Born in West Sussex, Nick Pritchard read music as a choral scholar at New College, Oxford and studied with Russell Smythe at the Royal College of Music International Opera School (RCMIOS) where he was the recipient of the Eric Joseph Shilling Prize. He was awarded the London Bach Society Singer’s Prize in 2013 and is currently both a Samling Artist and a member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s ‘Rising Stars’ scheme. In 2017, he won the Whatsonstage Opera Poll award for Breakthrough Artist in UK Opera.
On the concert platform he has performed with ensembles including L'Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Gabrieli Consort, The English Concert, the English Festival Orchestra, the Instruments of Time and Truth, the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Early Opera Company, the Monteverdi Choir, the Dunedin Consort, the Kings Consort, and Ensemble Pygmalion. He has worked with such conductors as Christian Curnyn, Paul McCreesh, Harry Bicket, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, John Butt, Raphaël Pichon, and David Hill.
Operatic roles include Lysander A Midsummer Night’s Dream under Ryan Wigglesworth as part of the Aldeburgh Festival’s 70th anniversary, Prologue The Turn of the Screw and Ferrando Cosi fan tutti for Opera Holland Park and Nevill Holt Opera, Amphinomus Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria under Christian Curnyn for the Royal Opera House, Matthew in Mark Simpson’s Pleasure for Opera North, Aldeburgh and The Royal Opera, Henry Crawford Mansfield Park under David Parry for The Grange Festival, Acis Acis and Galatea under Laurence Cummings as part of the London Handel Festival, Acis Acis and Galatea for Handel House with La Nuova Musica under Laurence Cummings, Aquilio in J.C. Bach's Adriano in Siria for the Classical Opera Company, and Telemaco The Return of Ulysses and Mercurio La Calisto, both for English Touring Opera, John/Angel 3 Written on Skin with Melos Sinfonia under Oliver Zeffman, Telemaco for Iford Arts under Christian Curnyn, Paulino The Secret Marriage for British Youth Opera (for which he won the Dame Hilda Bracket award from Sadler’s Wells), the title role in Handel’s Venceslao with Opera Settecento, Ruggiero in Caccini’s La Liberazione di Ruggierio for the Brighton Early Music Festival, Tamino Die Zauberflöte Irish National Opera, and the title role in Albert Herring for the RCMIOS.
Recent and future highlights include Bach Cantatas with Les Violons du Roy under Jonathan Cohen, Purcell’s The Indian Queen for the Opéra de Lille under Emmanuelle Haïm, Damon Acis and Galatea with Early Opera Company, Il Tempo Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno with Concerto Köln, Handel’s Jephtha with Trigonale Festival der Alten Musik in Austria, recitals at the Wigmore Hall with La Nuova Musica, and performances of Bach with the Irish Baroque Orchestra, the Bach Choir, the Instruments of Time and Truth and Les Talens Lyriques. Engagements that could sadly not take place last season include Ferrando Cosi fan tutti for the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg, Bach’s St John Passion with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht at the Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, and an appearance at the Three Choirs Festival.
This biography is for information only and should not be reproduced.
Bach Cantatas, Les Violons du Roy
Les Palais Montcalm & La Salle Bourgie (February 2020)
British tenor Nick Pritchard stands out with his subtle and malleable voice and luminous top notes, as shown in his recitative in the cantata, Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem BWV 159.
Emmanuel Bernier, Le Soleil
CD: VIVAT 119 Decades. A Century of Song – Volume 4 1850-1850 (released January 2020)
released January 2020
Nick Pritchard’s dulcet lyric tenor and shapely phrasing are just what is needed here, whether in the nostalgic ‘Soucenance’ or the diaphanous, shimmering ‘Le sylphe’.
Richard Wigmore, Gramophone
... gems such as Franck’s finely crafted songs, nicely delivered by Nick Pritchard.
Natasha Loges, BBC Music Magazine, performance****, recording ****
I’ve heard [Nick Pritchard] singing live on two previous occasions, both times in English music, and I’ve been very impressed with him. It now transpires that he’s extremely well suited to French music too. His timbre is on the light side – though not lacking in strength – and there’s a plangency in his tone which fits well with the French language. Souvenance is a nice song and Susan Youens draws a very apt comparison with the piano part in Schubert’s Gretchen am Spinnrade. Le Sylphe has a light, flowing piano part which Malcolm Martineau delivers with a lovely touch. The melodic line is light and airy and Pritchard makes it most attractive. He sings the final song in the group, Aimer eloquently and once again he benefits from splendid support from Martineau.
