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Helen Charlston is a British mezzo-soprano celebrated for her exceptional artistry in opera, oratorio, and song. Gramophone Magazine has praised her for "incomparable beauty," noting her marvellous diction and rare ability to give life to a musical line.
On the operatic stage, Charlston has built an impressive portfolio of debuts at leading international venues. She made her debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu as Sesto in Giulio Cesare, conducted by William Christie, and sang Dido at the Versailles Royal Opera in Purcell's Dido & Aeneas. She covered the title role in Charpentier's Médée at the Opéra national de Paris, and this season makes her debut at Dutch National Opera in the world premiere of Michel van der Aa's Theory of Flames.
An equally distinguished concert artist, Charlston has appeared regularly at the BBC Proms in works including Handel's Messiah and Mendelssohn's Elijah, and has performed with orchestras including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Warsaw Philharmonic. She is also a committed recitalist, appearing at venues including Wigmore Hall and the Oxford International Song Festival.
Versatile and widely sought after across Baroque, Classical, and contemporary repertoire, Helen Charlston is one of the most compelling voices of her generation.
Sholto Kynoch is a sought-after pianist who specialises in song and chamber music. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Oxford International Song Festival (formerly Oxford Lieder), which won a prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 2015, cited for its ‘breadth, depth and audacity’ of programming. In July 2018, Sholto was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in the RAM Honours.
Working with many of today’s leading singers, recent recitals have taken him to Wigmore Hall, Heidelberger Frühling, Beethovenfest Bonn, the Zeist International Lied Festival in the Netherlands, the LIFE Victoria festival and Palau de la Música in Barcelona, the Fundación Juan March in Madrid, the Opéra de Lille, Opernhaus Zürich, Maison Symphonique de Montréal, Queensland Art Song Festival in Australia, and many other leading venues and festivals nationally and internationally.
His extensive discography includes the first complete edition of the songs of Hugo Wolf, recorded live at the Oxford International Song Festival, the final volume of which was released in January 2023. He has also recorded the complete songs of John Ireland and Havergal Brian, as well as recital discs of Schubert and Schumann songs.
More information: Helen Charleston and Sholto Kynoch
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