Finalist and special prize winner at the 2012 Innsbruck International Baroque Singing Competition‚ Countertenor Jake Arditti studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Andrew Watts and the Royal College of Music’s prestigious Opera School‚ with Russell Smythe where he was supported by a Countess of Munster Musical Trust Award‚ a Drapers Company‚ Baroness de Turckheim Scholarship and the Josephine Baker Trust. His professional career began as a treble‚ performing with English National Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera‚ where he performed Yniold Pelléas et Mélisande. 

Jake received widespread critical acclaim for his recent portrayal of Othniel in Handel’s Joshua at Opera North; critics described him as ’’Outstanding’’ (The Guardian and The Independent)‚ a ’’rising star countertenor’’ (The Observer) and noted for his ’’Show-stealing riches of vocal colour and stage presence’’ (The Telegraph). Recent and future plans include Euripilo‚ La Discordia & Polluce Elena for the Festival d’Aix en Provence at Opera de Lille and in Lisbon‚ Spirit Dido and Aeneas for Opera North‚ Nireno Julius Caesar and covering Voice of Apollo Death in Venice for ENO‚ Cupid Venus and Adonisand Spirit for the Innsbruck Festival‚ title role Riccardo Primo for the London Handel Festival under Laurence Cummings‚ Nerone Agrippina‚ Amor L’Incoronazione di Poppea and Guido Flavio (English Touring Opera) and SUM‚ a new work by Max Richter (ROH2). Other roles include Apollo Terpsicore / Il Pastor Fido and Unulfo Rodelinda for the London Handel Festival and covering the role of Arcane Teseo in English Touring Opera’s Handelfest.

At the National Theatre Jake sang and performed in The Revenger’s Tragedy and Dido Queen of Carthage. Other theatre work includes Laurie Sansom’s critically acclaimed production of The Duchess of Malfi for The Royal and Durngate‚ Northampton.

Concert works include Heidelberg Frühling Festival where he performed Respighi’s Il Tramonto and Hilda Paredes’ Canciones Lunaticas‚ a work for countertenor and string quartet‚ which had its UK premiere at the Wigmore Hall and other performances with the Arditti Quartet at the Wien Modern in Vienna‚ Festival d’Automne in Paris‚ Edenkoben in Germany and other recitals in Tokyo. Canciones Lunaticas will also be performed at the Edinburgh Festival 2014. Jake recently returned to Heidelberg for a performance of the Pera Ensemble’s Soul to Soul programme which he will perform again in Cologne.

© Jake Arditti