Allan Clayton
tenor
Allan Clayton studied at St John’s College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music in London where he received numerous awards including “The Queen’s Commendation for Excellence” and an inaugural Sir Elton John Scholarship. Two years after graduating he was appointed an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. The BBC invited him to join the New Generation Artist scheme from 2007-2009, and in 2008 he received both the John Christie Award for his Glyndebourne Festival debut as Albert Herring, and a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship.
On stage Allan’s roles have included Ferrando/Così fan tutte (New York City Opera, Royal Opera House, Opera North, and the Glyndebourne Festival); Bénédict/Béatrice et Bénédict for Opéra Comique, Paris; Lysander/A Midsummer Night’s Dream for English National Opera and many more.
His highlights include, his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra as Cassio in Verdi’s Otello, his debut with the New York Philharmonic (Mendelssohn’s Elijah) and Britten’s War Requiem (Sydney Opera House) to name just a few.
This season he shone as Castor/Castor et Pollux (English National Opera), Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ (Britten Sinfonia), broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and a wide range of others. His commitments for this year include Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (Scottish Chamber and Australian Chamber Orchestra), the world premiere of G. Benjamin’s opera Written on Skin (2012 Festival de Aix-en-Provence) and co-productions at the Netherlands Opera, Theatre du Capitole Toulouse, Royal Opera House, Wiener Festwochen, and the Bayerische Staatsoper during the 2012/13 season.
Allan has given lieder recitals at the Cheltenham Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, and London’s Wigmore Hall. He has worked with outstanding pianists, like P. Lewis, G. Johnson, M. Martineau, R. Vignoles and many more.
His recordings include a Gramophone-nominated Otello, CD and DVD of Handel’s Messiah, DVD of Dove’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, Britten’s Michelangelo Sonnets, and Joshua. For Hyperion he has recorded Lukaszewski’s Via Crucis, Messiah (with Britten Sinfonia), and Britten’s St Nicolas (to be released later this year).
