Bach Christmas Oratorio Parts 1, 4, 5 & 6 December 2017 - Soloists

Emma Kirkby - Soprano

Emma Kirkby  - Soprano

Emma Kirkby feels lucky in many ways: that she met renaissance vocal polyphony while still at school, that she studied Classics and sang with the Schola Cantorum at Oxford, and, best of all, that there she encountered “historical” instruments known to Renaissance and Baroque composers, the lute, harpsichord, and wind and string instruments, whose sound and human scale drew from her an instinctive response. 

As a schoolteacher and amateur singer she was invited to perform professionally with pioneer groups; and long partnerships followed in Britain and abroad, with ensembles, individual players, and record companies, so that now Emma’s voice and style are recognized worldwide.

Emma was awarded a DBE in 2007, and in 2011 the Queen’s Medal for Music. Amazed by all this, she is nevertheless glad of the recognition it implies, for a way of music-making that values ensemble, clarity and stillness above volume and display; above all it is a joy to her to see a new generation of singers and players bringing their skills to this endeavour. She is also proud and grateful to be a patron of the Aberdeen Bach Choir.

Nicholas Spanos - Counter Tenor

Nicholas Spanos Counter Tenor

Nicholas Spanos studied with Aris Christofellis in Greece. He furthered his studies at the University of Maryland School of Music (USA) and at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna. He has participated actively in many vocal masterclasses taught by prominent teachers, such as Kurt Equiluz, Delores Ziegler, Anna Tomowa-Sintow and Michael Chance. 

He has been acclaimed for his appearance in opera, oratorio and recital and has collaborated with the National Opera of Greece, the Athens State Orchestra, Opera Lorraine, the Orchestra of Colours, the Bach Sinfonia (USA), Denmark Radio Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Stuttgart, and the Venice Baroque Orchestra. For many years he has been a regular collaborator with Ex Silentio, Latinitas nostra and Pandolfis Consort Wien Early Music Ensembles.

Nicholas has won a number of prestigious awards including those for his participation in recordings, which include the CD recording of Handel’s Oreste (2004) and Tamerlano (2006) by the German label MDG as well as a CD based on Metastasio’s Olimpiade libretto, with the Venice Baroque Orchestra (2011) for NAÏVE Records. In 2014 he was the first to revive the role of Ruggiero in Ristori’s Le Fate with Ensemble Alraune, a production that was made into a DVD.

Nathan Vale - Tenor

Nathan Vale Tenor

Nathan Vale was a Choral Scholar at Wells Cathedral before attending London’s Royal College of Music, where he studied in the Benjamin Britten International Opera School as one of the first recipients of the Peter Pears Scholarship. His operatic engagements have included First Prisoner in Fidelio for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Friend of Seneca in The Coronation of Poppea for English National Opera, Lurcanio in Ariodante at the Bolshoi Opera and Belfiore in La finta giardiniera for Opéra de Baugé.

Winner of the 2005 AESS English Song Competition, Nathan’s recital engagements have included appearances at the Wigmore Hall, the Three Choirs Festival and a recital with Julius Drake as part of the Temple Recital series. Nathan’s concert highlights have included Evangelist in the St Matthew Passion with the Northern Sinfonia, Arias in the St Matthew Passion with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, Handel’s Ode for St Cecilia’s Day for both the Israeli Camerata and the Riga Chamber Choir, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia at the BBC Proms, and Handel’s Israel in Egypt at the Three Choirs Festival, Hereford.

Current engagements include, Evangelist in  Bach's St John Passion, Teatro Massimo Palermo, Tito in La clemenza di titofor Opera Baugé, and Handel’s Messiah in Bath Abbey, Bristol Cathedral and the Usher Hall Edinburgh.

Dawid Kimberg - Bass

Dawid Kimberg Bass

Dawid Kimberg was born in Johannesburg and moved to the UK in 2001 to further his studies at the Royal College of Music with Ryland Davies and the National Opera Studio. Dawid’s engagements have included Dr Falke in Die Fledermaus for Bolshoi Opera, Masetto in Don Giovanni, and Morales in Carmen for the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte for Opera Holland Park, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro for Glyndebourne on Tour, Mr Gedge in Albert Herring for Théâtre du Capitole du Toulouse and Ned Keene in Peter Grimes for Deutsche Oper am Rhein.

His many oratorio performances include the major works of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Dvorak, Vaughan Williams, Tippett, Britten, Orff, Puccini, Duruflé and others. In recital Dawid has appeared at the Wigmore Hall and performed Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin and Schwanengesang in the Crush Room at the Royal Opera House. He was the 2004 winner of the Great Elm Vocal Awards and the recipient of the Joaninha Award in 2007.