John Quinn, Musicweb International
John Blow An Ode on the Death of Mr Henry Purcell, La Nuova Musica
Wigmore Hall (January 2020)
The evening featured the tenor Nick Pritchard and the countertenor Christopher Lowrey, whose performance of John Blow’s An Ode on the Death of Mr Henry Purcell was of star quality. Both of them, notwithstanding their early-music specialism, have a fruity tone to their voices that really suits the mannered music of this period, in this work, adding a richness that enhanced the embellishments of the music that Blow requires, as well as contrasting perfectly with the effortlessly ‘straight’ tone of the two recorders.
Sam Smith, MusicOMH
Handel Messiah, The Kings Consort
Teatro Cervantes, Malaga (December 2019)
Among the best were undoubtedly the male voices: Nick Pritchard was of great interest, a tenor with a bright future, who’s voice is not hugely exaggerated and is used very intelligently. The voice has a beautiful timbre, almost silvery, but with prominent musicality and a singing line that displayed elegance and subtlety in arias such as “Comfort ye, my people” and “Ev’ry valley shall be exalted” – delicate and thoughtful throughout the former, luminous and virtuosic in the latter.
Mario Guada, Codalario.com
Handel Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno
Concerto Köln (September 2019)
At the centre of the action were, of course, the vocal soloists, who were superbly surefooted in this repertoire.
Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger
Mozart Così fan tutte (Ferrando)
Nevill Holt Opera (June 2019)
Nick Pritchard’s fluently lyrical Ferrando.
George Hall, The Stage
Nick Pritchard is both a dynamic and sensitive Ferrando.
Sam Smith, Music OMH
Mozart Die Zauberflöte (Tamino)
Irish National Opera (May 2019)
Nick Pritchard gave his portrayal of Tamino a touch of Christy Mahon-style country guile.
Ian Fox, Opera Magazine
Tamino is met here with grace and a warm lyricism by Nick Pritchard.
Michael Dungan, The Irish Times
Nick Pritchard was a convincing Tamino, the sweet heft of his tenor carrying easily to the back of the theatre. His acting of this indecisive hero was charmingly accomplished…
Andrew Larkin, Bachtrack
… two terrific performances in the Wexford opening night of this production from Nick Pritchard and Anna Devin as Tamino and Pamina. Lyrical and authoritative, they breathe personality into these characters, showing them as they ought to truly be; beacons for a new way, rejecting the ways of the past, steadfast in love above everything else.
Keris Nine, OperaJournal
Nick Pritchard was reliably lyrical as Tamino.
Emer O’Kelly, Irish Independent
Handel Venceslao, Opera Settecento
London Handel Festival (April 2019)
In the title role – unusually, for a Baroque opera, given to a tenor – Nick Pritchard charted the range of situations the King confronts with lyrical authority, as he vacillates between paternal leniency and public justice in contemplating capital punishment for his son but eventually abdicates in favour of him when a rebellion emerges.
Curtis Rogers, Classical Source
Nick Pritchard’s sublime tenor (as Venceslao)
Sam Smith, musicOMH
Bach St John Passion, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
St John’s Smith Square (April 2019)
Nick Pritchard’s masterly Evangelist is a truthful reporter, a cool witness to the crucifixion story without gilding the telling.
Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian
Nick Pritchard has been going from strength to strength as the Evangelist, and here he gave a heartfelt account of the narrative, very much in the Peter Schreier style, telling the story with directness and empathy. He rose to all the technical challenges such as the lines about Peter’s denial (und ging hinaus und weinete bitterlich) and he phrased the crucial ‘Als nun Jesus wusste alles, was ihm begegnen sollte’ (Jesus therefore, knowing everything that was to happen to him) with both significance and tenderness.
Melanie Eskenazi, musicOMH
Bach St John Passion, Instruments of Time and Truth
Girona, Barcelona & Madrid (March 2019)
Nick Pritchard is a great Evangelist: a pleasant timbre and with perfect style.
