Christopher
Ainslie
Overview of singing career
Christopher Ainslie started his singing career as a chorister in the choir of St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, his home city. It was with this choir, under the direction of Dr Barry Smith, that his solo career began. After moving to London in 2005 he completed his postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music with distinction in 2007, and is now performing at some leading venues around the world. He studies privately with Mark Tucker, Paul Farrington and Audrey Hyland.
Christopher is winner of the 2008 Richard Tauber Prize at the Wigmore Hall and the Michael Oliver Prize in the 2007 Handel Singing Competition. His performance in the title role of Handel’s Poro (conducted by Laurence Cummings, and part of the 2007 London Handel Festival) was highly acclaimed. Other opera roles include Innocent 4 in the world premier of Birtwistle's The Minotaur at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (directed by Stephen Langridge and conducted by Antonio Pappano), Medoro in Orlando with Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells (conducted by Gary Cooper), Alessandro in Tolomeo Rè d’Egitto, in the 2006 London Handel Festival, Arsamenes in an Edinburgh Festival Fringe production of Xerxes and The Spirit in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at the Spier open-air theatre, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Recent oratorio performances include the title role in Handel’s Solomon (2007 London Handel Festival), conducted by Laurence Cummings, The Messiah, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Warren-Green, Belshazzar (Cyrus) in the Frauenkirche in Dresden, Saul (David) in St John's, Smith Square; Bach’s Matthäus-Passion in Worcester Cathedral and with the London Handel Players in St George's, Hanover Square, Bach's Johannes-Passion, conducted by Madeleine Lovell and Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Upcoming engagements include Medoro in a concert performance of Handel's Orlando with Independent Opera at Sadler's Wells (conducted by Gary Cooper), the title role in Handel's Rinaldo in the Summer Festival in Sigulda, Latvia, Arsace in Handel's Partenope in the Les Azuriales Opera Festival, France (conducted by Natalie Murray) and The Voice of Apollo in Britten's Death in Venice at Opéra de Lyon (2009).
While qualifying as a chartered accountant in Cape Town, Christopher studied singing part time with Sarita Stern at the University of Cape Town College of Music, and viola with Jürgen Schwietering and Hermina de Groote.
Since moving to London he has had lessons with Mark Tucker, Paul Farrington, Ryland Davies and David Daniels and has sung in master classes with Michael Chance, Peter Harvey, Ashley Stafford and Sarah Walker.
Christopher is grateful for the support of Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells.
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