Rupert Charlesworth has stepped in at short notice to sing the role of Marzio in all four upcoming performances of Mitridate, re di Ponto at the Royal Opera House. The English tenor, described by The Guardian as a “strong presence and a powerful, supple tenor” after stepping in for a production of Partenope at the English National Opera with only three days’ notice earlier this season, will also be making his Covent Garden debut in this production of Mozart’s early opera.
Mr Charlesworth’s recent concert appearances include Messiah with Le Concert Spirituel, Septimius in Theodora and the Brockes Passion at the Handel Festival in Göttingen, Damon in Acis and Galatea for Beaune’s Baroque Opera Festival and Bernstein’s A Quiet Place with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. Recent opera appearances include Emilio in Partenope (ENO), John/Angel 3 in Written on Skin (Bolshoi Theatre, Aix-en-Provence Festival). Other roles include Renaud in Lully’s Armide (Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci) and Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Beijing Music Festival, Aix-en-Provence Festival). Upcoming highlights include Lysander for Israeli Opera and Theater an der Wien and Laertes in Brett Dean’s Hamlet for Glyndebourne on Tour.
He studied at King’s College, London, and the Royal Academy of Music. He won Jury and Audience Prizes at the 2013 Handel Singing Competition and at the 2014 International Singing Competition for Baroque Opera Pietro Antonio Cesti.
