Hugh Cutting

A former choral scholar at St John’s College, Cambridge, Hugh Cutting is a graduate of the Royal College of Music where he was a member of the International Opera Studio. On graduating, he was awarded the Tagore Gold Medal, presented by King Charles III. In the autumn of 2021, Hugh became the first countertenor to win the Kathleen Ferrier Award and is the
first countertenor to become a BBC New Generation Artist (2022-24).

Recent opera appearances include his debut at Opernhaus Zürich singing Monteverdi madrigals in Christian Spuck’s ballet setting, Refugee in Dove’s Flight, and Bertarido in Handel’s Rodelinda with the RCM International Opera Studio. Future highlights include his debut at Teatro alla Scala as Corindo in a new production of Cesti’s Orontea as well as appearances at Grange Park Opera and Garsington Opera.

Highlights on the concert platform include two appearances at Carnegie Hall for Bach’s St Matthew Passion and for a soloprogramme of Bach’s Cantatas with the Orchestra of St Luke’s and Bernard Labadie; multiple appearances at the Wigmore Hall alongside Iestyn Davies and Ensemble Guadagni, La Nuova Musica, The English Concert, and The Sixteen; Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Finnish Radio Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras and John Eliot Gardiner; a world premiere with the BBC Philharmonic; Purcell Odes for a Queen with The English Concert and Kristian Bezuidenhout and Handel’s Messiah with The Sixteen and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Hugh was a member of Les Arts Florissants 10th Jardin des Voix and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Arsace in Handel’s Partenope conducted by William Christie.

In the 2023/24 season, Hugh reunites with Les Arts Florissants and William Christie for multiple projects including Polinesso in Handel’s Ariodante, a solo programme of Italian baroque arias at the Philharmonie de Paris, and a duet programme with Carlo Vistoli at Wigmore Hall; a European tour of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Masaaki Suzuki; Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Wiener Symphoniker and Matthew Halls and on tour with Collegium Vocale Gent and Philippe Herreweghe; Bach’s B Minor Mass with Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Vladimir Jurowski; Handel’s Messiah with Les Arts Florissants and Paul Agnew and with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Bernard Labadie, two tours with Il Pomo d’Oro including Arscace in Handel’s Berenice in Madrid and Paris; a solo programme of Bach’s Cantatas with the Dunedin Consort; and The Boy in Benjamin’s Written on Skin with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra conducted by George Benjamin.

Song is central to Hugh’s ambition, and he seeks to expand the possibilities of countertenor repertoire in this sphere. In 2022/23 he appeared in recital at the Wigmore Hall and Ryedale Festival which were recorded as part of Hugh’s involvement in the BBC New Generation Artist scheme for later broadcast on Radio 3. This season he returns to the Wigmore Hall and appears at the Oxford International Song Festival. He frequently collaborates with pianist George Ireland, lutenist Danny Murphy and composer Piers Connor Kennedy both in recital and concert.

Hugh has recorded Purcell Royal Odes and Birthday Odes for Queen Mary with The King’s Consort and Robert King alongside Iestyn Davies and Carolyn Sampson, and Lamento with Iestyn Davies and Fretwork for Signum Classics.

Updated 29/09/2023