Manel Cereijo, Ocio y Cultura
The exceptional Evangelist Nicholas Pritchard sung entirely from memory and exhibited a great mastery of German with exquisite diction, as well as silky timbre across the whole range, magnificent stage presence, subtle narrative while being at the same time remarkably expressive; it was without a doubt the best vocal performance of the evening.
Mario Guada, Codalario.com
Handel Messiah, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Albert Hall (December 2018)
Tenor Nick Pritchard was in good voice, balancing roundness of tone with emotional and expressive bite, and offering a creamy version of “Ev’ry valley shall be exalted”, and, untiring later in the work, a fiery “Thou shalt breakthem”, undaunted by its top notes.
Benjamin Poor, BachTrack
Bach St John Passion (Arias), St Paul Chamber Orchestra
Cathedral of Saint Paul & Ordway Concert Hall (November 2018)
Soprano Joélle Harvey and tenor Nick Pritchard were equally authoritative, performing with heartfelt intelligence and commitment.
Terry Blain, Minneapolis Star Tribune
…tenor Nick Pritchard brought some welcome clarity to his lines.
Rob Hubbard, TwinCities.com
Handel The Triumph of Time and Truth, Instruments of Time and Truth
King’s Place (October 2018)
As Pleasure, Nick Pritchard – who made a honeyed Ferrando in Così fan tutte at Holland Park this summer – lent theatrical swagger as well as passages of vocal brilliance to his role as tempter-in-chief.
Boyd Tonkin, The Arts Desk****
Britten The Rape of Lucretia (Male Chorus), Grimeborn
The Arcola Theatre (July 2018)
…the tenor is the best thing in the show… Pritchard and Natasha Jouhl as the Male and Female Chorus never leave the stage and are alive to every flicker of subtext in their taxing roles.
Mark Valencia, WhatsOnStage****
Haydn Harmoniemesse, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Queen Elizabeth Hall (July 2018)
Schiff’s soloists … Nick Pritchard … were forceful and eloquent.
Geoff Brown, The Times****
…the excellent soloists … Nick Pritchard.
Fiona Maddocks, The Observer*****
Dangerous Liaisons, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Queen Elizabeth Hall (June 2018)
Pritchard was an elegant Renaud and Orphée.
Anna Picard, The Times
Nick Pritchard (no relation!) displayed refined musicianship and a light, almost ethereal, tenor voice and never more so than as Charpentier’s Orphée.
Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International
Mozart Così fan tutte (Ferrando)
Opera Holland Park (May 2018)
Pritchard's mellifluousness and well sustained legato made for a memorable "Un'aura amorosa".
John Johnston, bachtrack****
The honey-voiced Pritchard commands some show-stealing moments in Act II – not least in the duet with Fiordiligi, "Fra gli amplessi".
Boyd Tonkin, The Arts Desk
Nick Pritchard’s sensitive Ferrando … a degree of excellence rarely encountered.
George Hall, The Stage****
Nick Pritchard’s Ferrando phrased an airy ‘Un aura amorosa’ … He is a natural Mozartian.
Hugh Canning, Opera Magazine
Nick Pritchard’s Ferrando…his soft-grained tenor coped admirably with Mozart’s long-phrased demands.
Francis Muzzu, Opera Now
Nick Pritchard as Ferrando is possessed of an extremely pleasing tenor, and gives a moving account of ‘Ah, lo veggio’.
Sam Smith, MusicOMH****
Pritchard sang his opening aria, 'Un aura amorosa' with beautiful honeyed tone and throughout impressed with this beauty of line, but not at the expense of character and his relationship with Eleanor Dennis' Fiordiligi brought real intensity to the later scenes.
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill****
Bach St John Passion, Polyphony
St John’s Smith Square (March 2018)
The Britten Sinfonia joined conductor Stephen Layton and his choir, Polyphony, in Bach’s St John Passion, with the tenor Nick Pritchard a supple, lucid Evangelist.
Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian
Nick Pritchard has sung the Evangelist with English Touring Opera, and here sang the whole thing from memory, using the score as he would a stage prop. He was both an observer of the action and a participant in it, spelling out the importance of what was unfolding, whilst showing us that he was affected by it. He created some wonderful moments of tension: the interminable wait after Peter’s denials, and the heartbreaking ‘und weintete bitterlich’ – Peter’s bitter weeping as he realises what he has done.
