Iestyn Davies

Iestyn Davies (born 16 September 1979) is a British classical countertenor.

Education and background

Davies was born in York, England and first studied piano and recorder, mentored in his early years by his father Ioan. From the age of eight he sang as a boy treble in the choir of St John's College, Cambridge. He began singing countertenor in his teens, at Wells Cathedral School. He returned to St John's as a choral scholar, graduating in archaeology and anthropology. He gained his DipRAM from, and was later appointed ARAM by, the Royal Academy of Music. In 2004 he won the Audience Prize at the London Handel Singing Competition and in 2010 was named "Young Artist of the Year" by the Royal Philharmonic Society.

Davies' father Ioan is a long standing cellist with the Fitzwilliam Quartet and a member of St. John's College.

Performance

Iestyn Davies's opera career to date has included the role of Ottone in Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea for both Zürich Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and in Handel's Partenope he has sung Arsace for New York City Opera and Armindo for English National Opera. He has sung Oberon in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream for Houston Grand Opera, Apollo in Britten's Death in Venice for English National Opera and Hamor in Handel's Jephtha for both Welsh National Opera and Opéra National de Bordeaux. In 2010 he sang Creonte in Agostino Steffani's Niobe at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. In 2011, he sang the part of Unulfo in Handel's Rodelinda at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.