Opera de Lille and the English National Opera, and Ottone in Agrippina for Opera Vlaanderen. Other recent stage highlights include Ulisse in Sarro Achille in Sciro and Endimione in Cavalli La Calisto at the Teatro Real, Madrid, Apollo in Britten Death in Venice at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Endimione in La Calisto for the Bayerische Staatsoper, Oberon in Britten A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Glyndebourne, Opera Philadelphia and Bergen National Opera, the title role in Glass Akhnaten for Opera Vlaanderen, Boy/Angel in Benjamin Written on Skin at the Bolshoi, and Arsamene in Cavalli Xerse with Le Concert d’Astrée at Opéra de Lille, Theater an der Wien, and Théâtre de Caen.
On the concert platform, recent highlights include Handel Messiah with the RIAS Kammerchor, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Wrocław Baroque Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Gabrieli Consort, Handel & Haydn Society, Academy of Ancient Music, Le Concert d’Astrée and the Deutsches Symfonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Robin Ticciati; Bach Mass in B minor with the OAE, English Concert and Les Arts Florissants; Didymus in Handel Theodora with the Akademie fur Alte Musik, English Concert and Arcangelo on tour to the Barbican, De Singel and Wiener Konzerthaus; Bach St Matthew Passion with Collegium Vocale Gent in a European tour, the London Handel Festival and De Nederlandse Bachvereniging; and elsewhere, Pergolesi Stabat Mater with Arcangelo and at the BBC Proms, Bach cantatas with La Folia Barockorchester and the Gabrieli Consort, Written on Skin with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by George Benjamin, Hamor in Jephtha with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the BBC Proms, a European recital tour with Emmanuelle Haim and Le Concert d’Astrée, Bach St John Passion with Jonathan Cohen and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, an appearance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall, a tour of Asia with Harry Bicket and the English Concert, Athamas in Semele with the CBSO and the Handel and Haydn Society, the world premiere of Theo Loevendie Spinoza at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Bach Magnificat with Le Concert d’Astrée, Handel Solomon with Akademie für Alte Musik, Handel Judas Maccabaeus with the OAE, and Handel Joseph and his Brethren at the International Händel Festspiele Göttingen.
Mead recently released his debut solo album Sacroprofano (Alpha Classics, 2023) to great critical claim, adding to an already substantial discography with other releases including Beauteous Softness with La Nuova Musica (Pentatone, 2023) and Purcell Songs and Dances with Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien (Alpha, 2018).
Mead read Music as a choral scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, before continuing his vocal studies at the Royal College of Music.
2023/24 season / 601 words. Not to be altered without permission