Ruth Hansford, Planet Hugill
Handel Acis and Galatea (Acis), London Handel Festival
St John’s Smith Square, March 2018
Among the engaging soloists, Nick Pritchard was especially impressive, singing Acis with sweetness and power.
Richard Morrison, The Times
...the warm-toned Nick Pritchard.
Richard Fairman, Financial Times
As Acis, Nick Pritchard sang with his customary mellifluous grace.
Yehuda Shapiro, Opera Magazine
There was some very beautiful singing from Nick Pritchard as Acis.
Sam Smith, MusicOMH****
Monteverdi The Return of Ulysses, Royal Opera
The Roundhouse, January 2018
Nick Pritchard … was one of three outstanding Suitors.
Mark Valenica, WhatsOnStage
Britten St Nicolas, London Choral Sinfonia
St John’s Smith Square, December 2017
The tenor soloist, Nick Pritchard, achieved the ideal balance between the intimate confessional moments such as ‘Poor man! I found him solitary, racked by doubt: born, bred, doomed to die…’ and the grand declamatory phrases.
Melanie Eskenazi, MusicOMH****
Benjamin, Written on Skin (John/Angel 3), Melos Sinfonia
LSO St Luke's, October 2017
Nick Pritchard and Bethan Langford offer strong support as the interventionist angels and relatives, rounding out a precociously strong cast.
Alexandra Coghlan, The Arts Desk****
Terrific supporting performances, too, from Bethan Langford and Nick Pritchard.
Richard Morrison, The Times
Bethan Langford and Nick Pritchard brought a refreshing normality to their roles of Marie and John and struck stylized poses in their interventions as the Angels. Both sang with firmness and warmth … Pritchard’s tenor suave and buoyant.
Yehuda Shapiro, Opera Magazine
Dove Mansfield Park (Henry Crawford)
The Grange Festival, September 2017
“Nick Pritchard’s trenchant tenor admirably expressed Henry Crawford’s base and selfish motives”.
Peter Reed, Classical Source ****
Nick Pritchard charmed with a gently-cushioned tenor.
Yehuda Shapiro, Opera Magazine
“Pritchard made a highly elegant Henry using his lovely tenor to create a seductive line”.
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill
Britten A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander)
Aldeburgh Fesitval, Snape Maltings (June 2017)
…elsewhere there’s plenty of youthful energy from lover Nick Pritchard.
Hannah Nepil, The Financial Times
...striking performances from her principals, including the excellent, youthful quartet of lovers – Eleanor Dennis (Helena), Clare Presland (Hermia), Nick Pritchard (Lysander), George Humphreys (Demetrius).
Hugh Canning, Opera Magazine
Nick Pritchard’s Lysander was earnest and his tenor had an occasional grain which deepened the characterization.
Claire Seymour, Opera Today
The lovers – Lysander (Nick Pritchard), Hermia (Clare Presland), Demetrius (George Humphreys) and Helena (Eleanor Dennis) – were also well matched vocally. Each singer showed clearly defined characterisation in the frenzied world Shakespeare planted them in.
Martyn Harrison, seenandheard-international.com
Lovers Nick Pritchard, George Humphreys, Eleanor Dennis and Clare Presland remind us just how much young British vocal talent is currently available.
Alexandra Coghlan, theartsdesk.com
But my, what a cast was there… Nick Pritchard as Lysander… we were spoilt royally.
Mark Valencia, whatsonstage.com
Clare Presland, Eleanor Dennis, Nick Pritchard and George Humphreys all sang with passion and spirit as their affections fluctuated.
Gareth Jones, The Ipswich Star
Bach St John Passion, English Touring Opera
Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon (October 2016)
Of the young voices among the soloists – all required to move around the stage a good deal – tenor Nick Pritchard was the most impressive: the clarity of words, his full but sweet tone, together with the ability to inject an urgency into his sound without undue effort, stood out.
Rian Evans, The Guardian
Monteverdi Ulysses’ Homecoming (Telemachus)
English Touring Opera, Hackney Empire (October 2016)
But there are also outstanding performances from… Nick Pritchard’s forthright, attractive Telemachus.
Tim Ashley, The Guardian
Fine performance too from Nick Pritchard as the loyal son Telemachus.
Richard Morrison, The Times
The male voice trio with…Telemachus (Nick Pritchard) is sublime.
Michael Church, The Independent
The tenor Nick Pritchard was in glorious voice as their son Telemaco.
