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August 31st
NICKY's OPERA NORTH, SCOTTISH OPERA AND PARIS DEBUT DATES CONFIRMED
See Calendar for more details...
July 30th
NICKY SPENCE TURNS TOUGH GUY
Following a very successful debut at Opera Holland Park this Summer, Nicky's received some great reviews for his vicious portrayal of Jaquino in Olivia Fuch's revival of FIDELIO by Beethoven.
BEETHOVEN’S FIDELIO, 2010 OPERA HOLLAND PARK
WHATSONSTAGE.COM
BY MARK VALENCIA
“So convincing a slob is Nicky Spence as Jaquino, slumped in a dingy office during the Overture, smoking and scratching, that the voice that emerges when he eventually sings comes as a shock. This magnetic young tenor is as dynamic an actor as he is accomplished a singer.”
THE TELEGRAPH
BY RUPERT CHRISTIANSEN
“Nicky Spence's strikingly vicious Jaquino”
SUNDAY EXPRESS
BY CLAIRE COLVIN
“..and the promising young tenor, Nicky Spence, makes a convincing Jaquino.”
THE TIMES
BY RICHARD MORRISON
“Nicky Spence’s brutish Jaquino…”
MUSIC WEB INTERNATIONAL
BY MARK BERRY
“…a fine command of the vocal text was a significant contributing factor here. Nicky Spence was equally convincing in the characterisation of Fuchs’s reappraised Jaquino.”
June 1st
THINGS ARE HOTTING UP FOR NICKY THIS SUMMER
It has just been announced that Nicky is to be part of the annual Greenwich Festivals season. The Summer Session is a series of live music concerts, with the 2010 line-up featuring: Nicky, Natasha Marsh, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Joolz Holland, Athlete, Alison Moyet, Seth Lakeman, and many more.
This is just one of the many places you can see Nicky perform this Summer. Check out the Calender section for more details...
1st May
NICKY ON STAGE
Stay posted as we shall soon be announcing details of Nicky's Operatic Calendar for Season 2010/2011. This includes debuts at English National Opera, Scottish Opera and Opera North.
1st April
NICKY TO RELEASE MOERAN CD
We are pleased to announce Nicky's involvement with award-winning Baritone Marcus Farnsworth in a proposed CD of Moeran Song accompanied by John Talbot. This will be part of a series previously released by Chandos. Other contributors include Roderick Williams, Adrian Thompson and Geraldine McGreevy. This will join three other disks to be released this year by Nicky.
1st March
NICKY HONOURED BY THE CONCORDIA FOUNDATION
Having been involved with the Concordia Foundation for a number of years, Nicky has been awarded the Barthel Prize for Young Artists. This is a great honour having worked closely with the foundation which is one of Britain's most innovative and prestigious supporters of the arts. Nicky will also be joining the Foundation in a special Gala performance at the Royal Festival Hall in November.
15th February 2010
NICKY WINS OPERATIC ACCOLADE
We're pleased to announce that Nicky has been awarded Bruce Millar / Gullivar prize for Opera 2010.
This prestigious accolade was fiercly competed for between six specially selected young singers from around the world in front of a live audience and an esteemed judging panel from the world of opera including head casting director of Scottish Opera, Jenny Slack.
28th January 2010
NICKY ON RADIO 3
Nicky Spence will be performing and discussing his upcoming projects with Sean Rafferty live on Radio 3's 'In Tune' tonight at 5pm alongside Soprano Rhona McKail and accompanist Sholto Kynoch...
Be sure to tune in live or...
Listen again at www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/
25th January 2010
HAPPY BURNS NIGHT, EVERYBODY…
Have a bit of Haggis on me!
X
20th January 2010
NICKY TO TAKE LEAD ROLL IN NEW CD OF ‘ROBIN HOOD’
We’re pleased to announce that Nicky has accepted the role of Robin Hood in an upcoming debut recording of MacFarren’s Opera Masterpiece, Robin Hood. Nicky begins recording with the orchestra later in the spring – watch this space!
15th January 2010
MESSIAEN CD LAUNCH AT THE WIGMORE HALL
In a special collaboration with Sholto Kynoch (one of the UK’s most prolific young accompanisrs) and Stone Records, Nicky features on a new CD entitiled ‘Fantasy’ with violinist Kaoru Yamada, Kynoch and Soprano Rhona McKail, which is being launched at a special concert at the Wigmore Hall tonight.
The disk contains works by Schoenberg, Schubert and of course Messiaen in which Nicky features. It is available now in all good Classical Music Stores and online at www.stonerecords.co.uk
25/12/09
HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
ALL BEST WEE WISHES FOR 2010...
Love from Nicky x
24/12/09
Performance of Handel's Messiah Live from York Minster
Get into the Christmas Spirit with a truly special performance of Handel's masterpiece live from one of our countries finest Venues.
This work is conducted by Simon Over with the Southbank Sinfonia
Rhona McKail - Soprano
Yaniv d'Or - Countertenor
Nicky Spence - Tenor
Baritone - Jeremy Huw Williams
Listen Live at 9pm or listen again at Classicfm.com
3/11/09
Nicky Spence, Katherine Broderick and Malcolm Martineau will appear on BBC Radio 3's 'In Tune' programme on Wednesdsay 11th November 2009 to discuss their Britten Song-cycle recital at Kings Place on Thursday 12th November. Be sure to tune in for their live interview and performance with Sean Rafferty at BBC Broadcasting House.
