Nicky Spence Tenor

Season 23/24 Artist

Nicky's 2017/18 Season includes two important debuts, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for From the House of the Dead, and at Teatro Real for Pirzel in Die Soldaten.

On the opera stage, Nicky created the role of Brian in the world premiere of Nico Muhly's opera Two Boys for the English National Opera, a role he reprised for his Metropolitan Opera, New York debut in 2013. Becoming a great exponent of Janáček's music, Nicky will shortly record The Diary of One Who Disappeared with Julius Drake and has notably appeared in Jenůfa (La Monnaie, Brussels, ENO); Katya Kabanova (Seattle Opera, Opera Holland Park) and The Makropoulos Case (Oper Frankfurt). Nicky’s other role successes include Alwa in Berg's Lulu, David in Richard Jones' Die Meistersingers von Nürnberg, Novice Billy Budd (ENO); Andres Wozzeck, Jungermann Moses und Aron (Opéra de Paris); Tamino Die Zauberflöte directed by Sir Thomas Allen, Baron Lummer Intermezzo (Scottish Opera); Francesco Benvenuto Cellini (De Nederlandse Opera); Rodolphe Guillaume Tell (WNO); Chevalier de la Force Dialogue des Carmelites (Grange Park Opera); Don Ottavio Don Giovanni (New Zealand Opera); and in concert: Mime Das Rheingold (Hallé Orchestra / Sir Mark Elder), Steuermann Der Fliegender Holländer (CBSO / Andris Nelsons), Iago Rossini's Otello (Buxton Festival), Young Sailor Tristan und Isolde (BBCSSO / Donald Runnicles), and Courtois Leoncavallo’s Zaza (Opera Rara / Maurizio Benini).

Nicky appears internationally in concert and his recent repertoire has included Bruckner’s Te Deum, Dvorak’s Saint Ludmila, Tippett’s A Child of Our Time,; Britten’s War Requiem and Les Illuminations, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Bach’s Magnificat / G Minor Mass, Finzi’s Dies Natalis, Mendelssohn's Elijah and Bach’s St Matthew Passion, etc. In demand on the recital platform, Nicky sings regularly with the Myrthen Ensemble and enjoys collaborations with leading artists such as Malcolm Martineau, Julius Drake, Roger Vignoles, Graham Johnson, Sholto Kynoch, Iain Burnside, Simon Lepper and Joseph Middleton. His recital work brings him regularly to venues such as Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, The Purcell Room, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, 5BMF, New York and Tonhalle, Zürich.
His discography includes the forthcoming final disc of Roger Vignoles' Strauss Song Series (Hyperion); French Melodié, Shakespeare settings (both with Martineau); Buxton Orr with Iain Burnside (Delphian); works by Schumann, Wolf, Britten and world premieres of Jonathan Dove, Pavel Haas, Alun Hoddinott and Mark-Anthony Turnage. Scotland born, Nicky trained at the Guildhall School and the National Opera Studio and progressed to become one of the inaugural Harewood Artists at the ENO. Nicky is a Samling Artist, recently joining their team as a leader, and was nominated by the International Opera Awards for Young Singer of the Year 2015. In the same year he was also one of ten artists nominated for the Times Breakthrough Award at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards celebrating the best up and coming young British talent from across the industry.