Peter Reed, Opera Magazine
Nick Pritchard’s outstanding Telemachus.
Alexandra Coghlan, The Spectator
Nick Pritchard is vital as his son Telemachus.
George Hall, The Stage
Pritchard exhibits tremendous stamina and focus.
Claire Seymour, Opera Today
As Telemachus, Nick Pritchard revealed fearless nobility, singing with strength and stamina.
Mark Ronan, markronan.com
Mark Simpson Pleasure (Matthew)
Opera North and on tour (May 2016)
Pritchard and Timothy Nelson are both affecting as two lost souls adrift in this Hedonistic Hades.
Alfred Hickling, The Guardian
Tenor Nick Pritchard as Matthew, vulnerable and hungry for love…brought ardour and, for want of a better word, muscularity.
Fiona Maddocks, The Observer
The four soloists are all very good…Timothy Nelson and Nick Pritchard as the two muddled young men in the case.
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph
The engaging tenor of Nick Pritchard.
Martin Dreyer, York Press
Britten St Nicolas
London Choral Sinfonia, St John's, Smith Square (December 2015)
I was certainly impressed by the soloist Nick Pritchard, who is one of the hot new tenors on the circuit and sang the title role with the ardour I recall from its finest exponent , the late Philip Langridge.
Michael White, Catholic Herald
La Liberazione di Ruggerio dall’Isola d’Alcina
Brighton Early Music Festival, The Old Market (November 2015)
Pritchard and Devin look and sound gorgeous.
Tim Ashley, The Guardian
King Arthur, Early Opera Company
Wigmore Hall (February 2015)
Six singers shared out the songs and doubled as chorus… Nick Pritchard, lofty and more serious…The whole thing was a classy entertainment, and hugely enjoyable.
Tim Ashley, The Guardian
The Secret Marriage
British Youth Opera (September 2013)
Tenor Nick Pritchard finds the perfect pace and tone-colour for his ardent recitatives.
Michael Church, The Independent
Everyone’s singing is a delight. Nick Pritchard and Alice Rose Privett are wonderfully tender and believable lovers.
Charlotte Valori, Bachtrack
Albert Herring
Royal College of Music International Opera School (July 2015)
At the heart of the drama is Nick Pritchard’s Albert, a performance that plays the long game. Sweetly timid (aided by a splendid pink pinny) and vocally restrained throughout Act I, Pritchard displays tremendous control, holding plenty back for his drunken Act II release. His is a lovely English tenor with a core of muscularity that gives promise of a Clayton-esque future, and beautifully showcased here in Britten’s writing. Dramatically too this Albert is nicely judged, displaying no obvious camp beyond a brief exchange of glances with the leather-jacketed extra from West Side Story who haunts the shop.
Alexandra Coghlan, The Arts Desk
Nick Pritchard’s Albert easily presided over the whole evening, his authority, pace and characterisation never in doubt. His drunken soliloquy revealed how skilfully he’d kept us waiting for him to take control, and his warm, lithe tenor did the rest in charm, melancholy and intensity. In its restrained way, it was a knock-out performance, and those don’t come around so often.
Peter Reed, Classical Source
Nick Pritchard’s Concert Repertoire
| Bach | B Minor Mass |
|---|---|
| Beethoven | Mass in C |
| Britten | Les Illuminations |
| Charpentier | Messe de Minuit |
| Handel | Israel in Egypt |
| Haydn | Nelson Mass |
| Jackson | The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ |
| Mendelssohn | Elijah |
| Monteverdi | Vespers of 1610 |
| Mozart | Mass in C minor |
| Purcell | King Arthur |
| Rossini | Petite Messe Solenelle |
Nick Pritchard’s Opera Repertoire
| Britten | Albert Herring (title) |
|---|---|
| Francesca Caccini | La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola di Alcina (Ruggiero) |
| Cavalli | La Calisto (Mercurio) |
| Cimorosa | The Secret Marriage (Paulino) |
| Dove | Mansfield Park (Henry Crawford) |
| Handel | Acis and Galatea (Acis) |
| Monteverdi | L'incoronazione di Poppea (Lucano) |
| Mozart | Così fan tutte (Ferrando) |
| Ravel | L’heure Espagnole (Torquemada) |
| Mark Simpson | Pleasure (Matthew) |