Listen again at www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/
12/10/09
Nicky’s Rakes in some Rave Reviews…
THE RAKE'S PROGRESS BY STRAVINSKY, PEACOCK THEATRE, LONDON
OPERA MAGAZINE
BY HUGH CANNING - NOVEMBER 2009
“Tom, the excellent Nicky Spence, was a vivid creation, a cocky, upwardly-mobile bovver-boy, a dead-cert winner for one of those ghastly but occasionally riveting TV greedfests. His descent into madness was all the more moving for his earlier fallibility - here was a man led astray by malevolence and left to bare sole responsibility for his over-optimism and gullibility… With Spence (whose Tom could transfer with honour to any of our companies tomorrow), diction was outstandingly good, and BYO cast the principals very well.”
THE GUARDIAN
BY GEORGE HALL - WEDNESDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 2009
“The central performances are all clearly defined. Nicky Spence's Tom shows an almost indecent willingness to fall from grace.”
THE SPECTATOR
By MICHAEL TANNER - WEDNESDAY, 9TH SEPTEMBER 2009
“Nicky Spence, the Tom, was heart-breaking…Then Bedlam, for all its uncharacteristically explicit sentiment, is on a scale incommensurate with anything earlier. Still, with a Tom as vivid and plausible as Nicky Spence, a singer of great promise, the unexpected expansion is all the more welcome.”
THE EVENING STANDARD
BY NICK KIMBERLEY - 7TH SEPTEMBER 2009
“What better way to test young singers than Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress? Not that it’s an easy sing but its trials are as much to do with character as with technical challenges; and because it’s sung in English, real communication matters… In that regard, Nicky Spence’s Tom Rakewell comes across best, as feckless as he is gormless but with a touching lyricism. "
THE INDEPENDANT
BY ANNA PICARD - SATURDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2009
“As for Nicky Spence, a Tom with this much flair and energy would be a find for any professional company.”
30/06/09
NICKY LIVE FROM ALDEBURGH FESTIVAL ON BBC RADIO 3
Penny Gore presents a concert given in Aldeburgh Church as part of the 2009 Aldeburgh Festival. Featuring songs by Benjamin Britten, performed by a collection of singers from the Britten-Pears Alumni, accompanied by pianist Malcolm Martineau.
Today at 1pm on BBC RADIO 3
Britten: Tit for Tat
Philip Smith (baritone)
Britten: The Poet's Echo
Katharine Broderick (soprano)
Britten: The Holy Sonnets of John Donne
Ben Johnson (tenor)
Britten: Who are these children
Nicky Spence (tenor).
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO LISTEN AGAIN... VISIT www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ldsvc
25/5/09
NICKY IN CHARITY QUEST
Nicky has joined forces with the South West Scotland Rotary Club in a massive feat to raise over 7,000 to supply 2 vehicles for primary health care work in N-E Bosnia.
Nicky Spence and Friends charity benefit at DG One (Dumfries' premiere Entertainment Venue - 30th May, 7.30pm
SUPPORT THIS VERY IMPORTANT CAUSE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW - go to www.dgcommunity.net
3/3/09
NICKY TO BE PART OF LINE UP ON BBC 1's 'THE BIG QUESTIONS' THIS SUNDAY - 10am
Nicky Campbell hosts a series of moral, ethical and religious debates from the Samworth Enterprise Academy in Leicester.
Contributing their views are Classical Tenor Nicky Spence; the radio talk-show host, James O'Brien; Baroness Verma, businesswoman and Tory spokesperson in the House of Lords for Education, Skill and Health; and Zareen Roohi Ahmed, the Chief Executive of the British Muslim Forum.
1/3/09
NICKY HAS RAVE REVIEWS FOR RECENT OPERA ROLE...
Gluck - La Rencontre Imprevue
March/April 09 OPERA NOW by Robert Thicknesse:
“Rather stealing the show was Nicky Spence’s gluttonous servant Osmin: Spence has bags of charm and presence, comic timing and even a voice; required by director Stephen Medcalf to go through lengthy cheeky-chappy routines, he did it quite without being irritating – an achievement”
EVENING STANDARD by Barry Millington
"Acting skills all round are hugely impressive but Nicky Spence's Osmin deserves special mention."
1/2/09
NICKY's NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED - LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK...
8/2/09
NICKY TO FEATURE IN SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY's MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR LIST 2009 TOMORROW...
Hot 100: Meet Scotland's most eligible men and women
Number 27 NICKY SPENCE
Classical tenor, 25
London
Unique selling point
Born in Dumfries, he was a chippie before going professional as a classical tenor. He has just sung his first notes on the Royal Opera House stage and is set to release a new CD of Alun Hoddinott songs later in 2009. He will also be singing the title tenor role in a new production of Pyramus and Thisbe, as well as leading celebrations for the Burns Homecoming.
Fantasy Valentine
A hybrid of Kate Winslet (in the Titanic years) and Barack Obama. "We'd go paragliding, share a cheese platter at Gordon's Wine Bar and snuggle by the fire with some sheepskin action."
Turn-on
Banter, curves, independent thought and the heart of Anneka Rice.
Turn-off
Smelly hair, clingyness and a Frida Kahlo moustache.
In another life…
"Something bohemian in Paris with a jaunty beret, a fistful of dollars and the smog of my own bonne humeur."